Take a comprehensive approach to food planning to ensure a resilient food system in an uncertain and changing time. This policy brief recommends integrated food planning—a method for society and policymakers to address and prioritize food issues sustainably at local, regional, and national levels.
A sustainable food system delivers secure food supply and nutrition for all in a way that preserves the economic, social, and environmental foundations needed to ensure food security and nutrition for future generations.
The current food system is both vulnerable and complex, and its future governance must address a range of challenging issues, including declining public health, environmental and climate change, sensitivity to disruptions, competitiveness, urban-rural disparities, vibrant landscapes, rural areas, and cities.
There are many reasons for these challenges, but one contributing factor is the impact of less successful public governance, such as past agricultural and trade policies, tax and regulatory systems, and siloed public administration. A lack of coordination among authorities, agencies, and private actors at various levels also renders measures ineffective.
Updated tools are needed to enable more cohesive planning that can take a comprehensive approach to the food system. This policy brief proposes food planning as a means to achieve a more sustainable food system in Sweden at local, regional, and national levels.
