Current food systems that fail poor countries need to be reformed, says Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food in his final report.

De Schutter calls for the adoption of agroecology with greater emphasis on local food production as a sustainable alternative to the existing framework.

The industrial system that has boosted food production over the past 50 years “still leaves 842 million – 12% of the world's population – hungry,” says an article on The Guardian’s Global Development website.

While the green revolution boosted agricultural production through the use of high-yielding plant varieties, irrigation, mechanization and subsidized fertilizers and pesticides, it came at a cost. Agrobiodiversity has been lost, soil erosion and pollution have accelerated, and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture escalated.

De Schutter views agroecology techniques such as agroforestry, intercropping and use of organic fertilizers as vital for the future of the agricultural sector. These practices would not only be less harmful to the environment but also lead to more diverse diets and improve nutrition.

Support for smallholder farmers in poor countries is critical to achieve food security, according to De Schutter, through access to land and quality planting materials. In rich countries, farm subsidy systems and domination by large agribusiness corporations need to be closely examined.

De Schutter also discusses the expansion of trade and the impact this is having on poor countries who export food products desired internationally while struggling to feed their own people.

Read the full story: Food system that fails poor countries needs urgent reform, says UN expert

Download the report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter: The transformative potential of the right to food