Integrating Nutritional and Dietary Aspects in Food Self‐Sufficiency: A Systematic Literature Review of Recent Advancements

ABSTRACT

Food self‐sufficiency is central to food policy and sustainability discussions, yet traditional volume‐ and calorie‐based metrics overlook the complexity of food systems and do not reflect actual nutritional needs of populations. This systematic review synthesizes recent developments in food self‐sufficiency research, with a specific focus on how nutritional and dietary dimensions are incorporated. Using PRISMA guidelines, 55 studies were identified and categorized by geographical level, timeframe, data sources, assessment methods, and the extent of nutritional integration. Across the literature, new approaches have emerged that link domestic food production to age‐ and sex‐specific requirements for a wide range of macro‐ and micronutrients. These assessments consistently reveal major shortfalls in the domestic production of many essential nutrients, particularly calcium, choline, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A and E, folate, iron, and vitamin B12. For many low‐ and lower‐middle‐income countries, international trade only partially improves national nutritional adequacy, leaving large populations vulnerable to “hidden hunger”. Population growth, rising food demand, dietary changes, and environmental constraints are expected to further intensify these pressures. Addressing nutritional self‐sufficiency requires context‐specific strategies, including improving resource efficiency, reducing food loss and waste, diversifying domestic production toward nutrient‐dense crops, promoting healthier and more sustainable diets, and using international trade in a targeted manner to close gaps in critical nutrients and food groups. Future research should focus on filling data gaps in food production and consumption at the level of individual food items and in food composition, particularly for local and traditional food items, generating more reliable food loss and waste estimates, accounting for nutritional degradation, and refining novel nutritional and dietary indicators.