Brief prepared by Research Partners of the Scientific Group for the Food Systems Summit.

The brief discusses the link between global food security and healthy people, animals, plants and environment, and how to better prepare for, and minimize the chance of, future pandemics.

Local, regional and global food security are affected by the occurrence of epidemics of zoonotic infectious diseases, caused by pathogens that spill over from animals to humans. Covid-19 is only one example, ~60% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originated from animals.

Increasing mobility, population densities and urbanization, as well as the growing length and scale of the global food supply chains, and pressure on natural ecosystems by changing land use and climate change, have created new challenges and put the need for adaptation of current surveillance and intervention strategies in sharper focus.

Zoonotic infectious diseases on food security impact both directly (disruption of the work force and workers’ income, viability of businesses, trade restrictions) and indirectly (price volatility, consumption pattern) food security, with vulnerable populations most severely affected.

Reducing the likelihood of spill over and onwards transmission risk of pathogens can be achieved through:

1. Reducing the need for natural habitat disruption. The pressure on natural ecosystems, caused by the expanding agri-food system, could be addressed through sustainable intensification of land use, in order to limit contact between humans and livestock with natural ecosystems and wildlife;
2. Smart management of both sides of the interface between natural ecosystems and the agri-food system, and vigilance at the human-animal interface. Targeted sampling and surveillance throughout the agri-food system, complemented by appropriate hygiene and biosecurity measures, form the first steps to preventing shocks. Optimized surveillance at the human-domestic animal-wild life interfaces may enable early detection of (re)emerging pathogens and unexplained disease symptoms;
3. Improving overall human, animal and environmental health. Food security is essential to reducing malnutrition, and results in improved human health and wellbeing, and a human population that is less susceptible to pathogens (e.g., reducing undernutrition, obesity, and resulting diseases)

The brief concludes that the One Health approach - health of animals, people, plants and the environment are inextricably connected – should be strengthened and highlights the creation of a One Health High-Level expert council by UN Environment, FAO, OIE and WHO to address risks at the human-animal-environment interface.