Articulating the effect of food systems innovation on the Sustainable Development Goals

Mario Herrero, Philip K. Thornton, Daniel Mason-D'Croz, Jeda Palmer, Benjamin L. Bodirsky, Prajal Pradhan, Christopher B. Barrett, Tim G. Benton, Andrew Hall, Ilje Pikaar, Jessica R. Bogard, Graham D. Bonnett, Brett A. Bryan, Bruce M. Campbell, Svend Christensen, Michael Clark, Jessica Fanzo, Cecile M. Godde, Andy Jarvis, Ana Maria LoboguerreroAlexander Mathys, C. Lynne McIntyre, Rosamond L. Naylor, Rebecca Nelson, Michael Obersteiner, Alejandro Parodi, Alexander Popp, Katie Ricketts, Pete Smith, Hugo Valin, Sonja J. Vermeulen, Joost Vervoort, Mark van Wijk, Hannah HE van Zanten, Paul C. West, Stephen A. Wood, Johan Rockström

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

86 Scopus citations

Abstract

Food system innovations will be instrumental to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, major innovation breakthroughs can trigger profound and disruptive changes, leading to simultaneous and interlinked reconfigurations of multiple parts of the global food system. The emergence of new technologies or social solutions, therefore, have very different impact profiles, with favourable consequences for some SDGs and unintended adverse side-effects for others. Stand-alone innovations seldom achieve positive outcomes over multiple sustainability dimensions. Instead, they should be embedded as part of systemic changes that facilitate the implementation of the SDGs. Emerging trade-offs need to be intentionally addressed to achieve true sustainability, particularly those involving social aspects like inequality in its many forms, social justice, and strong institutions, which remain challenging. Trade-offs with undesirable consequences are manageable through the development of well planned transition pathways, careful monitoring of key indicators, and through the implementation of transparent science targets at the local level.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)e50-e62
JournalThe Lancet Planetary Health
Volume5
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
MH, DM-D, JP, JRB, AH, GDB, CMG, CLM, and KR acknowledge funding from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. PKT, BMC, AJ, and AML acknowledge funding from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, which is supported by the CGIAR Trust Fund and through bilateral funding agreements. PP acknowledges funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the BIOCLIMAPATHS project.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license

PubMed: MeSH publication types

  • Journal Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

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