Societal considerations for sustainable food system transformation

Ensuring societal considerations are met when translating science into policy for sustainable food system transformation

Authors: Brajesh K. Singh, Evan D.G. Fraser, Tom Arnold, Patricia Biermayr-Jenzano, Jacqueline E.W. Broerse, Gianluca Brunori, Patrick Caron, Olivier De Schutter, Karen Fabbri, Shenggen Fan, Jessica Fanzo, Magdalena Gajdzinska, Mirjana Gurinovic, Marta Hugas, Jacqueline McGlade, Christine Nellemann, Jemimah Njuki, Hanna L. Tuomisto, Seta Tutundjian, Justus Wesseler, Roberta Sonnino, Patrick Webb

This paper summarizes findings of the European Commission’s High Level Expert Group on Food Systems Science, which reviewed obstacles that prevent food systems policy from achieving society-wide impacts. These barriers include knowledge and translation gaps in food-related science-policy-interfaces (SPIs), insufficient attention to the priorities of diverse stakeholders, and a failure to adequately consider equity, diversity, political economy, and societal engagements.

Key findings & conclusions: Three potential pathways can ensure science and policy support food systems transformation:

(1) Adapt the current SPI landscape with extra resources and a wider mandate to ensure coordinated action across the full food system
(2) Enhance the current policy landscape with a range of multisectoral taskforces designed to fulfill specific functions such as creating an enhanced food systems data portal, and
(3) Establish a “network of networks” to provide both global coordination as well as organize defined agendas at global through to regional scales.

In embarking on these pathways, a revised science-policy-society landscape (SPSIs) should deliver the following core functions:
(1) Engage and empower multi-stakeholder dialogue;
(2) Build capacity at multiple scales to translate evidence into tangible real-world outcomes;
(3) Ensure access to openly accessible data for the entire food system;
(4) Use models, forecasts, and scenario building exercises to explore the potential future of food systems;
(5) Produce assessment reports and policy publications; and
(6) Establish fora for diplomacy that will be empowered to create standards set targets and establish policy.

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