What if we focused on transformation of food systems?

Food systems affect every aspect of biodiversity loss and global warming. Food systems affect all aspects of the doughnut metaphor for a safe and just operating space for humanity and all the UNSDGs. Food systems affect every level of spatial and temporal scale on Earth. There is a long history of the collapse and renewal of civilizations where food scarcity is associated in synergistic ways with climate variation, soil loss and political violence. Soil, climate and agriculture are the foundations of civilization and these are now at risk of collapse. Collapse of food systems represent high political risk and transformation related to food security is therefore likely to attract serious attention from government. Is there anything else that governments are more likely to take seriously with regard to the need for transformative change? Perhaps energy and finance, which are perhaps beyond the scope of IPBES but can also be linked to food systems.

Transformation in food system can occur at every level of scale from household to global. There are social movements actively engaged in the transformation of small-holder farming systems and food distribution. Regenerative agriculture which is focused on the stewardship of soil as an ecosystem shows promise as the next agricultural revolution. Farmers are applying it because it reduces costs and increases yields. These changes have financial and multiple social and environmental benefits.