Our seat at the table – Maximizing transformative opportunities across the rural-urban continuum to deliver healthy diets from sustainable food systems

Transformative action to deliver healthy diets from sustainable food systems is essential to end malnutrition in all its forms and achieve the interlinked, and interdependent 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Local and regional governments have successfully promoted the importance of local and territorial food systems in achieving overall food systems transformation and the SDGs. The emphasis now shifts to greater facilitation and acceleration of coherent national and local action. Food systems drivers, including the influence of urbanisation and the need for better integration of value chains across the rural-urban continuum, offer numerous opportunities and policy entry points for urban and local governments, and other local stakeholders. Interventions to support local food systems can create co-benefits for people and nature. Actions at the local level can play a catalytic role in tackling widening social and economic inequalities. They can also address the worrisome convergence of rural-urban food consumption patterns favouring highly processed foods often high in unhealthy fats, sugars or salts. Efforts to support local, place-based food systems can leverage national action to combat malnutrition, protect and conserve biodiversity and ecosystems, boost livelihoods and support local formal and informal economies.