Food systems
To ensure food security, livelihoods and environmental sustainability, a systemic approach is necessary for the development of sustainable, resilient, healthy, just and inclusive food systems. Read more, including some key resources and latest news.
Context
Food systems are currently not performing sufficiently. To build sustainable, resilient, healthy, just and inclusive food systems, SDC promotes a holistic approach that includes all stakeholders, from the food systems at local/regional level (smallholder farmers, processers, market actors, consumers, all levels of government, civil society, academia), to the multi-sectoral approach including health (nutrition, non-communicable diseases, One Health), the economy (profitability, inclusive territorial markets, decent work), environment and climate (biodiversity, water, soil) and governance (equal participation, social protection and justice).
To find out more, look at our Food systems chapter within our Knowledge Hub.
Key Resources
Food systems learning guide
SDC A&FS Network
How to: Food systems
Knowledge Hub, SDC A&FS Network
Thematic Integration Brief: Food systems & Governance
Knowledge Hub, SDC A&FS Network
Building resilient food systems
HLPE, 2025
UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
Tools that can be used to strengthen policy decision making processes and food systems around the world:
- Food Systems Countdown monitoring framework - with a set of tracking indicators broken down into 5 thematic areas
- Food Systems Dashboard - providing food systems data for close to 300 indicators coming from over 40 sources, globally and for country diagnostics to identify successes and challenges
- Diet Quality Questionnaire - standardized tool that was developed to facilitate the understanding of what people eat, completed in 5 mn, can be country-adapted
- Diagnosing Food Systems Policy Coherence: Diagnostic Tool - practical methodology to assess food systems policy coherence, and providing actionable recommendations for enhancing it
- Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN) - assessing climate-nutrition coherence in policies, financing, and programming
- Political Economy Decision Toolkit - to help stakeholders anticipate policy bottlenecks to food systems transformation
