Litcius/Paper detail

Gap between national food production and food-based dietary guidance highlights lack of national self-sufficiency

Jonas Stehl, Alexander Vonderschmidt, Sebastián Vollmer, Peter Alexander, Lindsay M. Jaacks

2025Nature Food17 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

In light of nationalist trends, disruptions to global food supply chains and efforts to concurrently promote sustainable diets, we assess national capacities to achieve dietary guidelines based on domestic production alone. Over a third of all countries cannot meet self-sufficiency for more than two of the seven essential food groups. Low self-sufficiency and overdependence on a few countries for imports threaten their capability to respond to global shocks, particularly for small states.

Topics & Concepts

Production (economics)BusinessFood processingEnvironmental healthFood scienceMedicineEconomicsBiologyMacroeconomicsAgriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactFood Waste Reduction and Sustainability