Food insecurity (also known as food poverty) is the inability to afford or access a healthy diet. It has become recognised as a public health emergency and is a priority in the context of the environmental, geopolitical and socio-economic implications on businesses, households and civic society. This review paper aims to discuss the merits of collecting food insecurity data and its importance in informing cross-sectoral government and others’ understanding, policymaking and action on hunger. The review paper’s key findings are that concerted action on measuring and mapping food insecurity with the aim of eliminating or reducing its prevalence represents a triple win for government, business and citizens. However, measurement does not provide solutions to food insecurity but contributes importantly to understanding its extent and severity to inform and evaluate proffered solutions. Government, business and food insecurity researchers and commentators cannot merely continue to simply describe food poverty - but must effect meaningful change amidst our communities to improve life quality in a timely way for those experiencing acute and chronic hunger. This is best done by addressing the structural causes of food insecurity through economically, socially and culturally fair and appropriate policy levers, requiring cross-sectoral collaboration. Ultimately, food insecurity requires a long-term, sustainable solution that addresses the policy issues under focus: low income, under/unemployment, rising food prices and Welfare Reform, informed by routine, Government-supported monitoring and reporting of the extent of food poverty among our citizens.

The over consumption of high fat, sugar, and salt foods increases population risk of overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. The food environment mediates consumer food choices and thus plays an important role in diet quality and related health outcomes. The built food environment, where most people in high income countries access their food, has been found to be obesogenic. The aim of this review was to investigate the healthfulness of the supermarket food environment. Supermarkets are an important source of healthy foods in the built food environment. However, there are disparities in access to supermarkets, and in several countries, supermarkets located in areas of higher deprivation have an unhealthier consumer food environment. This double burden limits access to healthy foods amongst lower socio-economic groups, contributing to widening disparities in food-related ill health. There is a strong body of evidence supporting improved purchase of healthy foods by increasing the healthfulness of the supermarket consumer food environment. Voluntary measures co-designed with retailers to improve the healthfulness of the supermarket consumer food environment through restriction of product placement and private label reformulation have led to an increase in healthier food purchases. However, evidence also shows that mandatory, structural changes are most effective for improving disparities in relation to access to healthy food and diet-related ill health. Future research and policy related to the supermarket food environment should consider equitable access to healthy sustainable foods in the context of growth in online supermarkets.

Food systems in Africa are under pressure from climate change, conflicts, health pandemics such as COVID-19 and rising food prices. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted weaknesses in global food systems and indeed Africa’s was not spared. Although COVID-19 mortality and morbidity in Africa were relatively low in comparison to other regions, the containment measures employed by countries amplified a rather dire situation. Disruptions were seen in livelihoods, food value chains, increases in food prices and loss of income. These changes affected access to nutritious foods. A resilient food system that can withstand and recover from disruption and shocks will be important for ensuring access to healthy diets for all. This review paper assesses the state of food insecurity and malnutrition situation pre-COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19 on Africa’s food systems and access to healthy diet. To put Africa on a path to accelerated recovery, a resilient and sustainable food system will be crucial. The following recommendations are made: i) increasing agriculture productivity, with special attention to the foods that contribute to healthy diets- fruits and vegetables, and animal source foods ii) promoting the production and consumption of nutritious African traditional and indigenous foods iii) transforming Africa’s food systems to be gender-sensitive iv) investing in well-targeted social protection programs v) supporting food environments that protect healthy diets and vi) employing data and information to monitor food systems transformation.