4

Food Systems and Sustainability

The third session of the symposium featured three presentations and a discussion on the role of research, industry, and approaches to change in creating sustainable food systems that address pressing issues such as climate change, obesity, and diet-related chronic diseases. The session was moderated by Christina Khoo, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.

FOOD SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Jessica Fanzo, Food for Humanity Initiative at Columbia University, discussed the emerging climate change crisis and suggested strategies that can be undertaken by food systems researchers to address it. Sustainability in food systems encapsulates environmental, social, and economic sustainability, and notable advancements have been made within food systems over the past 30 years (Wood et al., 2023). For instance, there is now greater alignment regarding what constitutes a healthy diet, she said, and efforts led by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the U.S. government have improved accuracy in estimating the number of people experiencing hunger, elucidated the underlying issues fueling hunger, and revealed inequities. Recent decades have seen considerable food systems research and the amplification of that research into action. Fanzo remarked on the accelerating influence of thorough science on public health policy, exemplified by research-informed worldwide efforts to reduce trans fats. Moreover, she stated, the food system can now be advanced to new frontiers—such as the microbiome, the proliferation of ultra-processed foods and associated detriment to human health, and alternative proteins.

It is now widely acknowledged that food systems sit at the center of human and planetary health; in this context, Fanzo emphasized the critical need to address climate change. Describing the uncertainty about the future that persists despite the wealth of knowledge humans have amassed, she quoted Joan Didion (1968), who wrote, “It’s easy to see the beginnings of things, and harder to see the ends.” Lessons from history should inform action, she maintained; for example, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration failed to heed warnings ahead of the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, which resulted in catastrophe. For more than 40 years, Fanzo said, scientists have informed the U.S. government about human contributions to climate change, yet little action has been taken. She suggested that the current spate of extreme weather events related to climate change supports the statement that “the risks of making well-intentioned but inappropriate policy choices are much smaller than the risks of using a lack of evidence as an argument for inaction” (Rich, 2018).

Fanzo highlighted the active role that food systems researchers should play in addressing the climate change crisis. She summarized perspectives on needed changes to food systems and steps the food systems research community should take in creating sustainability, citing the numerous arguments and narratives at play regarding the direction needed for food systems (Béné et al., 2019): Agronomists would tend to prioritize greater calorie production through increases in crops and yields, but the nutrition community might contend that the nutrient gap must be closed by diversifying food supply and production systems. The social justice community focuses on the need for greater equity, sovereignty, and food autonomy across food systems by shifting the global food system to more localized systems, and environmentalists prioritize protecting landscapes and consideration of ecosystem services and natural resources in food production. Such variance in narratives, priorities, and values culminates in a highly fractured governing mechanism for food systems, said Fanzo. She urged that researchers continue to fill gaps in knowledge to increase understanding of how food systems affect diets, nutrition, and health outcomes in various contexts, with different drivers, and in relation to political and societal transitions (Fanzo et al., 2021). Moreover, Fanzo stated, it is important for researchers to bolster an understanding of the potential implications of the current and future food systems for the environment and overall planetary health. She asserted that the generation of evidence should consider the role of nutrition in environmental sustainability to better understand the bidirectional relationship between the environment and human diet, nutrition, and health. And, she said, research efforts should extend beyond understanding effects to identifying levers of change within food systems—which may pertain to politics, data, communication, or other drivers—and learning how to effectively operate these levers.

Fanzo and colleagues (2021) developed a roadmap for research at the intersection of food systems, the environment, and nutrition to address various research methods, intervention points, and goals of intervention. Nutrition research methods include basic science research, clinical research, epidemiology, implementation science, inquiry into lived experiences, systems science, transdisciplinary research, and meta research. Fanzo stated that these research methods intersect with points of intervention throughout the food system involving nutrients, human biology, dietary patterns, human behavior, food environments, food supply chains, and production practices. Achieving the goals of these interventions will entail challenging, transdisciplinary work that requires collaboration and collective problem-solving efforts, she asserted. Adding to the challenge, societal shifts have created a dynamic in which scientific facts and evidence are under great scrutiny and sometimes openly disregarded as suspect by politicians and business leaders. Noting that research has played a vital role in charting a positive and sustainable direction for global food security, nutrition, and health, she emphasized that the rigors of science and evidence must be maintained. Research holds the potential to bring about wholesale changes in attitudes, political thought, and action, she said.

