Globalization of food systems in developing countries: impact on food security and nutrition

The workshop “Globalization of food systems: impact on food security and nutrition” was
held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) in Rome, Italy from 8 to 10 October 2003. The workshop was convened to gain a
better understanding of the influence of globalization and urbanization on food systems
(food supply, marketing and distribution) in developing countries and to analyse the effects of these changes on smallholders and small firms, on food consumption patterns and on nutrition and health outcomes. The event was jointly organized by two divisions within FAO, representing two sectors: the Agricultural and Development Economics Division, examining key economic issues, and the Food and Nutrition Division, addressing health and nutrition outcomes. Thus, two parallel themes were explored: i) the transformation of food systems and its effect on small farmers in developing countries and ii) the impact of globalization, largely influenced by urbanization, on dietary patterns and the nutritional status of urban populations. The workshop was partially funded through the FAONetherlands Partnership Programme.

Articles Included:

Globalization of food systems in developing countries:
a synthesis of country case studies
Gina Kennedy, Guy Nantel and Prakash Shetty

Features of urban food and nutrition security and considerations
for successful urban programming
Marie Ruel and James Garrett

Globalization, urbanization and nutritional change in the developing world
Michelle Mendez and Barry Popkin

The growing global obesity problem: some policy options to address it
Josef Schmidhuber

Impact of globalization on food consumption, health and nutrition in Nigeria
Kolawole Olayiwola, Adedoyin Soyibo and Tola Atinmo

Globalization, urbanization and nutritional changes in South Africa
Mickey Chopra

Impact of globalization on food consumption, health and nutrition in urban areas:
a case study of Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Joyce Kinabo

Trends in health and nutrition indicators in the urban slums of three cities
in Bangladesh, compared to its rural areas
Martin Bloem, Regina Moench-Pfanner, Federico Graciano, Gudrun Stalkamp
and Saskia de Pee

Urbanization, income and the nutrition transition in China: a case study
Michelle Mendez, Shufa Du and Barry Popkin

Globalization, urbanization and nutrition transition in a developing island country:
a case study in Fiji
Jimaima Schultz

Impact of globalization on the food consumption of urban India
Swarna Vepa

Globalization, food consumption, health and nutrition in urban areas:
a case study from the Philippines
Maria Regina Pedro, Corazon Barba and Luz Candelaria

Impact of globalization on food consumption, health and nutrition in urban areas:
a case study of Brazil
Ana Lydia Sawaya, Paula Andrea Martins and Vinicíus Jose Baccin Martins

Nutrition transition in Chile: a case study
Fernando Vio and Cecilia Albala

Impact of globalization on food consumption, health and nutrition in urban areas
of Colombia
Luis Fajardo