Food Security & Access

Key Facts:

  • A healthy diet can cost five times more than basic diets, which normally take their energy from starchy staples and carbs 
  • One in nine people experience food insecurity and hunger

We need a food system where food supply is secure and everyone has access to a healthy diet, so we don’t have to worry about whether we can find and afford good quality, nutritious food.  

What counts as a healthy diet?  

  • The recommended minimum daily amount of fruit and vegetables is 400g a day, per person
  • Healthy diets should be diverse and contain lots of nutrients, but too many people eat diets made up mainly of starchy staples (like potatoes, bread or pasta) which contain lots of energy but are low in key nutrients.

Are healthy diets affordable and accessible?  

  • Only in Asia and in some wealthy countries do people have access to enough fruit and vegetables  
  • In some areas of the world, a healthy diet costs more than twice the global average  
  • One in nine people globally find themselves running out of food or going for days without eating because they can’t afford or access food. This is particularly damaging for children who cannot grow, develop, or concentrate in school without a nourishing diet.  

Why is it important that healthy diets are affordable and accessible?  

  • When healthy diets are expensive, many vulnerable people miss out on essential nutrition. The quality of their diets and their eating habits are disrupted, which affects their wellbeing.  

Politicians, farmers and food businesses must work together to ensure that healthy diets are affordable and accessible, and that the cost of nutritious food is reduced.

Global food systems