How can we fix food systems that are “broken” by choice?

According to United Nations (UN) Secretary General, António Guterres “Broken food systems are not inevitable. They are the result of choices we have made. There is more than enough food in the world to go around. More than enough money to fund efficient and sustainable food systems to feed the world, while supporting decent work for those who grow the food we eat” (United Nations, n.d.). Somehow, unsustainable food systems have become commonly accepted despite the fact that 735 million people live with chronic hunger, food system practices account for one third of greenhouse gas emissions, and these systems use 70 percent of the world's fresh water (United Nations, n.d.). Global obesity rates have more than doubled since 1990 (World Health Organization, 2024). Poverty remains high in many rural areas throughout the world (Koff et. al., 2023). “Broken” seems to be an accurate description of systems that clearly are unbalanced.

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Publication Details

Journal
Regions & Cohesion
Published
2024-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3167/reco.2024.140201
Primary Topic
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

How can we fix food systems that are “broken” by choice?

Daniela Giselle De la Rosa Vargas, Carlos Avilla Hernández, Harlan Koff, Carmen Maganda et al.
Regions & Cohesion
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
article

How can we fix food systems that are “broken” by choice?

Daniela Giselle De la Rosa Vargas, Carlos Avilla Hernández, Harlan Koff, Carmen Maganda, Edith Kauffer
article en

Abstract

According to United Nations (UN) Secretary General, António Guterres “Broken food systems are not inevitable. They are the result of choices we have made. There is more than enough food in the world to go around. More than enough money to fund efficient and sustainable food systems to feed the world, while supporting decent work for those who grow the food we eat” (United Nations, n.d.). Somehow, unsustainable food systems have become commonly accepted despite the fact that 735 million people live with chronic hunger, food system practices account for one third of greenhouse gas emissions, and these systems use 70 percent of the world's fresh water (United Nations, n.d.). Global obesity rates have more than doubled since 1990 (World Health Organization, 2024). Poverty remains high in many rural areas throughout the world (Koff et. al., 2023). “Broken” seems to be an accurate description of systems that clearly are unbalanced.

Regions & CohesionVol. 14(2-3)
Openalex Percentile: Top 72%
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
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