A Transition towards a Food and Agricultural System That Includes Both Food Security and Planetary Health

Abstract

This theoretical paper builds on a multidisciplinary framework which is structured to acknowledge the need to combine different research disciplines to understand the problems within our current unsustainable food system and be able to develop possible solutions through new innovations. Current food production methods come at an environmental cost as they generate large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions which affect biodiversity and climate change. The article shows that the problems surrounding food systems and our culture around food, are multifaceted and intricate. The fact is that a growing number of citizens suffer from obesity with various consequential diseases as a result, while a part of the population is still malnourished and dying of hunger. This paper summarizes results from some fairly new studies and different international policy reports to try to clarify how broad the problem is, which is crucial to find new pathways forward to address the problems. Through theoretical discussion, the paper identifies some of the deep underlying root causes and fundamental reasons as to why the urgent needed change is so slow.