Barriers hindering the shift towards a nutritious food system identified as primary concerns
The global food system, at its core, is facing significant challenges that threaten our planet and our health. A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Chatham House has identified three system barriers that are hindering progress towards sustainable food systems: the cheaper food paradigm, market consolidation, and investment path dependencies [1].
The cheaper food paradigm, which prioritizes low-cost food production and consumption, contributes to long-term environmental and health issues. To address this, the report recommends increased regulation and public research to reward sustainable practices [1].
Market consolidation, with the increasing dominance of a few corporations, limits competition, diversity, and farmers' options. This concentration also leads to farmers' agency and income being limited, with significant costs to the environment and other sustainable development goals [1].
Investment path dependencies, established investment patterns that favor conventional agribusiness models, lock the system into unsustainable practices. To break these "lock-ins," financial institutions need to redirect capital flows to support sustainable agriculture, smallholders, and innovative food systems [1].
To overcome these barriers and meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), various actors can play critical roles. Intergovernmental organizations can facilitate global cooperation, set policy frameworks, and promote regulatory reforms [1][3]. Private sector players, including agribusinesses and retailers, should innovate to diversify production, improve nutrition quality, and adopt sustainable practices [1][2]. Civil society, such as NGOs, academia, and consumer groups, can raise awareness, push for accountability, and foster demand for healthy, sustainable diets [1][4].
By taking these actions, we can dismantle system "lock-ins" and transform food systems to be more inclusive, nutritious, environmentally sustainable, and aligned with SDGs such as zero hunger, good health, climate action, and biodiversity protection [1][2][3][4].
The report, titled "Unlocking Sustainable Transition for Agribusiness," is published ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4) on 27-29 July, co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy [2]. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Chatham House are leading voices in this critical conversation, providing leadership and encouragement in caring for the environment and inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations [1].
The food system's hidden environmental and health costs may be up to $20 trillion, making it imperative that we act now to address these system barriers and create a more sustainable, equitable, and healthy food system for all [1].
- Climate change, a long-term environmental issue exacerbated by the cheaper food paradigm, could be mitigated through increased regulation and public research that rewards sustainable practices, as suggested in the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Chatham House report.
- The health-and-wellness sector could play a crucial role in the transformation of the food system by promoting diets aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fostering demand for healthy, sustainable diets, as suggested by civil society.
- To address the issue of biodiversity protection, which is threatened by unsustainable food system practices, financial institutions need to redirect capital flows to support sustainable agriculture, smallholders, and innovative food systems, as recommended in the report by UNEP and Chatham House.
