Food security, animal sourced foods and One Health

L.S. Perkins and N.D. Scollan, Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University, Belfast

Introduction

The challenges surrounding food security are heavily influenced by population trends. The global population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050 before plateauing at 10.4 billion (United Nations, 2025). This places unprecedented strain on food production systems and the environment. Within this evolving context, animal sourced foods (ASF) present both opportunities and challenges, by providing essential nutrients while presenting animal welfare and environmental concerns. The One Health approach recognises the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health and provides a vital framework for building resilient food systems that can meet the needs of today while preparing for a food secure future. This brief paper explores the grand challenges at the intersection of food security, One Health, and ASF, identifying key priorities for policy, industry, academia and innovation in an era of shifting demographic and ecological realities.

Food Security

Food security, the challenge of providing the world’s growing population with access to safe, affordable and nutritious food at all times and in ways our planet can sustain against backdrop of climate change and biodiversity loss, continues to be a major challenge for society (Barrett, 2021). Food security is a complex, multi-dimensional issue that extends from global food availability to household-level access.

It is estimated that food production needs to increase by 60-110% to meet growing population and planetary needs (FAO, 2009; Tilman, 2011; Alexandratos and Bruinsma, 2012; van Dijk et al, 2021). This expansion is challenged primarily by the nutritional demands of the growing population but also by limited arable land, biodiversity loss, and increasing climate related disruptions such as droughts, floods, and shifting weather patterns. The resilience and sustainability of the food system can be separated into six key themes.

The six main themes of food security each contribute to how food is produced, distributed and accessed (DEFRA, 2024a; Figure 1). Global food availability is reliant on the balance between supply and demand including distribution, sustainability and dietary value of food. The resilience of the food supply chain relies on physical and human infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and stable economic conditions, all of which determine how effectively the UK can respond to global challenges and supply interruptions. At the household level, food security is shaped by the ability of individuals and families to access sufficient, healthy, and affordable food. The sources of the UK’s domestic and imported food supply play a crucial role in determining the country’s vulnerability to external pressures. Public trust in food safety and authenticity is essential and supported by rigorous monitoring systems and transparent communication. Finally, agency and sustainability reflect the capacity of individuals to make informed, culturally appropriate food choices within an environmentally responsible system. Together, these interconnected areas form the foundation for a robust, future-facing food system.

A main report to the National Preparedness Commission (Lang et al, 2025) outlines seven strategic steps to civil food resilience to enhance the UK’s preparedness for food-related crises (see Figure 2 on page 6). These steps focus on addressing the fragility of the current food system, which is heavily reliant on global supply chains, and transitioning from a “just-in-time” approach to a more robust “just-in-case” model. This shift aims to build a food system that is more adaptive and resilient in the face of disruptions such as climate change, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical instability. The goal is to create a sustainable, responsive food system that ensures long-term food security and the ability to withstand future challenges.

Self-sufficiency in the UK

While food security is underpinned by access, availability, and nutritional quality, the concept of food self-sufficiency identifies nation’s capacity to meet its own food needs through domestic production. In the UK, food self-sufficiency has seen a decrease from ~75% in 1990 to ~60% in 2025 (DEFRA, 2024b). The remaining 40% is fulfilled through imports from the EU but also from global markets (UK Food Security Index, 2024). In recent years, international trade has remained relatively stable, however geopolitical events such as Ukrainian Russian war and more recently evolving trade dynamics and policy shifts with countries such as the USA has presented uncertainty. In addition, extreme weather events have questioned the sustainability of both domestic and imported sources. Climate change, declining natural capital, and environmental pressures continue to affect food production capacity. These challenges are compounded by labour and skills shortages, particularly in agriculture and food processing, which threaten the continuity and efficiency of the supply chain.

At the same time, the UK has experienced major supply disruptions, a sharp rise in input costs, and the highest food inflation in ~45 years, all of which have contributed to growing levels of household food insecurity (Das, 2023). Many people are finding it more difficult to consistently have access to healthy, affordable food, further highlighting the need for a more resilient and equitable food system. Alongside these economic and logistical challenges, there remains a national imperative to improve the nutritional quality and food safety. Strengthening food system resilience will need to address promoting sustainable domestic production, addressing labour gaps, investing in infrastructure, and embedding climate adaptation into future planning.