Fanzo outlined factors involved in social change and noted inherent challenges. She offered the example of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP), which took 27 years to bring fossil fuels into negotiations and to date has yet to address food systems. Change involves policy, she said, so it is important for researchers to consider approaches to motivate policymakers to engage in systems thinking. In addition to generating evidence, researchers should share data and encourage policymakers to use it, Fanzo urged; to this end, researchers should ensure that evidence is useful. To galvanize political will and action, she suggested that researchers empower people who work in food systems and amplify their voices. Additionally, she said, the food space should be negotiated in climate agendas and incentives should be put in place to motivate actors, the private sector, and governments to act on food systems. She emphasized that time is of the essence, as only a decade remains in which to stop the increased warmth of the planet before the initiation of natural processes that will raise temperatures further. Fanzo emphasized that this calls for bold action to foster global citizenry and sustainability. Although daunting, these challenges can be met, she said, offering the example of the plains bison, which were slaughtered nearly to the point of extinction. Once numbering in the tens of millions, the plains bison population decreased to less than 1,000 by the late 1880s. Yet, she recalled, conservation efforts have succeeded in increasing the population to more than 350,000, highlighting the ability of humans to course-correct when they summon the will and courage to act.

THE HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY OF DANONE NORTH AMERICA

Stephanie K. Goodwin, Danone North America, discussed Danone’s industry approach to generating solutions for creating a healthy, resilient, and sustainable food system. Danone is a global food manufacturer that started as a European yogurt company more than a century ago. In the 1940s, Danone began selling yogurt in small, single-serving porcelain jars in New York pharmacies. In the decades since, Goodwin said, Danone has grown into a global business that sells dairy yogurt, plant-based food and beverages, coffee, water, and medical foods through brands such as Dannon, Oikos, Dugro, Activia, Horizon, Silk, and So Delicious. The company works toward the mission of bringing health through food to as many people as possible. Danone’s vision is “one planet, one health,” based on the belief that the health of the planet and the health of people are inextricably linked. Therefore, ensuring that healthy food is accessible by all requires a healthy planet with strong ecosystems that exist in harmony with resilient social structures.

Goodwin described how Danone has created business models that leverage their corporate activity in realizing its vision. One of the largest certified B corporations in the world, Danone has a legal obligation to protect and consider effects on all key players, rather than on shareholders alone, she stated, which entails promoting a model of sustainable growth that creates economic and social value for customers, employees, and suppliers while improving environmental impact. Infusing this purpose through governance structure, brand, strategy, metrics, and future planning, Danone developed a roadmap for sustainable, profitable growth and value creation, Goodwin explained. The roadmap is a concrete, measurable framework that clarifies health and sustainability priorities within the pillars of health, nature, and people and communities, she said, priorities that are translated into mid- to long-term objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) to maintain focus on creating positive effects on the health of people and the planet.

Goodwin outlined roadmap objectives for the next 7 years within the health pillar. She said that at the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, Danone North America (NA) committed to investing $22 million toward building healthy, sustainable dietary patterns that will contribute to reducing hunger, food insecurity, and diet-related diseases. This commitment involves action toward White House–specified goals that include improving food access and affordability, empowering all consumers to make and have access to healthy food choices, enhancing nutrition and food security research, and integrating nutrition and health, Goodwin said. To improve food access and affordability, she noted, Danone

