Food is at the heart of many of the world’s environmental, social and economic challenges. The issues – from soil health to public health and how to sustain a growing global population on finite resources – are complex and cannot be solved in isolation. As it stands, the way we produce, consume and value food is pushing the planet, and its systems on which we rely, beyond their limits.
So how do we ensure we produce enough safe, nutritious and affordable food for everyone in sustainable ways? We call this sustainable nutrition - an approach to food production that optimises health and nutritional outcomes whilst restoring the key ecosystems and farming livelihoods on which we depend.
The world is responding to the need for sustainable nutrition. We’re seeing new products on our shelves, the explosion of plant-based eating, value chains being reimagined with equity and fair trade at their heart. We’re seeing new investments and innovation, everyday. Regenerative agriculture is entering the mainstream.
This all makes for a promising transition, but is it really adding up?
The food system is at a pivotal crossroads. Its transition will either be deep, deliberate and urgent - tackling the root causes of our challenge.
Or it will fall short, with ‘solutions’ addressing specific problems in isolation but failing to maintain momentum. These ‘fixes’ will ultimately fail - going neither far enough or fast enough, while simultaneously risking unintended consequences.
Which way we go is up to all of us.
At Forum, we believe we need a socially just and ecologically safe shift to a food system fit for a radically different future. A food system that optimises for people and the planet, balancing health and nutritional outcomes with restoration of the ecosystems and farming livelihoods on which we all depend.
This must be underpinned by both climate mitigation and adaptation practices, with a focus on mainstreaming regenerative agriculture, enhancing resilience and transforming the supply chains that deliver key commodities from plant to plate, crop to cup.
By 2030, we aim to have enabled a systemic, urgent transition in our food system to fulfil the needs of diets, livelihoods and land.
To do this, we are focused on four areas where we believe our skills, expertise and experience can make a real difference :
Reach out to us or see more about our work in food below.
We're tracking #signalsofchange in food live on the Futures Centre; why not head over and get involved?
A futures and innovation process to drive development of resilient, regenerative and just agricultural value chains in an increasingly disrupted world Read more
Working together to accelerate the transition to regenerative food and agriculture in the UK Read more
What is the future of protein in Southeast Asia? And how can 'protein visionaries' enable transformative change to a just and regenerative protein system in a rapidly changing region? Read more
Protein is a keystone issue for the food system, and the way we produce and consume have significant impacts on climate, biodiversity and human health. It’s also a powerful lens to see the wider food system. The need to act is clear. Read more
Working together to accelerate the transition to a just and regenerative agriculture system in the United States. Read more
Our latest report, The Future of Food, explores this question and reviews the current state of the market. Read more
A collaborative, open-innovation initiative aiming to shift the edible fats and oils sector onto a sustainable footing. Explore its work so far. Read more