Food Systems and Systems Thinking
This past summer, I took a fascinating Coursera course called "Public Health Perspectives on Sustainable Diets" with John Hopkins University. It was so interesting and eye-opening that I decided to share a monthly blog post based on my notes and learnings.
So what is a food system?
A food system encompasses everything involved in getting food from its source to us and eventually into waste. (Whether it's from a farm or the water or the lab and how it get's to us and then into waste) It's a complex web that includes the entire food supply chain, from production and manufacturing to logistics, wholesale, retail, food service, and finally, the consumer. But it doesn't stop there. Social organizations, policies, markets, science, and the environment all play critical roles in shaping our food system. It's not just about following the food; it's about considering all the factors that influence what we eat.
And what is systems thinking?
Systems thinking is a way of making sense of a problem and all of the influencing factors that impact the outcome. It's also an approach gaining traction in public health and environmental justice. It encourages us to view complex issues as interconnected webs of relationships. Rather than a linear cause-and-effect chain, systems thinking recognizes the intricate nature of problems and how various factors interact. Our food system is a prime example of this complexity, with its numerous elements and relationships. To truly understand it, we must visualize the flow of information, money, and demand that shapes our food system.
What's the problem?
The food system is responsible for a substantial portion of global resource usage. It accounts for 40% of the world's labor force, 70% of global land use (largely for livestock), and 70% of freshwater consumption. Additionally, unsustainable farming practices are causing soil erosion and reducing fertility, threatening our ability to produce food. Our food system also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, which have severe consequences for climate change.
How can we start to help?
To promote sustainability, we need to rethink our diets. While there's no one-size-fits-all answer to what constitutes a sustainable diet, there are some common principles. Generally, diets lower on the food chain, locally sourced, seasonal, less meat-heavy, less processed, and featuring shorter food supply chains tend to be more sustainable. However, the specifics may vary depending on cultural, economic, and geographic factors. Despite the good intentions of many consumers, barriers to adopting more sustainable diets exist. Factors like personal preferences, cultural norms, and cost can hinder efforts to make healthier and more sustainable food choices. Addressing these barriers requires innovative approaches most likely in policy that make sustainable options more appealing and accessible. Informing and educating consumers, changing the context and defaults of food choices, encouraging collaboration with the food industry, altering governance and regulations, and implementing fiscal measures like taxes or subsidies are all ways that we can help if we don't want to make diet changes.
Recognizing the complexity of our food system and adopting systems thinking is crucial. As we navigate these challenges, we must also consider the role of various interventions in promoting change. Would you consider changing your diet?
