The Sustainable Agri-Food Systems Intelligence (SASI) initiative brought a fresh perspective to the 52nd Committee on World Food Security with a provocative question: Do farmers feed consumers, or do consumers feed farmers? This side event, organized by Agrinatura and the FAO Investment Centre with European Commission funding, gathered experts to explore how consumer purchasing power shapes food security.
"Do not be afraid to invest in consumers to help farmers" emerged as the central message, challenging traditional approaches to food system transformation. The hybrid event brought together 80 participants to examine why decades of production-focused policies haven't delivered expected results.
Martin Bwalya, Senior Food Systems Regional Consultant at the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, highlighted a striking paradox in Africa. Despite massive investments in fertilizers, seeds, and irrigation, agricultural productivity remains below global averages and hasn't reduced poverty or food insecurity. This reality calls for a fundamental shift in approach.
Tristan Le Cotty, economist at CIRAD, explained the core challenge: when consumers lack purchasing power, farmers can't sell their produce even if production increases. Meanwhile, Julia Tagwireyi from AfriCAN emphasized that higher incomes alone won't solve the problem. In Sub-Saharan Africa, conventional diets lack diversity, making healthy nutrition difficult even for those who can afford it. She advocated for policies promoting diverse crop production, including indigenous vegetables and alternative protein sources.
The discussion revealed a critical gap between urban consumers and rural producers, captured in one participant's pointed question: "Do brokers feed farmers or do farmers feed brokers?" This highlighted how intermediaries often capture most of the value in food systems.
Looking ahead, FAO Senior Economist Lorenzo Giovanni Bellù outlined two essential actions for transformation:
The SASI initiative continues to support this vital dialogue, recognizing that effective food system transformation must address both supply and demand. By highlighting consumer purchasing power, the project is helping reshape how we approach food security globally.