Food Matters: An integrative approach to food policy

 Tim LangCentre for Food Policy, City University London, UK

e: t.lang@city.ac.uk

Paper to ‘MOBILISING THE FOOD CHAIN FOR HEALTH ‘ THIRD MEETING OF THE OECD FOOD CHAIN ANALYSIS NETWORK,  

25-26 OCTOBER, 2012, OECD CONFERENCE CENTRE, PARIS

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The problems: broad agreement on what they are• Under/over/mal-consumption & Nutrition

Transition = mismatch of bodies and enviro• High cost of food’s impact on health,

environment, social inequalities• Era of ever lower food prices may be ending; is

volatility the new norm?• Food system faces combination of pressures:

material, biological, social, cultural• Political uncertainty and lack of will?

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Solutions: the mainstream agenda

• Favour markets: – Reduce state involvement, end distortions

• Cost internalisation only in the long-term: – Financialise, tax ‘bads’ or favour ‘goods’?

• Action through partnerships: – Public-private; but who leads?

• Education :– Information, labelling; but does it work?

• Consumer behaviour change:– Social marketing, ‘nudge’, consumer psychology

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Solutions: the emerging agenda• Sustainable diets:

– New dietary guidelines – international & national• Food for ecological public health:

– Only consider multi-sector interventions• Re-engineer food system:

– Roadmaps; frameworks; low energy infrastructure• Prices: from ‘value-for-money’ to values for money

– Use rising energy prices to get more €$£ to growers• Consumer behaviour change:

– contract & converge; ‘citizenship’ not consumerism

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Hotspots: Governments• Sust Diets experience: Sweden, D, UK (IAC)• Eco Pub Health: multi-level interventions• Governance: co-ordination mechanisms

– FPCs/Councils, cabinet committees, civil service co-ordination, Roundtables

• National strategy/ Food Plan: Aus, Can, UK (on/off?) • Prices: €$£ follows the Plan; no sub-cost pricing• Innovation: horticulture for biodiversity• Labour strategy: skills, wages (UK/NL comparison)• Consumers: but look at civil society experiment’n

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Food systems in trouble: the evidence

Revising the meaning of food progress

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But sober analyses from recent reports

• WHO/FAO (2011): diet and physical activity• UN / FAO (2010): food security• UNEP (2012): food & environment• World Bank IAASTD (2008): small farmers• Scientific advisors’ national and global analyses:

– PMSEIC Australia (2010)– INRA France (Paillard et al) (2010)– Foresight UK (2011)

• WEF (2011): business roadmap• Prince Charles’ Int’l Sustainability Unit (2011): sustainability• UN Special Rapporteur (De Schutter): social justice• Etc, etc

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FAO Food Price Index, 1990-2012

Source: http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/wfs-home/foodpricesindex/en/ October 4, 2012

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Biodiversity• Food is major source of degradation• 15 of 24 of world’s ecosystem services are being

degraded by food-related activity (MEA 2005)

• 50-78% of main fish stocks monitored either in decline or fished unsustainably (Defra 2010)

• Of 270k higher plants, only c2k + 14 animal species dominate agriculture (UNEP 2009)

• Declines in wildlife driven by land for food

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Water

• Agriculture uses 70% of all freshwater extracted for human use

• Livestock = c.40% of av. UK citizen’s agric H20 footprint

• It takes: (Hoestra & Chapagain 2004) NB NL figures

– 16000 litres 1 kg meat– 200 litres H20 200ml glass of milk– 2400 litres H20 150g hamburger

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Energy:food = oil

source : UNEP 2009

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Planetary Boundaries already exceeded?Source: Rockström, Steffen et al. Nature 2009

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Waste: ‘old’ and ‘new’ forms• ‘Old’ waste mostly on / near farm:

– Happens in LDCs due to storage, contamination etc– Global estimate: 30-40% of food fit to eat is wasted– Africa post-harvest loss = 25% (UNEP 2009)

• ‘New’ waste mostly by consumers:– USA est. waste 30% (UNEP 2009)

– UK WRAP 2008 estimates (down slightly by 2011):• UK waste c 1/3 of all food bought• 5.3 mt thrown away every year• Cost £12 bn pa (£480 per household)

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Where is public policy in all this?