NA agreed to support federal feeding programs (e.g., the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), collaborate with community organizations (e.g., Green Bronx Machine and City Harvest), and commission a study on the state of nutrition quality in the United States. This study indicated that nutrition has become a top priority on the U.S. agenda, Goodwin stated, with access to quality food ranked as one of the most important current issues alongside the economy, jobs, and health care. Integrating nutrition and health involves a company focus on improving the nutrition profile of Danone products, she said. To empower consumers in accessing and choosing healthy foods, Danone NA partners with organizations and retailers to conduct several education campaigns targeting consumers and health care providers. Goodwin highlighted that the company enhances nutrition and food security research by providing funds and grants for studying health and nutrition research topics. She said that Danone NA’s efforts to integrate nutrition and health focus on enhancing the product portfolio by driving nutrition density and reducing added sugar, with a specific focus on the nutrition of children’s products and plant-based products with low or no added sugar. To date, Goodwin reported, the company has launched new low- or no-added-sugar products and has various innovations and reformulations currently underway. Given that consumers choose products that they enjoy eating, she said, Danone is working to improve nutrient density while ensuring that products have appealing flavor and texture.

Goodwin described Danone’s roadmap efforts within the nature pillar, which include a focus on regenerative agriculture. As a set of farming practices that protect soil, water, and biodiversity, regenerative agriculture respects animal welfare, acknowledges the role of farmers and positive effects of farming, and considers factors related to economic viability. Core regenerative agriculture practices help to restore ecosystems, mitigate climate change, and ensure resilient agrifood systems. In support of climate-smart agriculture, Goodwin said, Danone NA has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide $70 million in climate-smart commodities grants focused primarily on dairy, oats, and soy. Goodwin outlined grant objectives that include reducing dairy methane gas emissions, creating infrastructure to sustainably grow and trace U.S. oats, and building capacity for processing both traceable food-grade and organic soy for dairy feed.

Goodwin summarized considerations for the future of food systems. Public–private partnerships should be established and scaled to meet current challenges, she stated. Companies should be familiar with all components of their supply chains and work directly with farmers to improve the long-term economic resilience of farms. Goodwin said that improvements can be accomplished through partnerships with third parties, with new

technology, and by using in-depth field-level analysis and goal setting. However, she pointed out, these improvements entail cost, time, and technology burdens for farmers, third parties, and the industry, all of which will need to be addressed. Appropriate education and information should be made accessible to all parties, and industry alignment is needed on standards and methodologies used, she added.

Given that an improved system is only useful if adopted, Danone NA is involved in collaborative efforts to develop sustainable nutrition, said Goodwin. Danone NA participates in and sponsors the Tufts University Food and Nutrition Innovation Council, which convenes a Sustainable Nutrition working group. Bringing together representatives from industry, academia, and nonprofit organizations, Goodwin explained, the working group seeks to find common goals and workstreams at the intersection of nutrition and environmental sustainability. It envisions a global food system that provides equitable access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, affordable, and culturally relevant food for everyone; moreover, Goodwin continued, this food system prioritizes taste and palatability while simultaneously improving the long-term sustainability and resilience of the planet and health of the global population. Ultimately, the group intends to inform policy by developing science-based recommendations, guidelines, and strategies, she explained.

Goodwin acknowledged that the process of determining priorities and initial focal points among industry, academics, and nonprofit organizations is complex. Furthermore, she stated, both top-down and bottom-up support for sustainable nutrition food systems are needed to generate adequate change. Goodwin asserted that consumers primarily choose food based on taste and price, and environmental impact does not necessarily factor into consumer selection. Rather than waiting on customers to demand sustainable foods, the food industry must offer customers a vision of healthy, regenerative, and resilient food systems, she maintained. This will warrant the creation of standards, frameworks, mapping exercises, evaluation, and communication of progress to business leadership, investors, government, and consumers, Goodwin said. Instead of responding to calls for change from government and nonprofit organizations, she urged, the food industry should lead the charge in proactively working toward positive change through the adoption of climate-smart policies and standards. Realizing the vision of sustainable food systems will require collaboration across sectors and throughout the supply chain, she said, and needed change entails recognizing that financial investment will create long-term benefits for the planet; human health; and businesses, including farms. The increasing prevalence of climate change effects, obesity, and diet-related chronic diseases strengthens the case for nutritious diets sourced from sustainable and resilient food systems. Goodwin asserted

that actions taken within the next 5 years will affect human well-being for the next 30 years; thus, she said, the current moment is an opportunity to evolve, create more resilient business models, develop relevant brands, and join forces with all key players to accelerate sustainable and resilient food nutrition systems.

SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH AND CHANGE PROCESSES

Christian Peters, USDA Agricultural Research Service, explored frameworks and approaches for understanding and addressing sustainability-related needs. He outlined a framework for assessing effects of the food system that centers on a supply chain connected to the spheres of science and technology, social organizations, biophysical environment, policies, and markets (Meadows, 2008). The concept of food systems encompasses the physical components of the food supply chain as well as the other independent systems involved. Entry of this interconnected food systems concept into the mainstream reflects increased application of systems thinking, Peters remarked. Moreover, he said, progress has been achieved in measuring environmental sustainability indicators, which enable sophisticated data analysis. Peters gave the example of researchers who have estimated emissions from the food system at the global scale, partitioned emissions into various gases, and attributed these to different sectors and stages of the food system (Crippa et al., 2021). The ability to put environmental sustainability indicators into context has also advanced, he said, as exemplified by the planetary boundaries concept, which uses a radar diagram to show various areas of impact, such as climate change, land use, freshwater use, biochemical flows, and ocean acidification (Steffen et al., 2015). The effects are coded green, yellow, or red according to whether the effect is within safe boundaries, is at an increasing risk of exceeding safe boundaries, or is at high risk of exceeding safe boundaries, respectively. This model can simultaneously apply to varied impact measures to consider total effects within specific areas, Peters added. Furthermore, he continued, the ability to extend this approach beyond the environment is advancing, thus enabling the concurrent modeling of multiple dimensions of sustainability.

Peters discussed food systems goals and associated effects on sustainability. From 1990 to 2015, global greenhouse gas emissions from food systems increased 42 percent, whereas emissions from developing countries increased by 101 percent and emissions from industrialized nations decreased by 6 percent (Crippa et al., 2021, Fig. 2). He noted that population growth in low-income countries likely contributes to increasing emissions. The lack of progress toward food system sustainability is due to current priorities and dynamics, Peters stated. The food supply chain comprises primary production, processing, food distribution, food service, and

consumers. Along this supply chain, food and food services move upstream from production to consumers, and money and demand move downstream from consumers to production. Over the course of the twenty-first century, Peters explained, U.S. food systems have been driven by the goals of making food more abundant and more affordable. He said that efforts toward increased food production include yield-improving technologies, agricultural genetics, and management improvements. Labor-saving technology is used throughout the supply chain to increase the efficiency of food production, which in turn increases both food supply and affordability, he noted. Peters reported that more recent goals seek to produce an adequate, affordable food supply within ecological boundaries to promote sustainability, support balanced nutrition in the hopes of improving human health, and provide economic development through job creation. Consequently, more is being asked of the food system; Peters asserted that change is needed to achieve these broader goals.

Peters outlined leverage points for shifting the food system toward sustainability. Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella H. Meadows (2008) identifies 12 leverage points for shifting systems, three of which are particularly relevant to changes needed in food systems, Peters said. He explained that goals relate to the purpose or function of the system and constitute a leverage point when goals are changed to improve system outcomes. Paradigms form the mindset from which a system arises, he said, and changing paradigms—and by extension, changing mindsets—can change a system. Even more powerful, he noted, transcending paradigms is a leverage point that can be used by detaching from a fixed mindset about the food system. Peters acknowledged that while these three leverage points arguably have the greatest ability to affect change, they are also the most difficult leverage points to shift. Yet, he asserted, creating a sustainable, nutritious, adequate, and affordable food system that provides economic development opportunities will involve changing goals and mindsets, making needed change inherently challenging.