The challenges to the UK’s food self-sufficiency and security include declining domestic production and rising import dependency to climate change impacts, supply chain disruptions, and escalating food prices. These challenges have been highlighted in the “Food, Diet and Health Committee’s report, Recipe for Health: A Plan to Fix Our Broken Food System”, which discusses comprehensive and integrated food strategy to address current system failures (House of Lords, 2023). The importance of tackling issues such as food insecurity, public health, sustainability, and economic efficiency are discussed. The UK needs to build a food system that is resilient and produces healthy, more sustainable and equitable food by working with sectors such as agriculture, public health and policy.

ASF and Global Protein Demand

ASF play an important role in the human diet helping to promote optimal health and wellbeing (Beal et al, 2023). Products such as meat, dairy, eggs and fish contain a diverse matrix of bioavailable macro- and micronutrients including iron, zinc, B complex vitamins and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Beal et al, 2023). These nutrients play a pivotal role in bone and muscle growth, repair and maintenance, brain development and immune response (Mann, 2018). Without careful planning, human diets devoid of ASF can result in sub-optimal or deficient levels nutrients which can result in a negative impact on human health and well-being.

Micronutrient deficiencies remain a global challenge, particularly in iron, vitamin A and zinc (Passarelli et al., 2024). The blood status of other nutrients such as omega-3 and vitamin D are reported to be sub-optimal. Iron deficiency is associated with anaemia, while vitamin A and zinc deficiency is associated with poor eye health and impaired immune function, respectively (Iolascon et al, 2024; Marley et al, 2021). Micronutrient deficiency from ASF is impacted by socioeconomic status, geographic location, and cultural barriers and exacerbated by economic barriers, limited access to diverse foods, and poor food distribution systems. Given the complex challenges surrounding food security, micronutrient efficiency, and sustainable protein production, the agriculture and livestock industry must adapt and address these concerns through innovation, research and collaboration. This includes improving production efficiency, reducing waste, and adopting sustainable farming practices to meet the nutritional needs of a growing global population while reducing environmental impact.

Meat is a valuable source of high biological value protein which is essential for growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues, muscle and bone health. Requirements vary across life stages, but adequate levels are particularly recognised in infants and the elderly (Lee et al, 2021). As meat consumption increases, the prevalence of stunted growth in children decreases (Adesogan et al, 2020). Due to increasing global population, urbanisation and change in dietary trends, global protein demand is predicted to rise (Duluins and Baret, 2024). In recent years in western nations, dietary trends have shifted towards increasing protein consumption, due to health and exercise regimes, but also on a more general level. The movement from animal protein intake to plant-based products is recognised and known as protein transition (Duluins and Baret, 2024). Increases in numbers of people adopting vegetarian and vegan diets have resulted in a larger scale of alternative proteins including plant-based and synthetic based. These alternatives can contribute to meeting the rising demand, however the socioeconomic cost and accessibility of these products and nutrient bioavailability when consumed are still being investigated.

One Health

The intricate connection between animals, humans and the wider planetary environment is known as One Health (Zinsstag et al., 2024). The One Health approach is receiving increased political attention as a solution to some of the greatest global health threats including increasing zoonotic disease emergence (e.g., Bovine TB, Avian Influenza H5N1 and swine flu), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety and security (Figure 4). These pillars of One Health directly impact Global Food Security and safety by threatening productivity of livestock, reducing biodiversity, and compromising human health, while increasing the risk of disease transmission through the food chain. The inextricable links between Global Food Security and One Health are evident and need for enhanced and accelerated innovation, investment and partnership are required. Intensive farming and global trade increase the risk of disease, while livestock losses, trade restrictions, and declining public confidence in food safety. Integrating One Health into food system planning is complex but also supports prevention, resilience, and long-term food security.

Rapid Innovation, Investment and Partnership

To overcome the challenges in ensuring a food secure planet while addressing One Health concerns is a multifaceted task. Previous trajectories for food security are not sufficient to satisfy the complex food needs of the global population. In January 2025, over 150 Nobel and World Food Prize laureates signed an open letter urging world leaders to invest in new innovations driven by scientific data and supported by strategic collaboration to ensure global food security for the future (World Food Prize Foundation, 2025). This will aide food and nutrition security while addressing concerns surrounding health livelihoods and economic development. Collaboration between governments, research and industry will be key to building resilient food systems that not only ensure access to safe and nutritious food but also promotes public health, increases biodiversity, and benefits economic development. The production of high quality ASF which follow One Health principles, coupled with innovation, investment, strategic partnership will contribute significantly to the future of a robust, resilient, adaptable, equitable and healthier Global Food System for humans, animals and the planet.

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