Food systems have become a pivotal issue on the global agenda, highlighted by the United Nations’ Food Systems Summit in September 2021. Despite their centrality and long-standing regulation, these systems often produce negative outcomes and fail to address critical challenges like eradicating hunger and malnutrition, particularly in the Global South. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 2.4 billion people globally experience food insecurity, with more than 30% suffering from severe hunger. Meanwhile, over one billion people struggle with obesity, and widespread dietary deficiencies persist due to insufficient intake of essential vitamins and micronutrients. In most agrarian economies of the Global South, agriculture remains the primary livelihood for two-thirds of working adults living in poverty. This makes its inclusive transformation essential to achieving poverty reduction, food and nutrition security, and sustainable development.
Example of , a fully globalized value chain: Nutella® value chain map. Extracted from: Scoppola, Margherita. (2021). Globalisation in agriculture and food: the role of multinational enterprises. European Review of Agricultural Economics. 48. 10.1093/erae/jbab032.
The surge of sustainable food concept system
Traditional agricultural systems have historically focused on ensuring food sovereignty and upholding the human right to food by maximizing productivity and affordability. However, modern and globalized agricultural practices, while productive, have introduced significant environmental and social costs. Dependence on chemical inputs like fertilizers and pesticides has degraded soil and water resources, while globalization has increased greenhouse gas emissions and contributed to climate change. Human health has also suffered, with ultra-processed foods fueling obesity, and in the Global North, excess meat consumption driving non-communicable diseases. Moreover, agricultural workers and food chain staff face persistent vulnerabilities, as demonstrated during widespread protests and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sustainable food systems provide an integrated response to these challenges. According to the FAO, food systems encompass the actors and activities involved in food production, distribution, consumption, and disposal, embedded in broader social, economic, and environmental contexts. Although this concept has gained attention among civil society, researchers, and policymakers, its implementation remains limited. Only a small portion of the global population is covered by food policies that explicitly incorporate environmental sustainability. The absence of clear intervention points addressing multiple interconnected sectors remains a key barrier. Nevertheless, approaches like regionalizing diets and enhancing food self-sufficiency show promise in shortening supply chains and strengthening system resilience.
Europe’s Efforts Toward Sustainable Food Systems
In Europe, diet-related non-communicable diseases, which account for 70% of mortality, have placed a significant burden on healthcare systems. Meat consumption remains higher than nutritional requirements, contributing to the EU’s status as a net calorie importer. More than half of the adult population is overweight or obese. While traditional policies like the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are leading the way for food productive and a set of regulations and laws have established standards for food quality, pollution control, and animal welfare, they lack the impact needed to drive radical change due to entrenched systems and conflicting stakeholder interests. Farmers, for instance, face significant constraints in reducing chemical inputs because of rigid supply chain demands and limited autonomy over systemic shifts.
The Farm-to-Fork Strategy, part of the European Green Deal, offers a comprehensive response to these challenges. It emphasizes sustainable production through measures like expanding organic farming to 25% of cultivated land, cutting fertilizer and pesticide use by 50% by 2030, improving soil health, and enhancing biodiversity. Equally important is shifting consumer demand toward healthier, more sustainable diets. By reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods and environmentally intensive animal products and promoting nutrient-dense, locally sourced options, the strategy aligns consumption patterns with sustainability goals. Efforts to reduce food waste, improve traceability, and foster shorter supply chains complement these measures, aiming to create a resilient and sustainable food system.
Brazil’s Approach to Sustainable Food Systems
Brazil has pioneered the integration of food and nutrition policies with social, health, and educational components, supported by its emphasis on family farming and agroecology. While hunger reduction has been a long-standing priority, rising obesity rates linked to ultra-processed food consumption reveal contradictions in policy outcomes. Brazil’s dual agricultural systems—industrial and family farming—illustrate these challenges and are governed separately. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply focuses on large-scale agribusiness and technological innovation, while the Ministry of Agrarian Development oversees family farming, agroecology, and social equity, reflecting the complexity of addressing Brazil’s diverse agricultural landscape.
The industrial agriculture sector, dominated by large-scale agribusiness, focuses on export-oriented production. Brazil leads the global soy-meat complex, with soybean and livestock value chains linked to rising global meat demand. This model relies heavily on chemical inputs like pesticides, fertilizers, and genetically modified seeds. To address environmental concerns, it increasingly adopts technological advancements, not only to reduce carbon intensity, as seen in the Low Carbon Agriculture Plan, but also to improve productivity and optimize resource use.
In contrast, family farming, recognized since the 1990s, plays a critical role in supplying domestic markets and supporting rural employment. Programs like the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) have bolstered small-scale producers through subsidized credits, technical assistance, and price floors. At least 30% of federal school meal funds under PNAE must come from family farming, while the PAA provides up to 30% higher payments for agroecological products compared to conventional ones. These initiatives improve access to nutritious food and raise rural incomes, demonstrating the essential role of family farming in Brazil’s agricultural landscape.
Despite these efforts, family farms receive far less government support than industrial agribusiness, which dominates public investments and policy priorities. This imbalance underscores the enduring influence of agribusiness in shaping policies. While demand for organic and agroecological products is growing, preferences for ultra-processed foods and reliance on agrochemicals challenge efforts to expand sustainable practices.
A difficult transition at Europe and Brazil levels which unveils difference in vested interests
The transition to sustainable food systems is a complex process requiring collaboration across diverse actors, from farmers and policymakers to researchers and social movements. Europe and Brazil illustrate the difficulties of aligning conflicting objectives and governance structures to create coherent policies. In Europe, the Farm-to-Fork Strategy provides a comprehensive framework but faces systemic barriers, such as the shift in agriculture practices to be planned by the ongoing and difficult CAP greening. In Brazil, agroecology and small-scale farming initiatives have made progress but are constrained by powerful agribusiness interests and policy contradictions. Territorial dynamics are increasingly driving change, as seen in the Curitiba Metropolitan Region, where nearly half of Paraná’s organic producers are concentrated. Addressing systemic barriers, fostering innovation, and promoting collaboration across sectors will be essential for building sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems worldwide.