Wholesale transformation of the global agriculture and food systems is needed urgently to reduce the environmental impact of these systems and to mitigate the impact of climate change on them, according to the Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI).
In fact, the FSCI identified a framework composed of 50 indicators that monitor agriculture and food systems at a global level, using existing data to enable immediate action. Repurposing existing data, rather than carrying out new research means policymakers have quick access to relevant information.
“You can’t manage what you don’t measure. That’s why we need a monitoring system that shows strengths and weaknesses at national, regional and global levels across all parts of agriculture and food systems. And this complete picture highlights successes that provide valuable lessons for others,” says Mario Herrero, professor and director of the food systems and global change program, Cornell University.
Key takeaways:
- Following this first global baseline, the FSCI will track agriculture and food systems annually until 2030, updating the framework as needed where new indicators or better data emerge.
- The FSCI indicator framework is intended for global monitoring of agriculture and food systems transformation. It also offers a menu of indicators that can be used to design policies and actions and inform tailored monitoring systems to meet country needs.
- The framework organizes agriculture and food systems monitoring into five themes: diets, nutrition, and health; environment, natural resources, and production; livelihoods, poverty, and equity; governance; and resilience. Each theme contains 3-5 indicator domains that together provide a comprehensive picture of agriculture and food systems.
“The first annual countdown report shows that no single region has all the answers. Europe and North America do well on undernutrition but poorly on indicators of unhealthy diets. In contrast, Africa and South Asia do relatively well on some environmental indicators but poorly on indicators of livelihoods. The data show very clearly that every region has significant room for improvement,” says Lawrence Haddad, executive director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
