The Food Systems Countdown Initiative report highlights governance and resilience as key leverage points for transforming food systems.
A pioneering study, titled “Governance and Resilience as Entry Points for Transforming Food Systems in the Countdown to 2030,” published Jan. 14 in Nature Food, offers the first comprehensive analysis of changes in key food system indicators since 2000.
“This new report reveals a mix of encouraging advancements and concerning setbacks, underscoring the urgency of accelerating food systems transformation,” said Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of GAIN.
“As this report shows, tradeoffs are inevitable between food system goals such as jobs, climate, nutrition, food security and resilience. But with stronger governance and better data these tradeoffs can be mitigated and even flipped into synergies. This report helps us to understand how to do this and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
The peer-reviewed study was carried out by the Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI), a collaboration of top experts and organizations, coordinated by Columbia University, Cornell University, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), according to a press release.
The resulting report monitors 50 food systems indicators globally, categorized into five themes: 1) diets, nutrition, and health; 2) environment, natural resources, and production; 3) livelihoods, poverty, and equity; 4) resilience; and 5) governance.
Key Findings
• Encouraging progress in resilience and nutrition
Of the 42 metrics analyzed over time, 20 have shown improvement. Notable successes include significant gains in access to safe water and the availability of vegetables. Additionally, the conservation of plant and animal genetic resources has increased, enhancing the resilience of food systems to climate shocks and other disruptions.
• Emerging concerns: Food price volatility and government accountability decline
Seven indicators have shown significant decline, including rising food price volatility, declining government accountability, and reduced civil society participation. These changes point to challenges in sustaining stability and policy coherence in the face of global crises.
• Interactions drive complex outcomes
The report underscores how changes in one area, such as governance or diet quality, can impact others, highlighting the importance of coordinated, cross-sectoral approaches. Case studies from Ethiopia, Mexico, and the Netherlands demonstrate the local relevance of these dynamics.
“This report sheds light on the ways different areas of food systems are related and interact, which is critical in understanding how we can focus our efforts to maximize synergies, manage trade-offs, and avoid unintended consequences,” said Mario Herrero, Professor and Director of the Food Systems & Global Change Program, Cornell University.
The report identifies governance and resilience as pivotal leverage points for food system transformation. Targeted improvements in these areas could catalyze positive changes across other indicators, amplifying global progress.
