What do policy and food systems researchers have to say about using policy and scientific advice in transforming food systems? Food systems are complex systems and it can be difficult to ensure success and avoid trade-offs. However, taking a systems view is rarely enough to avoid this. In the context of uncertainty, science does not always provide clear answers. How can we move forward? In this piece, Abigail Muscat reviews some of the latest research on policy solutions and presents three key lessons for driving sustainable change. She argues we should avoid the traps of ignoring unacknowledged assumptions, ignoring multiple viewpoints and sticking to a singular framing of food systems.
In Conversation With … Lian Pin Koh
As part of our coverage ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit and COP26, we’re asking some of the world’s leading sustainability researchers to weigh in on what outcomes they hope to see at the events.
In this installment, we speak to Professor Lian Pin Koh, Director of the Centre for Nature-Based Climate Solutions at the National University of Singapore. Professor Koh spoke to us about food security, carbon finance and the vital need for nature-based climate solutions.
In Conversation With … Sir Charles Godfray
2021 is a big year for sustainability policy, with several major climate conferences on the horizon. In the run-up to this autumn’s COP26 and UN Food Systems Summit meetings, we’re sitting down with some of the world’s leading sustainability scholars to get their perspective on what these conferences can achieve and how the public can push for better sustainability outcomes. In our first interview, we spoke with Professor Sir Charles Godfray, director of the Oxford Martin School.
2021: A Watershed Year for Sustainability?
2021 holds great potential for systemic shifts in responses to climate change, with several major international climate conferences set to take place before the year is out. As world leaders are due to make major decisions on biodiversity, food systems and greenhouse gas emissions, these meetings are vitally important to the future of our planet. Read on for a brief overview of the upcoming events and their goals.