Transforming Food Systems : The Quest for Sustainability

This book assesses one of the great global challenges of our time: how to reform food systems so they are more sustainable but still able to produce the food we need. It reviews the pros and cons of reformist, progressive and radical solutions and how we might choose between them.

“The depth of the analysis and the wealth of references in Dave Watson’s book provide a solid foundation for understanding the implications of the pressing environmental challenges we face, particularly the global food crisis. His engaging style makes this book not only informative but also inspiring. It encourages us to rethink our relationship with food, to value our culinary traditions, and to promote systems that nourish not only individuals but also our planet.” (Book Review Published in International Journal of Environmental Studies – Professor Nadia Boutaleb, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco)"Written from a supply side perspective, this is an excellent, well-written and comprehensive synthesis of a huge volume of literature on ways to improve the sustainability of food systems. I enjoyed reading it." (Professor Tim Benton, Distinguished Fellow - Environment and Society Centre, Chatham House - Royal Institute of International Affairs, UK)There is an almost universal recognition that modern agri-food supply chains are unsustainable. They are seen as both contributing to and vulnerable to climate change, too reliant on environmentally-damaging synthetic inputs, as undermining biodiversity, generating significant losses and waste and failing to deliver the nutritious food required for a healthy, balanced diet. Transforming food systems: The quest for sustainability addresses one of the greatest global challenges of our time: how to reform food systems so they are more sustainable but still able to produce the food we need. The book traces the evolution of the current global food production system and reviews competing approaches to achieving more sustainable production, starting with ‘reformist’ approaches which promote new technologies as a way forward, such as genetic modification and synthetic foods. This collection also considers the pros and cons of ‘progressive’ approaches, such as regenerative and organic agriculture, as well as the more radical solutions which seek to achieve a more fundamental reform of the food system. As the world tackles the central question of how food should be produced in the future, this book provides readers with an authoritative guide to the various solutions on offer and how to assess which road we should take.