In 2021, the Global Food System acquired an entity of its own, being now recognized not only in technical spheres but also in civil society and in the actions taken by governments. The United Nations convened an international conference to analyze, evaluate and propose new directions for the development of the global food system, including new options for its governance. This will result in higher visibility regarding the importance of national food systems that are part of it and, quite probably, in international agreements or conventions that will affect its performance in the near future.

Why was this conference convened? What concerns moved the United Nations to summon world governments and civil society, in their multiple guises, to hold talks on a subject that was, until now, in some way concealed behind agriculture?

On the one hand, the evidence that the global food system has become an intricate and complex set of economic and productive activities, both agricultural and non-agricultural, through which food for the world is produced. This food system involves, in addition to agriculture, transport and logistics activities, industrial processes and distribution and sales activities, including restaurants and direct sales of processed food. It also involves domestic and international financial mechanisms of different kinds and sizes, as well as the dynamics and behavior of investment flows: a wide range of activities on which approximately 40% of the world population relies economically for its subsistence.

On the other hand, the interrelationships between food production and other important aspects such as environmental sustainability, human health and the welfare of significant sectors of society have become evident. This is an issue which several voices of civil society and the scientific community have already noted. These interrelationships and the existence of trade-offs among them require to be considered and assessed jointly.

These new perceptions and views have also made it clear that there is no global institutional system for countries to consider, assess and agree both on domestic policies and on the global, collective actions necessary to guide the development of the global food system in an appropriate direction.

This book seeks to contribute to a dialogue that is just beginning. It aims to aid the understanding of domestic food systems and their integration into a world food system, as well as of the set of policies, instruments, regulations and economic incentives required to achieve a balanced and efficient global food system: a food system that ensures adequate food security for all inhabitants of the planet in a sustainable manner, both environmentally and from the standpoint of human health and social and economic sustainability.

This work presents a view from Latin America. In other words, it analyzes the food system considering the actual circumstances of the region, describes how it operates, and projects aspirations and needs from a regional perspective. It is the result of a collaborative effort of four friends who have shared many academic and institutional adventures throughout their life. No doubt this will not be the last!!!

The authors would like to thank Sabine Papendieck, author of two specific sections, for her very special collaboration, and Mario Trucco for his technical support in the preparation of the book.

Special thanks go to the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), to the Group of Producing Countries of the Southern Cone (GPS) and to the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM), institutions to which the authors are related. However, the opinions and proposals are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned institutions.

Finally, special thanks to Karina Romero and Marcelo Iglesias for their cooperation in the preparation and editing of the manuscript.