Addressing food and nutrition insecurity in European countries: a scoping review of strategies and policies

Background. Food and nutrition insecurity (FNI) is a major public health concern, due to its association with a variety of adverse health outcomes.
Objective. The aim of this article is to provide a description of the strategies and policies to mitigate FNI in European countries, with a particular focus on economic, agriculture and social macro-areas.
Methods. A scoping review, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines, was performed to map any study design, reporting policies and strategies that tackle FNI through food and nutrition security (FNS), access, utilization, or stability.
Results. The review identified 13 documents from institutional websites and 6 scientific articles, published from 2005 to 2022. The included papers highlight a multifaceted approach to addressing food insecurity, with policies covering several dimensions. The policies identified can be categorized into several key themes: agriculture and fisheries, nutrition, environment, sustainability, economy, stakeholder’s views, COVID-19 pandemic and other crisis, vulnerable populations (women, children, migrants) and information campaigns. The review describes in detail several policies, examining their effectiveness and the challenges faced in ensuring that these initiatives result in tangible improvements in food access, affordability, and nutritional quality, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Conclusions. The results show a current lack of a specific and coherent policy framework on FNI at a European level. Policy fragmentation is mainly due to the multidimensional nature of FNI, which has interconnections with many different areas of the food system. The findings suggest a comprehensive approach, incorporating several policy measures and involving multiple stakeholders to ensure sustainable and equitable access to nutritious food.