Food security policies : making the ecosystem connections

Ecosystem goods and services make critical contributions to food security by supporting the availability, access and use of foods, and by strengthening the stability of food systems. Ecosystem degradation and weak ecosystem governance not only compromise the ability of developing country populations to farm, access and use food effectively, but also undermine the effectiveness of food security policies. At the same time, inappropriate policies can damage ecosystems and their ability to support food security. An ecosystem-aware approach to food security policymaking goes beyond the conventional focus to take a big-picture view to the development of sustainable food systems.