Fixing food: Towards a more sustainable food system
This report (PDF) by the Economist Intelligence Unit discusses the sustainability of the global food system with regard to agriculture, nutrition, and food loss and waste. The world’s food system is facing unprecedented challenges. One is the double nutritional challenge: hunger and nutrient deficiencies, along with unhealthy diets and obesity. The international community must also reduce the environmental damage caused by agriculture, in terms of emissions, ground pollution and deforestation, and tackle food loss and waste. Alongside the report the Food Sustainability Index (FSI) was published. This index ranks 25 countries on food system sustainability and is a quantitative and qualitative bench-marking model. It is constructed from 58 indicators which measure the sustainability of food systems across three pillars: food loss and waste, sustainable agriculture and nutritional challenges. The index has three key performance indicator: environmental, societal and economic. The report, drawing from expert interviews and the findings of the Food Sustainability Index, has outlined a number of priority areas for policy makers, companies, and civilians. These include fighting food waste and food loss, promoting knowledge and technology sharing practices for agricultural producers, investing in farm-to-market infrastructures in developing countries, and advancing research and development into new techniques and technologies to improve yield and lower environmental impact.