Peters provided a research perspective on steps to take in approaching such change. Applied research is appropriate in this endeavor because of its generality and applicability at multiple scales, he said. And, he continued, building consensus through applied research toward new food system goals and mindsets involves asking compelling questions with broad appeal and pursuing these questions collaboratively. Bringing key players together and asking questions that many people agree are important can be effective, Peters asserted, even in circumstances in which the group does not necessarily agree on the answers and may have strong preconceived notions about the answers. Included key players should represent various research disciplines as well as positions in the food system that are not focused on research full time. When consideration of complex problems leads

to fragmented focus, returning to goals and first principles can reorient problem-solving to a shared vision, remarked Peters.

DISCUSSION

The discussion following the presentations focused on addressing food system problem areas in working toward sustainability, decreasing food system contributions to climate change, amplifying food safety and nutrition within sustainability efforts, the intersection of the health care and food systems, and approaches to overcoming reluctance of leaders to call for short-term sacrifices that yield long-term benefits.

Areas to Address in Achieving Sustainability

Khoo highlighted the need to support food systems’ sustainability and farmers’ livelihoods simultaneously. She asked about scaling successful efforts and collaboratively addressing problem areas in working toward sustainable food systems. Peters commented on the challenge of conducting interdisciplinary research when lacking both funds and the ability to convene researchers. Engaging a variety of key players requires time and resources that are currently lacking, he said. Fanzo remarked that technology has enabled progress toward global food security—for example, the Green Revolution successfully reduced famines through improvements in seeds, rows, and infrastructure. However, she said, the Green Revolution and the use of technology have bred unintended consequences. Fanzo emphasized that issues related to the use, access, justice, and unintended consequences of technology have led some people to believe that a more holistic systems approach is needed, one in which community social adhesion is matched with technology and improved policy. A biofortified crop is a tool in creating adequate food supply, but it will be insufficient in contending with massive burdens of malnutrition, inequities, and social injustices, Fanzo contended. Goodwin remarked that the complexity of the food system has historically received insufficient attention. She asserted that a system that involves food safety, nutrition, health, employees, land, and environmental impact should be approached with understanding of the interconnectedness throughout the system and about the system’s effects on the planet and on the future.

Decreasing Food System Contributions to Climate Change

Josh Anthony, Nlumn, emphasized that a mere decade remains before conditions potentially reach a point at which climate change can no longer be reversed by human efforts. Given the complex and multidimensional nature of addressing sustainability, he asked, which sectors could achieve

the most meaningful impact? Fanzo replied that the global food system uses substantial fossil fuel resources and contributes approximately 30 percent of total greenhouse gases, with the remaining 70 percent emitted by the energy, transportation, and building sectors. She reported that research from the University of Oxford outlines three major steps that, taken simultaneously, could prevent the food system from being a major contributor to reaching an increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius in global temperatures—in other words, the point at which climate change effects would potentially become irreversible: (1) decreasing food waste by half, as approximately 30 percent of all food produced is currently wasted; (2) making farm management more sustainable, including reducing the methane emitted by cows and rice, two major sources of methane; and (3) shifting toward plant-dominant diets for humans, particularly in locations where meat is consumed daily. Together, Fanzo said, these three efforts hold promise in dramatically decreasing the food system’s contributions to climate change. Although a range of policy tools and industry incentives could be used to stimulate action in these areas, governments are reluctant to address diet, she noted. While politicians may speak of methane reduction or minimizing food loss, they rarely mention changes to diet because of associated issues of autonomy and self-liberty. Fanzo concluded that while multiple simultaneous actions are needed, governments are hesitant to take on such efforts.

Goodwin remarked that to address the scale of efforts needed, the food industry should partner with scientists and third parties to set clear, measurable standards, KPIs, and metrics that can be applied across the industry to measure impact. All parts of the supply chain must work toward sustainability, she maintained, and each company should work within its supply chain to comply with the specific standards developed for the industry. Peters acknowledged that moving toward sustainability will involve winners and losers, a dynamic that breeds contention and can pose barriers to progress.