Need to take the longer view

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Dominant policy reflex: 1990s ff?• ‘Leave it to WalMart, Carrefour, Tesco et al’• Food system (post farm) epitomises efficiency• Agriculture is distorted by subsidies (PSE/CSE)• But in 2010s, this analysis no longer fits:

– Big Food Co.s are worried too– Lots of interesting initiatives (Unilever, PepsiCo)– There is a limit to what they can do singly– They are setting up parallel governance– This is a recipe for incoherence (eg labelling)

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The 1940s aspiration: Hot Springs Conference, 1943

source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/p4228e/P4228E01.htm

• Called by F D Roosevelt• 44 ‘free’ countries agreed 4 goals:

I. raise “nutrition and standards of living” of the peopleII. improve efficiency of “the production and distribution

of all food and agricultural productsIII. Deliver “better condition of rural populations”IV. Contribute to “expanding world economy and ensuring

humanity's freedom from hunger”• Agreed to create FAO (happened Oct 16, 1945)• 144 countries by 1979

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... Translated as the Productionist ParadigmLang & Heasman (2004) Food Wars

Science + capital + distribution  output less waste  cheaper food  health =  progress

Q: Is this 1930s/40s science policy success now flawed?

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2010s: policy is in trouble again!• The problem:

– Unmet need: persistent hunger just under 1bn– Declining rate of productivity– Stronger and more complex data on environmental crises– Disconnect with over-consumption & health data (obesity)

• The resolution?: – No agreement yet but restatement of MDGs– Dominant approach Technology again: GM, nano, logistics,– Reassertion of markets

• But what policy instruments?– Reformed World Committee on Food Security (CFS)– Multiplicity of initiatives: L’Aquila, G8, G20,

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Companies engage on sustainability?• International companies:

– 2002: SAI launched Groupe Danone, Nestlé, Unilever

– 2009 (Oct 16): G30 top TNCs initiative Coca-Cola, Tesco, Unilever, News International

– 2011: World Economic Forum Roadmap (agric)• UK companies:

– 2007: IGD Food Industry Sustainability Strategy Champions Group focus on low carbon + ethics

– 3 retailers’ choice-edit M&S Plan A, Co-operative Group, Waitrose

• A product specific approach, not overall diet• There are limits to how far they can push

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What do we need?

Time for deeper thinkingBetter frameworkBetter scenariiSome Plan Bs?

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new policy framework proposed by UK Sustainable Development Commission (2011) http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1187 

Quality Social values• Taste• Seasonality• Cosmetic• Fresh (where appropriate)• Authenticity

• Pleasure• Identity • Animal welfare• Equality & justice• Trust • Choice • Skills (citizenship)

Environment Health• Climate change• Energy use• Water• Land use• Soil • Biodiversity• Waste reduction

• Safety• Nutrition• Equal access • Availability • Social status/ affordability• Information & education

Economy Governance• Food security & resilience• Affordability (price)• Efficiency• True competition & fair returns• Jobs & decent working conditions• Fully internalised costs

• Science & technology evidence base• Transparency • Democratic accountability• Ethical values (fairness)• International aid & development

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Goals for C 21stpolicy processes• The Goals

• Sustainable Diets from Sustainable Food Systems • Narrow the Evidence-Policy gap• Reshape consumer aspirations around sustainable diets• New frameworks around values-for-money

• This requires:• Integrated food chain analysis: Agri-food-health-

environment- society• Improved policy debate and processes• Stop being frightened of consumers

– World cannot eat like the West; nor can it!• Recognition of ‘democratic experimentalism:

• the limits of the current paradigm– Business is changing: choice vs choice-editing– Experiments and policy development is already happening

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What would food systems look like if built for health and eco-systems?

