Food security and equity in the global food system, which are integral aspects of sustainability, are profoundly pivotal factors that support humanity. Nonetheless, inequity in the food system has been one of the most life-threatening eventualities today, the world over. Currently, many parts of the world are contending with an inequitable and unsustainable food system which burdens the marginalized and impoverished members of the society disproportionately with its failings and costs (Fanzo, 2015) . Therefore, reviewing the causes of this inequity and further conceptualizing the various countermeasures that can be imposed to restore sustainability and equity is very instrumental. Food security and equity can, therefore, be achieved through efficacious strategies such as efficiency, demand restraint, food system transformation, demand restraint, Life Cycle Assessment, and diversified agricultural techniques like conservation, dairy farming, and many others.
Inequality in the food system is resonated throughout every aspect and stage of the food cycle. This spans from poor wages for farmers involved in its production, poor labor conditions in many farming settings, uneven distribution of food, to differences in the availability or accessibility of healthy food materials especially between wealthy and poor neighborhoods, among others. This results in people struggling to sustain their daily food needs and workers involved in the food system battling to earn wages that can support their livelihoods or keep them above the poverty line.
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Food inequity today is informed by a vast majority of factors key among them being racial affiliations and injustices. This means that the food system works for some groups of people but fails to a fair majority of others. For example, structural racism in the United States is the legitimization and normalization of numerous cultural, historical, interpersonal and institutional dynamics, which advantage Whites routinely but consequently produces chronic and cumulative results especially to people of color (Burke & Spiller, 2015)
The minority groups in the US such as Hispanics and Blacks have lesser likelihoods of owning arable land to procure nutritious foods. Such groups also have trouble having livable wage incomes as well as access to funds, compared to the native Whites (Burke & Spiller, 2015) . Racial disparity is hence a menace that should be sharply criticized and shunned for food equity and security to be achieved.
Food equity is an indispensable global issue since, in an equitable food system, everybody has access especially to adequate food that is not only healthy but also culturally-accepted. This ensures that no particular community or individual bears the brunt of disproportional food production effects.
Food security is a notion that has been examined and re-examined over the years, with extensive research and policies being drafted to unearth the causes of insecurity (Lang & Barling, 2012) . Historically, food insecurity has been attributed to the production of inadequate food, although emerging studies have revealed that other variant factors cause it. While old analysis claim that food insecurity is caused by under-production, emerging sustainable food analysis studies assert that it is brought forth by a mismatch in production, the policy as well as consumption (Lang & Barling, 2012) .
Contrary to the conventional analysis that claims food insecurity can only be combated through increasing production, emerging studies opine that it can only be solved through redesigning the food system for equity and sustainability (Lang & Barling, 2012) . Such data creates room for the reformulation of the food security debate, detailing the conflicting nature of what was previously presumed regarding causes and remedies of food insecurity and what is emerging in today’s global food system.
Achieving a sustainable food system is a global priority (Garnett, 2013) . In this regard, there are different and conflicting views on how this sustainability can be achieved. Nonetheless, of all the contradictory notions and assertions, three primary perspectives have emerged: food system transformation, efficiency, and demand restraint (Garnett, 2013) . These cardinal perspectives demonstrate different conceptualizations especially on what is achievable practically as well as what is desirable, underscored by various divergent ideologies and values surrounding the role or impact of technology, people’s relationship with the natural ecosystem, and basically what a ‘good life’ means (Garnett, 2013) .
Efficiency is arguably the most dominant approach, among the three. It is advocated for by different stakes such as governments, as well as other actors in the food industry like farming unions, retailers, manufacturers and agricultural input enterprises. Efficiency is majorly based on the general presumption that food insecurity emanates from challenges in supply. Production of food needs to be increased to meet the ever-increasing and dynamic demand by the growing population. Additionally, managerial improvements and technological improvements will ensure the demand is met in a fashion that is environmentally friendly while enhancing nutrition. (Garnett, 2013)
Agricultural efficiency may be achieved, for instance, through optimization of the timing and quantity of farming inputs and fertilizers applied, employing drip irrigation, alongside many other precision agricultural techniques (Garnett, 2013) . Also, it encompasses deploying technologies like anaerobic digestion , which consequently recover utility from farm wastes such as crop residues and manure. Wastes can also be minimized through mechanisms such as better inventory management, modification of packaging and portion sizes, as well as through various approaches that prolong the foods’ shelf-life and help consumers in reducing food wastages in other efficient modalities (Garnett, 2013) .
The coming years and decades have high probabilities of experiencing global food system pressures, especially on the demand and supply majorly due to the sporadically increasing population as well as per capita consumption (Garnett, 2013) . This may result in food insecurity and inequity, and therefore efficiency can be incorporated to ensure that the magnitude and ramifications of the challenge are adequately mitigated. Through efficiency, appropriate actions will be enjoined throughout the entire food system, which will consequently ensure that demand and supply are moderated, wastes are efficiently reduced and managed, and effective governance modalities and policies are outlaid to ensure more food is produced. Therefore, all these efficiency measures will subsequently ensure that food security and equity are achieved in a topnotch fashion.
