Food Systems

This section examines all aspects of food systems, which consist of a complex web of actions involving the production, processing, transport, consumption, and waste of food. Issues concerning the food system include how food production affects the natural environment; the governance, regulations, monitoring, and economics of food production; the integrity and sustainability of food; the impact of food on individual and population health; and the degree to which we waste food. Food systems approaches have been widely adopted to identify, analyse, and assess the impact and feedback of the systems’ different actors, activities, and outcomes to help identify intervention points such as HACCP, VACCP, and TACCP for enhancing food security. As a holistic approach, food systems are made up of further systems such as farming systems, aquaculture systems, water systems, energy systems, management systems, and so forth. In order to plan sustainable, equitable, and healthy food systems for the future, integrated and innovative analytical methods and approaches from a range of disciplines are required, as well as effective intersectoral policy analysis and multi-stakeholder engagement.