The State of Food and Agriculture 2024’ (SOFA 2024):

The State of Food and Agriculture 2024’ (SOFA 2024):

Why in News? The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has  recently released ‘The State of Food and Agriculture 2024’ (SOFA 2024).

Key Findings:

• True Cost Accounting: The report calls for the importance of true cost accounting in agrifood systems.
• It helps to uncover the hidden costs and benefits associated with food production and consumption, including environmental degradation, health impacts, and social inequalities.
• the hidden costs of agrifood systems amounted to approximately $12 trillion annually.
• Globally, the dominant quantified hidden costs were those arising from unhealthy dietary patterns that lead to diseases and lower labour productivity.
• India’s hidden costs are the third largest globally, following China and the United States, which have hidden costs of $1.8 trillion and $1.4 trillion, respectively.
• The health-related hidden costs, which include productivity losses due to dietary-related diseases, form a significant portion of the total.
• These costs are estimated to be around $846 billion annually, reflecting the burden of disease and reduced labour productivity.
• Dietary Risks and Non-Communicable Diseases: Unhealthy diets are a major contributor to global hidden costs, accounting for approximately 70% ($8.1 trillion) of these costs.
• The report underscores the link between dietary risks and non-communicable diseases, highlighting the need for healthier food environments.
• Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts: Agrifood systems generate significant benefits for society but also have substantial negative impacts.
• The report identifies these hidden costs, which include economic losses from market and policy failures, and emphasises the need for comprehensive assessments to inform policy decisions.
• It calls for greater consumer awareness and engagement, as well as equitable roles for producers in the supply chain.

Key Recommendations :

• Promoting Healthier Diets:
• Sustainable Agricultural Practices:
• Improving Social Equity: .
• These include incentivising sustainable practices, improving institutional and fiscal capacities, and engaging stakeholders in the transformation process.