The onus of the efficiency perspective is generally to develop innovative and appropriate techniques and strategies in a bid to reduce emissions. On the other hand, demand restraint perspective opines that the problem lies substantially on the consumer as well as companies that promote unsustainable and inequitable consumption patterns. The consumer, who is the end-point in the entire supply chain, becomes the primary focus of consideration and concern. Excessive consumption is hence a conviction that results in the environmental crises being faced in the world today. The perspective’s utmost priority is to maximally curb the consumption of relatively high impact foods (Garnett, 2013) . Demand restraint advocates for effective measures to control excessive distribution and consumption of high impact foods and this will have a positive effect on food sustainability. Effective demand and supply chain management, encompassed by the theory of demand restraint, will ensure food is distributed equitably, and this will enhance its consequent security across the globe (Garnett, 2013) .
The third perspective, food system transformation, essentially considers both consumption and production with respect to the relationship among various players in the food system, elucidating the drawback as one of imbalance or inequality. In turn, this imbalance in relationships t triggers the onset of the twin challenges of insufficiency and excess, which are both reflected in the environment through under and over-application of farming inputs, and health-wise through factors like hunger, obesity, among others (Garnett, 2013) .
Rapid transformation, especially in the food systems around the globe, is cardinal in the fight against food insecurity and inequity. Effective food system transformation will have a huge bearing on creating an impeccable balance essentially between food excesses and insufficiencies since these imbalances cause major insecurity ramifications. The transformations will ensure that the right quantities of food are distributed equitably to match the scales of both supply and the anticipated demand appropriately. This balance is thereby very salient as it subsequently ensures food is efficiently allocated thus promoting equity and by extension security. Efficiency, demand restraint and food system transformations are therefore very fundamental theories that if appropriately incorporated, can significantly help in the strife against food equality, security, and overall sustainability in the global food system (Garnett, 2013) .
It is also important to critically evaluate the role and impact of Life Cycle Assessment, LCA, in supporting sustainable and equitable agricultural food systems. For sustainable and efficient food supply chains to be achieved, life cycle thinking is utterly required. It is increasingly being regarded as a prime concept in ensuring the effective transition towards consumption and production patterns that are more sustainable. Consumption patterns and food production systems are classic drivers of environmental changes. Therefore, it is vital to keenly assess and improve agricultural-related supply chains as it is humanly possible (Notarnicola, 2017) .
Life Cycle Assessment has, over the years, been extensively used in assessing agricultural systems, manufacturing and processing activities, comparing alternatives, as well as through the process of food wastes management. Various methodological aspects of LCA, the efforts notwithstanding, still require further drastic improvements. This is to ensure robust and adequate support for decision-making in not only policy development but also business contexts (Notarnicola, 2017) .
Life Cycle Assessment faces numerous challenges which majorly emanate from the complexity and sophistication of global food systems. As a countermeasure, various research priorities have been recommended for improvements in implementation as well as scientific development. The variability of agricultural production systems calls for dedicated and efficacious modeling approaches. This includes addressing various aspects that are related to the difference between ecosphere and techno-sphere, the best functional units, the diversity and multi-functionality of different biological systems, among others. Additionally, modeling of emissions alongside how this relates to LCA should also be addressed elaborately (Notarnicola, 2017) .
Life Cycle Assessment is, therefore, an indispensable resource that can be used in evaluating critical aspects that will promote food equity since it helps in striking an effective balance especially between consumption and production, which are two cardinal phenomena in food sustainability. It is essential in establishing effective supply chain management of food products across the world, and this, in turn, promotes its equity and security. Through effective LCA, consumption patterns are elaborately established, and this subsequently informs the appropriate production models in respect to the available agricultural systems and frameworks. In this regard, LCA is very paramount in the sustainability of agricultural global food systems, and it is a valuable resource especially in the quest for a world that has food security, equity and general sustainability.
Food security can be achieved through the effective integration of production systems, which are the sets of appropriately related activities which inherently generate agricultural products meant for consumption by humans (Braun & Brown, 2003) . They are defined by elements of capital, land, labor, technology, as well as non-market and market institutions that govern their allocation. Production systems today go beyond the conventional farming systems, and therefore, there is need of incorporating the most efficient production systems to ensure maximization of food production, which in turn leads to a food-secure world that is free of hunger, food inequity and unsustainability (Braun & Brown, 2003) .
Food security, equity and overall sustainability cannot be achieved in a degraded environment, and therefore it is salient to lay out policies and strategies that will ensure climate-smart agriculture is fostered. There has been sufficient evidence that proves improved cropland management subsequently results in food security (Leslie, Branca, N, & Jolejole, 2011) . The global population is projected to hit 9.1 billion people by 2050, and therefore meeting this hefty food demand requires drastic changes especially in the agricultural production systems (Leslie, Branca, N, & Jolejole, 2011) .
To increase crop productivity by a significant proportion without degrading natural resources such as water and soil further, improving cropland management is very core. Sustainable agricultural methods have great potential to deliver practical benefits especially through increased carbon sequestration and reduced GHG emissions thus contributing immensely to climate change mitigations. Climate characteristics and soil are very cardinal to interpreting the effects on crop yields as well as mitigation of various farming practices (Leslie, Branca, N, & Jolejole, 2011) . Furthermore, technology options are seen to be most promising especially for revamping food security even at smallholder levels. They are also very instrumental in increasing system resilience especially in dry areas , alongside mitigating climatic changes in areas prone to high humidity. (Leslie, Branca, N, & Jolejole, 2011)
Climate change undoubtedly poses a significant threat to the fight against hunger in the world since it has numerous effects on crop productivity thereby resulting in unsustainability in food availability (Wheeler, 2013) . The stability of food systems in entirety is therefore at risk owing to short-term variability especially in the supply. Nonetheless, the projected effects are less substantial at regional scales although there is a high probability that climate change and variability exacerbate hunger and food insecurity especially in areas that are currently susceptible to under-nutrition and starvation. Therefore, there is a need for considerable investment and attention to adaptations as well as mitigation action towards a food system that is climatically smart and resilient to variability and changes in climate since this has massive impacts on food security (Wheeler, 2013) .
The impacts of climate change have, for example, been profoundly felt in Africa, a continent that highly relies on agriculture as a means of livelihood for many households as well as a key driver to economic growth (Challinor, 2007) . The magnitude and severity of projected effects of climatic variability on food crops vary extensively due to factors like variety of crop models used, climate, and different agricultural techniques employed (Challinor, 2007) . There have been adverse ramifications of climatic changes primarily on crop productivity in the African continent. Nonetheless, farmers have constantly exhibited adaptability to long and short-term changes. Governments are however recommended to incorporate macroeconomic conditions and institutions that facilitate and support resilience and adaptation to climatic changes not only at local and national levels but also transnationally (Challinor, 2007) .
Conservation Agriculture is an effective modality that is recommended to avert climatic changes in Africa (Giller & Tittonell, 2009) . It is an alternative to the heavy dependence on fertilizers and herbicides which have been proved to be environmental hazards. Conservation Agriculture, according to studies, results in increased crop yields, improved soil fertility, reduced erosions and labor requirements. To this end, this farming modality is recommended especially for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (Giller & Tittonell, 2009) .
Apart from crop farming, livestock and dairy farming, especially in rural settings, should also be equally emphasized. Dairy farming, for example, should be utterly fostered, particularly among women who are primarily involved in household activities while males indulge in other income-generating activities (Baumann, 2000) . Women are key actors in small-scale farming although research shows that their control over livestock products and its income is relatively meager. Therefore, there is need to develop efficient technologies that will aid women to carry out their farming activities easily while also preserving their physical well-being. They need to be empowered and exposed to more scientific knowledge to increase livestock production essentially through innovative extension techniques. (Rathod, Lndge, & Hatey, 2011)
Contract farming is another strategy that is keenly reviewed with respect to whether it creates global food equity and sustainability. It is whereby a central exporting or processing unit buys harvests from independent farmers and the purchase terms and conditions are arranged through contracts prior to the transaction. Coffee, tea, palm oil, rubber, and oil are some of the tree crops that contract farming encompasses. This modality is mostly seen to benefit only large-scale farmers at the expense of smallholders. Nonetheless, it also promotes social differentiation in a variety of ways since it acts as a leveler through reducing risks and creating easy access to markets, technology and inputs. It also gives rise to farming schemes such as the Kenya Tea Development Agency and others that buy crops locally thereby benefiting even the small-scale farmers (Baumann, 2000) .
It is also cardinal to review various ethical issues typically for human nutrition. Food security and sustainability directives primarily concentrate on producing and further consuming enough calories to safeguard survival and reduce hunger instead of majoring on a goal that incorporates nutrition for both development and well-being (Fanzo, 2015) . Advancing this conversation requires consideration of various ethical questions which revolve around integrating nutritional value in the food security phenomenon. Solving this drawback is , however, coupled with moral and ethical implications. Central ethical issues worth consideration include how to formulate societal values alongside defining values regarding food security, which have impacts on nutritional results. Also, it is vital to consider ethical trade-offs that exist between ensuring personal dietary needs are satisfied and environmental sustainability. Such cardinal aspects underscore the essence of articulating the entire moral scope of nutrition discussion within food security (Fanzo, 2015) .
Saving the global food system lies upon the preservation of natural resources that support agricultural systems such as climate, water and land. This calls for the implementation of five cardinal ideas. They include: combating food wastages across the food supply chain, reducing biofuel and meat production that compete for similar inputs with food crops, increasing water productivity and conservation, conserving agricultural land, as well as infusing ethics and nutrition into the food trade. All these strategies will help reduce inefficiencies in the food system and promote sustainability (Gourmelon, 2015) .
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