Research review offers insights for transforming the food sector

We're facing rising food insecurity, the cost-of-living squeeze, and ever-changing climate events. It's no wonder our food systems are in urgent need of a reboot.

Research, published in in One Earth, highlights what can be learned from other transitions. This includes how we can effect change, and establish new partnerships to support food system transformations.

Sustainable food futures

Food systems don't just put meals on the table. They also contribute significantly to the economy and the livelihoods of communities. However, climate disruptions and other factors present a challenge. They contribute to increased food costs and the cost-of-living crisis in general. The redirection of food systems towards more sustainable, equitable and nutritious future models is often referred to as 'transformation."

The need to transform Australia's food system was a focal point of a recent parliamentary inquiry into safeguarding the nation's food security. Findings from the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021, the subsequent dialogues in the Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment in 2023, and the most recent UN Climate Change Conference in 2023, reinforce the urgency of the task.

Roadblocks to food system transformation

A major challenge to transformative change is that components of our food systems are locked into unsustainable practices. Large-scale food production is linked to almost 80% of global deforestation and 70% of freshwater use.

High food volumes have been achieved by intensifying yields at ever lower costs. In addition, there are various players that currently dominate food systems. They have significant incentives to maintain existing unsustainable practices.

Secondly, technological interventions seeking to optimize farming practices have had unintended consequences. The Green Revolution of the 1960s focused on technological research and development to address poverty and food insecurity in developing countries. However, it also resulted in negative consequences. These included environmental degradation and social inequities due to geography and local capacity.

Thirdly, ambitious solutions—particularly those requiring rapid, widespread, and significant change—are frequently unfeasible in the short-term. They rely on public acceptance, institutional capacity, political tenability, and land availability.

Consider changing diets. This depends on rapid behavioral change in the eating habits of billions of people globally, while overcoming strong cultural and social norms. There is a natural unwillingness to sacrifice in the short term, in order to achieve higher goals in the long term.