• Contract & converge (Royal Society 2012 People & Planet report):

– Rich societies cut and Poor societies eat more– All restructured around low impact diets

• Rebalanced financial flows (growers get too little):– UK (agric 8%, manuf 28%, retail 29%, catering 25%)– Shift incentives (biofuels, commodities)

• More focus on horticulture within ‘nutrition-sensitive agriculture’:– Biodiversity in field and to the stomach (FAO&Bioversity 2012)

– 2x Fruit & Veg = 180k jobs in USA (UCS 2012)

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Any signs of this ‘radical but reasonable’ future?

Yes. Interesting ‘Democratic experimentation’.But too many splits between ‘health’ & ‘enviro’

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Democratic experimentation

• Rich experience from many projects, eg:– Shorter food chains– New cooperatives: CSAs– Markets (real ones)– Children projects: grow-cook-eat

• Tentative new national frameworks eg:– Sustainable consumption advice: D, S, UK, NL– Food policy formation: N, UK, Aus, Canada, EU

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Sustainable Food: some EU developments 2008-12

• Sustainable Consumption-Production & Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan (2008)

• Suitability of the potential extension of the Ecolabel to food products

• European Food Sustainable Consumption Production (SCP) Roundtable  (2009-) co-chairs DG Environment & European Food & Feed Trade Associations. Based in FoodDrinkEurope) & supported by JRC.

• DG Environment & JRC (2011 -2012): Harmonised framework methodology for the calculation of the environmental footprint of products.

• Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe (2011) part of the actions form Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth (2010)

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Sustainable food consumption and production – emerging Govt policy advice in Europe (North)

UK 2006 Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) & National Consumer Council

Sustainable Consumption “I will if you will” – generic

Germany1990s (2008)

German Council for Sustainable Development

Sustainable Shopping Basket : includes food – lists labels and schemes

EU 2008 Sustainable Consumption-Production & Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan

Voluntary initiatives – but little food focus

Netherlands2009

LNV Ministry – Policy outline for achieving Sustainable Food

Sustainable food production & consumer educ. campaigns

Sweden2009

National Food Administration (& Swedish EPA) – notification to EU (withdrawn 2011)

Environmentally friendly food choices

UK 2009 SDC, Council of Food Policy Advisors Dept Environment Food Rural Affairs (Defra)

Recommend defining low impact (sustainable) healthy diet

Netherlands 2011

Health Council for Ministry Economic Affairs, Agriculture & Innovation

Guidelines Healthy Diet: Ecological Perspective

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Company actions: some examples• Big Cos: the rise of ‘choice-editing’

– Unilever: MSC (1990s) Sustainable Living Plan (2010)

– Wal-Mart: Hurricane Katrina 2007 CO2 (Asda)

– PepsiCo: 50 in 5 commitments (2010)

– Barilla: double pyramid

– Nestle: 60/40+– Marks & Spencer: Plan A (2007)

• Issues arising:– Are health and enviro competitive edge?– How to support / improve SMEs?– Consumer change: ‘the elephant in the policy room’

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But the scale of change needed is not emerging, so whence 

might change come?

How?When?

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Potential pressure points• World Food insecurity pressures

– Commodity trade; speculation (see: UNCTAD 2012); • Internal systems ‘boiling-over’: (Tipping Points bk, OUP 2013)

– 2006-08 food price spike– Climate change kicks in faster than politicians expect– Oil prices ( biofuel commitments)– Land grabs ( UN Special Rapporteur report)– Global Obesity rates (WHA 2003 + CSR ie not much)

• Potential ‘boil-dry’ moments:– Prices? social unrest– Water? crop shortage– Migration? labour – Geo-political turmoil? wars

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Summary:  we must face the range and scale of our problems 

ahead• We need a new ‘Hot Springs 2’ around...:– Sustainable diets: new international guidelines– Integration of human and eco-systems health:

ecological public health– Re-engineer food systems around broad version of

sustainability (6 core value sets)– Consumer culture change: contract & converge

• We need to unblock the politics, arguing:– Organised change is better than enforced change– