Restore the Power of the Food System: The ‘Right’ Foods Should Be C.A.T (original) (raw)

1.2 Challenges to Current Food Systems

Open Book Publishers, 2023

The concept of a food system involves the full food and nutrition chain from production to consumption, as well as their impact on the environment. A more comprehensive approach to efficiently combat food insecurity that would not just target primary food production but also social, political, economic and environmental aspects, among others, was suggested some years ago and has since gained increasing attention when it comes to making diets healthier and more sustainable. What people eat is indeed influenced by a multitude of factors, not just the availability of food. Efforts to improve not only food security but also diet quality with regards to healthiness must focus on the entire life cycle of food, from the field, farm or water in which it is produced to the disposal of the waste it creates, and including various influential factors and drivers and the sociocultural environment Global Panel, 2016 and 2020). Already in 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) dedicated its annual report on 'The State of Food and Agriculture' to the subject of 'Food Systems for Better Nutrition'. Food systems were defined as: the entire range of activities involved in the production, processing, marketing, consumption and disposal of goods that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries, including the inputs needed and the outputs generated at each of these steps [and also involving] the people and institutions that initiate or inhibit change in the system as well as the sociopolitical, economic and technological environment in which these activities take place (FAO, 2013a).

Editorial: food and nutrition: pathways to a sustainable future

Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2022

The world is waking up to the reality of climate change and the challenge of feeding 10 billion people in a healthy and sustainable way. For population and planetary health, food systems need to change. 'Food and nutrition: pathways to a sustainable future' was the first face-to-face Nutrition Society Summer Conference since 2018, bringing together leading contributors from across the globe to explore six pathways to a better tomorrow. Review papers from the conference symposia cut across disciplinary divides showcasing advances in scientific methods and our cumulative understanding of the impact of the food system on climate change. The depth, breadth and advancement of research presented demonstrate the power of collaborative research that can shape industry, individual and population recommendations and create a powerful shift towards the sustainable dietary patterns and systems that are so urgently required.

1.4 Sustainable Food Systems for Healthy Diets of the Future

Open Book Publishers, 2023

The concept of a food system involves the full food and nutrition chain from production to consumption, as well as their impact on the environment. A more comprehensive approach to efficiently combat food insecurity that would not just target primary food production but also social, political, economic and environmental aspects, among others, was suggested some years ago and has since gained increasing attention when it comes to making diets healthier and more sustainable. What people eat is indeed influenced by a multitude of factors, not just the availability of food. Efforts to improve not only food security but also diet quality with regards to healthiness must focus on the entire life cycle of food, from the field, farm or water in which it is produced to the disposal of the waste it creates, and including various influential factors and drivers and the sociocultural environment Global Panel, 2016 and 2020). Already in 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) dedicated its annual report on 'The State of Food and Agriculture' to the subject of 'Food Systems for Better Nutrition'. Food systems were defined as: the entire range of activities involved in the production, processing, marketing, consumption and disposal of goods that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries, including the inputs needed and the outputs generated at each of these steps [and also involving] the people and institutions that initiate or inhibit change in the system as well as the sociopolitical, economic and technological environment in which these activities take place (FAO, 2013a).

Food and Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century

Complex Definitions Food is a subject that can be analysed from a multitude of different disciplinary perspectives, from biochemical research on nutrients and neurology of taste to social observations about the concepts, meanings and beliefs of different cultural groups regarding specific food items and their preparations-and many areas in between. Some studies are limited to a few individuals (perhaps for medical purposes); others are on one social, cultural or ethnic group, or comparisons between a few such groups; and others pursue a national, international or global focus. There are, of course, many further areas of consideration, both academic and practical, such as those concerned with agriculture, the environment, industry and marketing, and more. For this reason, the International Commission on the Anthropology of Food (ICAF) has consciously fostered cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary discourse in its publications. That is the case for this volume. Human food does indeed provide nutrition, but its diversity and distribution are determined by all the factors involved in its availability in each situation, and its consumption is affected by the acceptability of food options and its preparation both at individual and cultural levels. Even though what is considered edible or eatable (MacClancy et al. 2007) varies significantly between different communities, it is not hard to find agreement that human food means food that humans consume. In contrast, there is less agreement about the meaning of sustainability. Diverse interpretations of the concept are based first on what variable is or is not being considered for sustaining, and secondly, on what level of that

Perspective article: Actions to reconfigure food systems

Global Food Security, 2020

There is broad agreement that current food systems are not on a sustainable trajectory that will enable us to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, particularly in the face of anthropogenic climate change. Guided by a consideration of some food system reconfigurations in the past, we outline an agenda of work around four action areas: rerouting old systems into new trajectories; reducing risks; minimising the environmental footprint of food systems; and realigning the enablers of change needed to make new food systems function. Here we highlight food systems levers that, along with activities within these four action areas, may shift food systems towards more sustainable, inclusive, healthy and climate-resilient futures. These actions, summarised here, are presented in extended form in a report of an international initiative involving hundreds of stakeholders for reconfiguring food systems.

Looking Ahead in World Food and Agriculture –Perspectives to 2050. ed. Piero Conforti, viii+539 pp. FAO. (2011) £76.50. ISBN: 978-92-5-106903-5

The Journal of Agricultural Science, 2012

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO.