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Patrick Caron, Researcher at CIRAD and Vice-President for International Relations at the University of Montpellier, explains the evolution of the food system.

The modernization of agriculture has made it possible to escape a global shortage of food. But access to food remains a major concern for 800 million people, due to poverty and protracted crises. And malnutrition, in all its forms, which contributes to the spread of diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, cancer), today affects one in three people in the world, and represents a major public health problem in all country.

Food systems are also responsible for an irreversible loss of biodiversity and almost a third of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. We must fundamentally transform the way we produce and consume food, with a systemic and holistic approach. A transformation that takes into account the close links between agriculture, environmental health, climate change, social equity and justice, human health, energy and political stability.

Patrick Caron defines what a sustainable food system is. In 2017, the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security published a report on food systems and nutrition which led to the preparation and adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines on food systems and nutrition in 2021. This is a step change from food security to food systems.

This HLPE report identifies 3 interacting elements of food systems: food supply chains (the activities and actors that move food from production to consumption with storage, distribution, processing, packaging, trade and waste disposal); consumer behavior (food choices) and the physical, economic, political and socio-cultural context. Food is a matter of culture, social relationship, pleasure, which is shaped by this food environment. The HLPE has identified 5 main categories of drivers of change in the food system that can have an impact on these 3 interactive elements: biophysical and environmental drivers (natural resources, ecosystem services, climate change); the technological innovation and infrastructure factor; political and economic factors (globalization, international trade, food policies, land tenure, prices, conflicts, etc.); socio-cultural factors (culture, religion, social traditions, women's emancipation) and demographic factors (population growth, urbanization, migration, etc.).

Changes at local, national and global levels must converge to guarantee the right to food, stimulate learning processes, address trade-offs and apply risk prevention mechanisms.

• Granularité : grain
• Structure : collection

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