Building a More Sustainable, Resilient, Equitable, and Nourishing Food System Proceedings of a Workshop (2021) / Chapter Skim
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5 Transformation of the Food System
5 Transformation of the Food System
Pages 33-52
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From page 33... ...
He added that while the food system historically was expected to provide "food, feed, and fiber," it now is also expected to improve human health, reduce the ecological footprint of the food produced, and move from being a carbon source to a carbon sink. Sharing a diagram of an agricultural paradigm from a 1999 report (Welch and Graham, 1999)
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From page 34... ...
Peters then described several of the 2030 targets included in SDG 2, to end hunger. For example, Target 2.1 is to end hunger and ensure access to adequate nutrition by all people; Target 2.2 is to end all forms of malnutrition; Target 2.3 is to double agricultural productivity and the incomes of small-scale food producers; Target 2.4 is to ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production; and Target 2.5 is focused on maintaining the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, and animals.
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From page 35... ...
. These strategies, he continued, include the production-oriented strategies of increasing the yield potential, closing yield gaps by applying available technologies and increasing productivity, and expanding aquaculture; the supply chain strategy of reducing food losses; and the consumption strategy of changing the mix of plant- and animal-based foods in people's diets.
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From page 36... ...
, Peters stressed the importance of working at multiple scales, including natural systems; cultural norms and policies; governance systems; macrosystems, such as transportation and human design; mesosystems, such as schools, hospitals, and workplaces; and microsystems, such as families and communities. Finally, Peters informed the audience that the four speakers to follow would address different aspects of food system transformation, including incentives, consumption-oriented strategies across the value chain, design strategies for preferred food futures, and policy approaches to enable pathways for change.
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From page 37... ...
Prabhala suggested that incentives are needed for both producers and consumers to make the needed changes. He argued that effective incentives should fund the costs of behavior change, mitigate transition or switching costs, and cover ongoing economic costs of the change.
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From page 38... ...
Finally, he described the "consumer behavior change pathway," based on recognition that consumer demand can lead to changes in other parts of the ecosystem. According to Prabhala, these four pathways are interconnected, and they all involve either policy or business model changes.
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From page 39... ...
As an example of a successful intervention, he pointed to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program of the World Bank, which works to shift some of the risk away from institutional investors and support their investing in interventions with more inclusive outcomes. With respect to consumer behavior change, Prabhala emphasized the need for consumers to make sustainable changes in their food choices.
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From page 40... ...
CONSUMPTION-ORIENTED STRATEGIES: CONSIDERING THE WHOLE VALUE CHAIN Philippe Caradec, Danone North America, spoke about consumptionoriented strategies. He asserted that consumers are interested in the value proposition for products, and to be credible and authentic, companies should consider the entire value chain, including the agricultural inputs, food production and processing, brand commitments, and packaging.
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From page 41... ...
Business Model Innovation As an example of how Danone is changing its business model around agricultural inputs, Caradec explained that for a portion of its supply of milk in the United States, the company has reduced the price volatility of milk by using a model that pays for the farmer partner inputs and guarantees farmer partners a specific profit margin. As a result, he added, the farmer partner can try changes in agricultural practices to increase sustainability at scale without bearing the associated risk.
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From page 42... ...
England highlighted the fluid movement from one realm to another, making the point that behavior change is both a science and an art. Benefits of Co-Design Strategies In considering how to achieve transformation of the food system, England quoted a former director of the MIT Media Lab as saying, "You
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From page 43... ...
England described how one might approach the food system as an artist and designer, proposing the need for design strategies that integrate emotions into the supply chain. She explained that while tools and technologies
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From page 44... ...
She described the Better Buying Lab at the World Resources Institute, which released a playbook to guide diners toward plant-rich dishes in food service, providing recommendations for behavior change strategies for chefs and food service workers. She also highlighted Innit, a food environment choice architecture platform that brings consumer packaged goods companies, retailers, and home appliance manufacturers together in a digital platform that shifts behavior toward transparency, collaboration, sharing, and integration across food environments and pathways.
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From page 45... ...
Kling shared her goals for food system transformation, which included affordable and nutritious diets; good farm profitability and working conditions; environmental sustainability, including reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improved water quality, reduced air pollution and odors, and protection of wildlife habitat and biodiversity; animal welfare; and food safety.
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From page 46... ...
She suggested that for every problem, it is important to understand the incentive causes and identify the appropriate policy solutions. Mississippi River Watershed Case Study Kling spent the rest of her presentation using the example of agriculture in the Mississippi River watershed to illustrate the need for tailored policy approaches.
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From page 47... ...
She pointed out that overall, 10 percent of all GHG emissions are caused by agriculture, suggesting that a carbon tax or cap and trade system that compensates farmers who sequester carbon should be encouraged. Water quality in many of the rivers, streams, and lakes in the Mississippi River watershed is poor, she added, and there has been a significant reduction in wildlife habitat and biodiversity, due largely to agriculture.
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From page 48... ...
Caradec responded that in the United States, Danone works with both small-scale farmers and larger farms, while outside the United States, many of the company's suppliers are smallholder farmers organized into cooperatives. Prabhala pointed out that solutions can be scaled in different ways, including an individual firm integrating components, replicating what has worked in a different place, and "formalizing the informal" by compiling effective subscales.
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From page 49... ...
She also suggested examining current practices and the reasons behind them before making a change. Consumer Behavior Change and the Role of Public Policy Peters asked about the role of behavior change in supporting the kind of dietary change that leads to food system transformation, noting that he sees benefit in better engaging behavior change specialists, such as registered dietitians, in transformation efforts.
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From page 50... ...
According to England, because food is one of the most intimate choices that people make on a daily basis, influencing behavior change requires understanding the roles of environments, emotions, and psychology in individual food choices. The panelists had a robust conversation about the role of public policy in supporting behavior change.
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From page 51... ...
agricultural production is for soybeans, wheat, rice, and corn, and argued that increased production diversity is necessary to support achievement of the dietary diversity needed for improved health. Enough from Less Peters concluded by referencing a comment made by Porter in an earlier session (see Chapter 4)
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