With World Food Day on the horizon (this Saturday, October 16th), we are presented with an opportunity for the global community to come together and reflect on our food systems and their respective effects on our environments; this inherently includes a discussion of the next steps necessary to transform our perspectives of “value” and “cost” with regards to components of our current food systems.

The Global Alliance for the Future of Food embodies a collaborative organizational effort to bring food system concerns (in both social and environmental spheres) to the figurative table with regards to policy discussion. Soils, Food & Healthy Communities has been chosen to be one of their “Beacons of Hope” case studies from around the globe that illustrate methods of increasing the sustainability and resiliency of food systems from within communities. As a part of this Beacons of Hope initiative, a method of quantifying the nuanced profitability and advantages of each diverse system is implemented (known as “True Cost Accounting”).

True Cost Accounting considers variables that typical agricultural profitability indices do not, such as environmental degradation and the health of the individuals within the community. This allows a holistic picture of food systems that embodies its effects in their entirety, as opposed to a myopic focus that only accounts for yield.

We are honored to be highlighted in this illuminating report, and hope that this generates the dialogue necessary to shift policy perspectives surrounding agroecological and sustainable farming initiatives from pure financial profit to a more nuanced focus that includes more aspects of these complex and interconnected systems.

For more info and to read the full report, visit https://futureoffood.org/insights/true-value-revealing-the-positive-impacts-of-food-systems-transformation