The coexistence of hunger, excess and waste of food in different regions of the world worries many parts of the society. Societal perceptions can even be sharpened to the negative end when stakeholders or institutions offer apparently obvious and consistent solutions which policymakers "simply do not enforce". The causes of uneven food supply worldwide are, however, very complex and differ from country to country, since cultural, political, infrastructural, climatic, growing conditions, etc. differ. Many well-intentioned ad-doc solutions turn out to be infeasible. Some well-meant solutions even have negative impacts. Hence it is our task as researchers to provide advices to policymakers very cautiously, considering the multidimensionality of food production, distribution, and nutritional trends worldwide.

All in all, a good und safe diet is in the focus of such holistic considerations: meaning access to nutrient-rich, high-quality and well-balanced food at all time as well as freedom from hunger and good health.

In order to understand why and how it comes to inadequate, one-sided or unhealthy nutrition, the entire food system, from agricultural production, through markets and trade, then to consumers must be considered. Local farmers need secure framework conditions for producing food, in order to feed themselves and to supply the population via functioning infrastructures and market services. Also the trade in agricultural goods can contribute to the securing of supply in that deficits in the local production are supplemented and foreign currencies generated.

In a broader sense, such a holistic consideration also includes the use of natural resources, since rainforest or biological diversity contribute to food security. The production of food competes in many countries with the sustainable use of scarce natural resources and can only be successful in the long term if natural resources are not exhausted or destroyed, but rather the requirements for environmental, natural and climate protection are meet.

Political regulations influence the system at all levels. National policy shaping is relevant for agricultural market functioning and a sustainable use of ecosystems.

For a long time many national governmental and non-governmental international organizations are active in this area. The German Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has been working in the area since 2012. In its global food strategy the BMEL announced the intention to give higher priority to this topic in future. Thus, the Thünen Institute is the main point of contact of the BMEL for questions of global food security and agricultural policy combating hunger. Our work is focused on topics which result from our policy consultancy tasks as government scientists.

Here, in particular, we can draw upon our international networking experience. Our advantage is: activities are based on long-term co-operations with scientific institutions and NGOs worldwide, resulting in reports, capacity building and knowledge transfer. One key stone of our work in improving food security is a close co-operation to other international organizations and research partners such as FAO, IFPRI, CGIAR and OECD.