News & media Takeaways from the world governments summit: Food security should be treated as an infrastructure challenge
By Cedric Garnier-Landurie, CEO, Cordiant Capital
Despite sufficient global food production, in 2023, the UN reported that an estimated 733 million people still faced hunger[1], highlighting the disconnect between production and access. In recent years, global conversations about food security have intensified, driven by geopolitical instability, climate change and supply chain disruptions. At the World Governments Summit in Dubai this month, these themes were front and centre, with policymakers, NGOs and investors alike recognising that food security is becoming a greater strategic priority for nations. Yet one point remained underappreciated: the world does not have a food production problem, but rather a food infrastructure problem. The next famine will not be caused by a lack of food; it will be caused by system failure.
Global agriculture already produces enough food to feed around 10 billion people. What happens after harvest is where the system breaks down. 30-40% of food is lost post-harvest, disproportionately in low- and middle-income countries. This is not a farming problem. It is a logistics, storage, energy, and governance problem. Moreover, food security is often times measured in tonnes – which misses the point. Food security should be measured by outcomes in nutritional levels, food safety, and affordability. Nutritional value also deteriorates rapidly, particularly for fresh produce and proteins: calories arrive; micronutrients do not. Addressing these inefficiencies is one of the most powerful and investable levers for improving global food resilience.
Viewing agriculture as an integrated system
For investors and policymakers alike, this requires a shift in mindset. Agriculture cannot be approached solely on farmland or yields, but as an integrated system spanning production, storage, cold-chain logistics, transportation and distribution. Improvements at the farm level alone create limited value if the supply chain cannot preserve and deliver. Every dollar spent increasing yields without fixing post-harvest systems leaks value. By contrast, investing across the value chain can significantly reduce risk while unlocking new economic opportunities, economic moats, and increased margins.
Thinking in systems rather than in isolated assets enables infrastructure investors to identify opportunities that would otherwise be lost in fragmented supply chains. This also improves resilience by diversifying exposure across multiple value-chain components, rather than relying on a single point of performance.
Post-harvest infrastructure is the missing link in food security
Cold chain infrastructure is a particularly important component of food logistics. Extending the shelf life of perishable goods from days to weeks transforms both availability and economics. It allows producers to access export markets, reduces reliance on costly air freight, stabilises pricing and improves nutritional outcomes.
This creates what we might call ‘fresh food security’, whereby cold chain infrastructure enables countries to maintain a stable food supply rather than relying solely on spot availability, which often have little nutritional value remaining relative to the calories. Public policy also plays an important role through targeted capital-expenditure support and public-private partnerships that enable shared infrastructure, such as storage and logistics facilities. For smaller producers, access to storage can improve income stability while also opening access to export markets.
Institutional capital has a major opportunity but remains under allocated
Despite the scale of the opportunity, institutional capital remains significantly underrepresented in agriculture and agriculture-related infrastructure. In the United States alone, farmland real estate is estimated to represent a $3.3 trillion asset class, yet institutional involvement remains below 2%[2].
By comparison, capital has flowed aggressively into digital infrastructure such as data centres. Part of the challenge is perception; agriculture is often seen as volatile and fragmented. However, when approached at a systems level, the risk profile changes materially.
Diversification across the value chain and regions, combined with infrastructure-style investment structures, can generate resilient cash flows and attractive margins. In some segments, profitability can exceed that of more fashionable infrastructure sectors, creating a compelling opportunity for long-term investors seeking both stability and impact.
The GCC opportunity
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region provides a clear example of how infrastructure investment can reshape food security outcomes. Countries in the region import around 85% of their food[3], making resilience a strategic priority, while also possessing the capital and policy ambition to invest in long-term solutions. The region also relies heavily on maritime trade routes passing through strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal, increasing exposure to geopolitical disruption and supply chain volatility.
The GCC’s geographic position also creates an opportunity to rethink global trade routes for perishable goods, particularly between Southern Hemisphere production centres and major consumption markets. Investing in end-to-end agricultural infrastructure, from post-harvest handling and storage through to cold chain logistics, can extend shelf life, reduce reliance on air freight and improve supply stability.
Treating Food Systems as Critical Infrastructure
With global food demand projected to rise by around 50% by 2050[4], food systems should be viewed through the same lens as energy, transport or digital networks: as critical infrastructure.
Food system infrastructure should be treated like ports, power, or water and not like retail real estate. If government were to explicitly classify cold chains and food logistics as strategic national assets, this would change permitting time lines, land access, utility prioritisation and risk perception for private capital.
Food system infrastructure underpins economic stability and national security yet remain underinvested relative to other sectors.
Improving food security is not just about increasing production but strengthening the systems that connect production to consumption so food can move efficiently and reliably across borders. As demand rises and supply chains face growing disruption, investment in these systems will become increasingly essential.
For institutional investors, this represents both responsibility and opportunity. Integrated agricultural infrastructure can deliver resilient returns while supporting long-term stability, demonstrating that investment performance and impact can go hand in hand.
[1] https://www.who.int/news/item/24-07-2024-hunger-numbers-stubbornly-high-for-three-consecutive-years-as-global-crises-deepen–un-report
[2] https://farmtogether.com/learn/blog/how-farmtogether-is-expanding-access-to-the-3-trillion-farmland-market
[3] https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/02/gulf-food-security-innovation/
[4] https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/oxford-answers/just-transition-global-food-systems?fbclid=IwY2xjawP_2ydleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBtdzB6Sk5USUdtV1ZNRUZac3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrsBmgblKkwlgDtfusjspjysRIxk7rbJH4rTTuw4c9_NsHGTdbTVn6kEodo3_aem_43GRht3VvwvOtgK1AEo0WQ