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The Better food journey

Actionable ideas towards a world eating well
by Corinna Hawkes

Balancing not battling: the way forward for food systems transformation

16/10/2022

10 Comments

 
Food systems decision-making is currently more battlefield than balancing act. This must change. As another World Food Day passes, a new mindset for food systems transformation is needed
​As the current spate of international summits and meetings is making clear, the food system is in a profound state of crisis. At the FAO Asia-Pacific Symposium on Agrifood Systems Transformation I attended two weeks ago, the talk was all of the “4Cs” of conflict, climate change, COVID-19 and cost of living, collectively creating chaos for the “5Fs” of food, feed, fuel, fertilizer and finance. Doubtless the tone was similar last week at the 50th plenary session of the Committee on World Food Security. Coordinating the global policy response to the global food crisis was top of their agenda. 

In his address at another conference in early September, the African Food Systems Forum (AGRF), President Paul Kagame of Rwanda posed the critical question: “How did we get to this point?” Indeed, how did we get to the situation where the system most needed to sustain human life lacks adequate resilience to shocks? Where the billions of people who work in the food system – from farm to supermarket – are so vulnerable? Where despite their fundamental role keeping the food system going, women are marginalised? Where despite huge investment in productivity, millions of people remain undernourished (new estimates out last week showed even micronutrient deficiencies are far higher than previously thought). Where obesity and non-communicable diseases journey relentlessly upward? Where biodiversity, soil and water journey relentlessly down?  And where it seems that every week there is a new flood, hurricane or drought related to climate change? 

In my own presentation to the FAO conference, I tried to come up with some kind of answer. I boiled it down to four aspects of decision-making. First, over past decades, decisions have favoured productivity of low-cost calories over environment, livelihoods and nutrition - delivering calories and cash, not multiple food systems solutions. Second, decisions have favoured food systems globalization without the complementary policies needed to manage risks. Economic development is of course an important goal, but the downsides for livelihoods, land use, obesity and diet-related disease need attention too. Third, decisions were made in siloed spaces about single issues with little consideration for the risks and benefits for other food system objectives. Fourth, decisions were made without understanding the experiences of people affected by the problem, meaning policies and practices are less likely to work on the ground.

​This unholy quaternity of decision-making has meant positive benefits for some dimensions of food systems, but undermined others. Let’s look at some evidence from specific policy decisions:. 
  • Government subsidies for fertilizers are associated with higher agricultural productivity, at least in the short-term, and land allocation to staple crops. But they are also associated with draining public budgets, excessive fertilizer use, and less crop diversity. Some benefits for sure, but hardly a route to achieving economic, environmental and nutrition goals.  
  • Policies permitting (or failing to restrict) commercialization of collective land and large-scale investments. Yes, these can bring the economic upsides of higher export earnings and competitiveness in international markets. But evidence shows they can also compromise earnings and agency among women involved in production, clearly undermining gender equality.  
  • Policies to support rural road development can bring multiple benefits - higher productivity, farm income and diet diversity. But at the same time, they can have negative impacts on wildlife and availability of unhealthy and ultraprocessed foods. 
  • Food safety policies can do good not just by reducing the risk of foodborne disease but by increasing trust and acceptability of nutritious foods with upsides for healthy diets. Yet, depending on what they are, they also introduce risks for access and affordability of nutritious foods and for livelihoods of smaller players (e.g. formalization of markets; food safety certification).

There is a certain inevitability to this. The food system is inherently interconnected; there will always be reverberations from any decision elsewhere in the system. The evidence shows, for example, that much needed strategies to protect health and environment create risks too, such as measures to protect the sustainability of marine capture fisheries impact negatively on livelihoods in poor coastal communities, or sugary drinks taxes on the lowest-income families. 

The challenge is how to balance these things out. At the moment, it seems like a game - often times more like a battlefield - of “who is most powerful wins.” What needs to be done if we really are to – as the FAO conference discussed - “transform” the food system to meet multiple goals? There is no easy answer, but rebalancing food systems decision-making is part of it. 

First, decisions should aim to optimise not maximise.  Attempting to balance out the different tradeoffs for economy, livelihoods, food security, environment, nutrition is a tough thing to do. But it is the only way to move towards systems efficiency, rather than maximizing benefits for one goal or stakeholder at the expense of others.

​Second, decision-making should consciously and creatively aim to craft co-benefits, always taking context into account. This is the process of asking the question: how can the policies or actions support other goals as well as their primary intention? Who can benefit and how? What complementary actions are needed to make that happen? There may not be a clear answer but the process of asking the question itself, with the right people in the room, could lead to creative, innovative ideas and solutions and a sense of a shared agenda. 
 
Third, decision-making needs to engage the sectors and institutions with a stake in the outcome, in whatever appropriate form that takes.  This is needed not only to better understand how decisions might affect others and spark innovative solutions, but also to manage the inevitable conflict and ever present power relations.
 
Fourth, decision-making should always consider the experiences of those affected. That’s where the tradeoffs are experienced and, therefore, can be really understood. The voice of the people who have to live with the upsides and downsides of decisions on the ground must be heard if the system is to be more of a balancing act than the battlefield it is now.
 
