EC reports on Sustainable Food Systems
A Scientific Opinion was published by the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) on “Towards a sustainable food system”, based on evidence and reviews provided by the Scientific Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA) Working Group. A step-wise policy transition and fully integrated approach is suggested to deliver an inclusive, ‘just’ and timely transition to an EU sustainable food system, in line with the forthcoming Farm to Fork Strategy.
Technological innovations in aquaculture can empower the food systems to evolve sustainably, such as precision farming, RAS, algae or insect based foodstuffs, and new processing technologies to increase shelf-life. Overall, research needs to contribute to the promotion of a sustainable intensification, combining an increased efficiency with decreased environmental burden, to the reuse and recycling of food waste, to improve the resilience of food systems towards climate change, and to improved monitoring. Social sciences can provide insights in the various components of food systems and their dynamics in relation to sustainability objectives.
Both reports take an integrated systems-based approach.
