What is a food system?

Food systems “are interdependent networks of stakeholders (companies, financial institution and public and private organisations), localized in a given geographical area (region, state, multinational region) participating directly or indirectly in the creation of flow of goods and services geared towards satisfying the food needs of one or more group of consumers, both locally and outside the area considered.”  Food systems include value chains and non- market activities, actors connecting food production, aggregation, transportation and storage, processing and catering, distribution, preparation and consumption, waste and resources management, as well as agro-input suppliers (seeds, fertilisers, and packaging) and the associated regulatory institutions. Food systems have several subsystems, natural sub system (soils, water, plants, animals), Political (policies and laws),operational (value chain actors and activities from input supply to consumption), and information and service (knowledge, research, extension, financial and logistic services).

What is food sustainability?

Food systems are sustainable if they are able to strike a positive balance between five fundamental aspects: (1) the capacity to ensure food security; (2) to fulfil people’s right to food; (3) to reduce poverty and inequality; (4) to exhibit a high environmental performance; and (5) to exhibit high levels of social-ecological resilience. Sustainable food systems are those that are able to contribute to food and nutrition security, healthy diets, limiting environmental impacts and contributing to social and economic wellbeing of the population.