Amplifying Nutrition and Food Safety

Caitlin Boon, Mars, Inc., described Mars as a company dedicated to sustainability, as evidenced by COP participation and release of a roadmap for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. She asked how nutrition and food safety can be amplified within the sustainability discussion, given the limited avenues and forums for such issues. Goodwin emphasized the value of inviting multidisciplinary expertise into discussions by ensuring that nutrition, food safety, food systems, and agriculture are represented. Additionally, she said, scenarios of food systems change can be modeled to determine potential ramifications, including macroeconomics and geopolitical effects, thereby enabling identification of scenarios on which multidisciplinary key players are willing to align. Peters noted that multidisciplinary discussion

fosters broader consideration of factors by bringing together experts in various fields. Fanzo highlighted that the summer of 2023 was illuminating for many governments because it was the hottest summer on record and the coldest summer expected from a future perspective. The summer brought heat waves, wildfires, floods, and droughts throughout the world. Extreme climate-related events can generate water and food insecurity, food safety issues, and lack of shelter, she said. Governments fear scenarios in which they cannot feed, hydrate, and shelter their citizens, and, Fanzo asserted, such considerations of extreme events bring food safety and nutrition into the climate agenda. The effects of climate change are no longer hypothetical, she continued, and the worldwide experience of climate variability involves food safety, nutrition, and food security. Therefore, engagement with communities and governments contending with extreme events provides opportunities to address these issues.

Intersection of Health Care and Food Systems

Cheryl Toner, American Heart Association, emphasized that the health care sector is a key player in food systems, noting efforts by her organization and other entities to forge stronger connections between the food and health care systems. She asked about food system challenges and opportunities related to health care system engagement. Fanzo replied that many professionals in the food sector began their careers in the health sector: Nutrition connects these spaces. She noted that the field of international nutrition involves communication with ministers of health and of agriculture; however, nutrition is often neglected by both ministries. The COVID-19 pandemic was an extreme global health event that affected other systems including food, economics, and education, bringing attention to the interdependence of systems and highlighting the need to consider how those systems affect one another. Goodwin remarked that the intersection of nutrition and health care generally has long-term effects, such as reduction in chronic disease. The pandemic generated immediate effects of the health system on the food system, as well as acute awareness of these interactions, she said. This awareness launched the Food Is Medicine movement, she noted, providing an opportunity to bring together representatives from this movement, health care, agriculture, and environmental sustainability to participate in multidisciplinary problem-solving. Peters commented that the current food supply would not support universal alignment of individual diets with dietary guidelines. The food supply is, in part, a reflection of the foods that consumers buy. Thus, additional social aspects—such as the effect of poverty on food access—should be considered in identifying the barriers to creating a nutritious, affordable food supply, Peters remarked.

Approaching Short-Term Sacrifices for Long-Term Benefits

Guy Poppy, UK Research and Innovation, commented that issues related to climate change and food systems tend to be chronic but punctuated by occasional emergency or extreme events. Addressing chronic issues can involve changes that take time to yield benefit and cause short-term disadvantages, he said. For this reason, he pointed out, many politicians seeking reelection and business leaders trying to satisfy shareholders may be unwilling to make changes toward long-term benefit. He asked about approaches to needed change within the context of this dynamic. Goodwin remarked that the dynamic renders reliance on government policy for needed change inadequate; instead, industry can lead the charge by ushering in change. She said that businesses that make needed improvements can serve as models for other companies and as proof that sustainability and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. Fanzo emphasized that policymakers tend to think in terms of the cost of change and the financial return on investment, and extreme weather events carry a high financial cost; thus, an economic argument can be made in moving toward sustainability. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act offers an example of U.S. willingness to invest in longer-term sustainability, she said.¹ Simultaneously, grassroots support for sustainability and accountability for climate change is increasing and is particularly evident in youth activism. Although U.S. activism has not focused on the food system, Fanzo continued, farmers in India and South America have held protests. Populations disproportionately affected by climate change—such as African Americans, Native Americans, women, and youth—have an opportunity to unify and apply pressure on the government to correct these inequities, she said. Fanzo emphasized that protests need to reach a much larger scale to influence government action. Peters noted that using familiar analogies and examples, such as saving for retirement, can help people understand the value of short-term sacrifice in achieving long-term benefit.

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¹ Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law 117-58, 117th Cong., 1st sess. (November 15, 2021).