Building a sustainable food system

The survival of humankind hinges on a 'sustainable food system (SFS)'. This innovative food system is an advanced system for ensuring food security within a sustainable infrastructure in the community. The system relies on a natural resource-based mechanism.

Food systems play a key role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all societies. The sustainable food system has been conceptualised through a systematic improvement of food security and nutrition leading to poverty alleviation. In general, the modern food system has to play an important role in achieving many targets of the SDGs. The relevant SDGs in the food system - the Goals 2, 3, 11, 12, and 14 - mostly address the food systems. Bangladesh's SFS approach should explore an interaction of all the food-related activities mentioned in the SDGs.

The SFS steps acknowledge the dynamic process of food production and consumption mainly through involving diverse stakeholders' inputs. These inputs recommend minimising the adverse impacts of the traditional food system on economic, environmental, social (including health related), ethical and cultural perspectives. Considering the core demand of the SFS, the communities need to think more about sustainability practices embedded with behavioural changes of the people in daily actions. Here is involved a transformation process of their daily life in line with the concept of sustainable consumption and production of various food items.

The UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), established in 2010, introduced the SFS according to the recommendation of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE). To implement and follow-up on the SFS activities, the UN 10YFP programme has taken many initiatives in partnership programmes with developing countries. There are opportunities to build partnerships with such specialised UN programmes.

Four work areas may be considered for integrating the SFS programme in Bangladesh's future development projects:

1. Raising awareness: Any supply chain of food should be operated through establishing the specific requirements of the SCP (sustainable consumption and production) patterns. Reliable production information tagged with detailed food sustainability information on supply chain should be promoted. Awareness can also be raised through connecting food details with science, education and media. Food-related ministries and other public-private governing bodies can enhance their activities through extensive collaborative monitoring. Awareness of sustainable diets should also be included in these programmes.
2. Building an enabling environment: There should be a proactive approach through encouragement, facilitation and any other supports for diverse stakeholders of the SFS. Inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogues should be promoted to help policymakers at local, national, regional or at international levels. Market-based opportunities should be created at all stages of a product life-cycle (e.g. raw materials, production, packaging, distribution, use and shelf life). It's needed for setting the principles to guide the assessment and identification of the sustainability requirements of a specific product and leverage points of food choices, production, consumption and overall customer behaviour. In this regard, skills and capacity development can be a parallel agenda in the SCP of a food system among the relevant stakeholder groups. More investment opportunities should be promoted in our food sector as well.
3. Increasing the access and application of SCP-related information: Information platforms on any product (agro or industrial) should be expanded and the capacity of producers should be strengthened through extensive knowledge-sharing services. Since there is no visible, accountable and actionable strategy on SCP, relevant knowledge on SCP in the country's food system should be developed. For promotion of SCP knowledge, new methodologies and tools can be created considering food waste and losses.
4. Strengthening partnerships among multi-stakeholders in a food system: The SCP performances can be increased through collaboration with more stakeholders in a food system. More participatory forums should be promoted to ensure people's participation mostly from the civil society and different organisations. For example, the CAB (Consumers Association of Bangladesh) can be a very effective platform to promote the SCP concept and expand its movement by engaging citizens from city to local level.

However, any programme design should consider the relevant SDGs in a food system. Building network and alliances among all stakeholders is important for facilitating incorporation of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in the food system to establish sustainable value chains.

The writer is Senior Research Associate and Sustainability Professional at BRAC Research and Evaluation Division

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