A food system approach for the identification of opportunities to increase resource use efficiency.

The UNEP International Resource Panel has the objective to evaluate the current and projected use of natural resources and as well as to identify opportunities for improvements, using a food systems approach. These opportunities will probably not only include more technical and process oriented opportunities as typically identified with a LCA-approach, but will also include opportunities as the consumption side as reducing food losses and dietary changes. The concept of ‘food system’ includes all processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population in a certain region; the global food system is composed of many, partly connected, local and regional food systems. The notion that food systems actors as food processing companies and retailers not only influence the how and where food is being produced, but also people’s eating habits and diets, is gaining momentum. Other than in the food chain concept, which perceives the different actors in a more neutral way, the food system concept acknowledges that the actors influence each other, within a certain political, technological, environmental, cultural and institutional setting. Food systems have environmental, socioeconomic and health outcomes, which can, for example in case of undesired outcomes, lead to changes in the context. Given the large differences in regional food systems, a number of global regions (as sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia and Europe) are studied in more detail, partly by means of expert workshops.