Making decisions differently for food systems transformation will take a new mindset. It will mean embracing uncertainty and an ever-ongoing process of reflecting, learning and adapting. Balancing rather than battling may sound rather timid, compromising, even weak. Too much being nice. Yet if we are to learn the lessons from the past,  we need to recognise that we got to this point by failing to balance. And it will take courage for the powers that be to see the whole system for what it is. It will take courage, not timidity, to skilfully manage the conflict, create a sense of collective problem-solving and make different decisions.

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​The thoughts aired in this blog benefited from three pieces of work conducted at the Centre for Food Policy: Taking a Food Systems Approach to Policymaking, in collaboration with R4D; Aligning Food System Activities with Healthier Diets for Low-Income Households: A Guidance Note, commissioned by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office;  and (as yet unpublished) a project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to identify environmental actions in food systems, in support of the Food Systems Dashboard.
10 Comments
Mia Borowski
16/11/2023 01:27:27 am

In terms of “building back better food systems,” it is critical to acknowledge the disparities existing in the current food systems and how immigrants have always suffered under the United States food systems. Immigrants tend to experience a unique form of food insecurity, for example, through disparate impacts in terms of economic, political, social, environmental and health dimensions.[i]

Prior to the pandemic, and subsequent “reconstructive” eras— as we are currently in now, immigrant communities experience heightened levels of food insecurity. Whether resulting from low wages, lack of affordable food, physical and social isolation, or distrust in the government and its available programming to alleviate food insecurity. Border patrol checkpoints or surveillance by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), and ongoing detentions and deportations are daily reality both in border areas and in places far from the border. Moreover, since most food redistribution sites are not covered under ICE Protected Areas, individuals are deterred from physical locations providing food services.[ii] These barriers inhibit immigrant households from accessing the programs for which they are eligible, resulting in the creation of hostile environments which can pose significant barriers when it comes to accessing food and other basic needs.

The pandemic was a mass-disabling event, along with an event of mass death, which has substantial links to the U.S.’s sociopolitical and socioeconomic functions. From 2020 to 2021, rates of food insecurity rose significantly across the United States.[iii] The increase in rates is directly linked to workforce impacts (i.e., death or employment) and the lack of a coordinated government response. This rise reflected in many immigrant communities, where many people lost jobs as domestic helpers, caregivers, and service workers in the restaurant and hospitality industries. Moreover, migrant farmworkers faced ongoing risk of contracting COVID-19 due to improper workplace conditions and challenges in accessing vaccines.

Furthermore, many government responses have intentionally excluded immigrant populations from obtaining much needed forms of pandemic relief. Immigrants without U.S. citizenship or formal immigration status face a number of barriers in accessing government programs designed to alleviate food insecurity. The Trump administration reinstated the “public charge” rule, which bars immigrants who “unduly rely on public assistance” from a path to legal status or citizenship.[iv] For example, undocumented individuals, nonimmigrants (individuals studying or working in the US under a temporary status), immigrants (applicants for permanent residency), and asylees (those undergoing their asylum case, without determination) are ineligible to become a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) or a U.S. citizen if they or their children have ever used government programs of public assistance.

In the absence of government support, demand for support through the private sector has increased substantially. However, with the increase in prevalence, less immigrants relied on the private sector month-by-month as these areas and organizations became more popular, drawing in more community members— police and immigration authorities included.

As we collectively move toward the next phase of the pandemic, it is critical that we acknowledge the longstanding food inequities and injustices experienced by migrants in our country. To this end, we must reconstruct our urban, suburban, and rural food systems to intentionally include migrants, regardless of status. Specifically, we must urge our elected officials to change the eligibility requirements for public assistance, expand the prevalence of non-ICE-cooperative sanctuary cities, and demand more intentional government assistance programs for all community members, not just constituents or citizens. In this manner, our food systems will be more as they will be rid of exclusionary measures.




[i] Dulce Ana Maria Camargo, “Food Insecurity Among Immigrants in the U.S.,” Immigrant Food, April 1, 2022, https://immigrantfood.com/food-insecurity-among-immigrants-in-the-u-s/
[ii] U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement, “Guidelines for Enforcement Actions In or Near Protected Areas,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security, October 27, 2021, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_1027_opa_guidelines-enforcement-actions-in-near-protected-areas.pdf
[iii] Economic Research Service, “Key Statistics & Graphics ,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2023, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/#:~:text=in%20Excel%20format.-,Trends%20in%20Prevalence%20Rates,observed%20from%202017%20through%202020
[iv] U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “Public

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8/12/2023 02:04:52 am

The way you navigate the complexities of food choices, sustainability, and the impact on personal well-being is both insightful and inspiring. Your emphasis on making informed decisions and fostering a positive relationship with food resonates deeply, serving as a valuable guide for those seeking a healthier lifestyle. The inclusion of practical tips and the acknowledgment of the journey's continuous nature make this post not just informative but relatable. Thank you for sharing this enlightening perspective on a better food journey, encouraging us all to make conscious and nourishing choices for ourselves and the planet.

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Linda John Eckles link
17/4/2025 02:17:41 am

This perspective really resonates—transforming food systems shouldn't be about conflict, but about collaboration. Balancing sustainability, nutrition, and accessibility is complex, but it's the only way to create long-term solutions that work for both people and the planet. It’s encouraging to see more conversations focused on unity and shared progress.

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Linda Eckles link
17/4/2025 02:20:22 am

Such an important reminder that real change comes from working together, not against each other. Food systems touch so many aspects of our lives—health, environment, economy—so finding balance rather than division is key. A cooperative approach could be the catalyst for truly sustainable transformation.

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