7. The European Union as a Player in the Global Food Security

Although global food-production would be sufficient to feed the entire world’s population, there are 800 million people suffering from undernutrition. About 70% of those starving live in rural areas in less developed and developing countries. The reduction of hunger and under-nutrition is the ambitious target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) striving against rapid population growth, technological disparities and environmental destruction that have significant effects on future food systems. In order to transform food systems and enhance the development of rural areas, food security should be guaranteed through investment, training, research and balancing local, regional and global markets and trade. Responsible consumers are also crucial to ensure food security. In response to environmental changes, the European Union contributes to the SDGs through its own policy initiatives and thematic food security programmes and actions. The European Union (EU) approaches the arising challenges from the aspects of agriculture, nutrition and resilience. This chapter gives an overview of the processes of designing and implementing initiatives, building cooperation with governments and participation in partnerships to facilitate change in developing countries, as well as measures taken with the help of financial instruments at EU-level. The chapter also focuses on the responsibility of recipient countries.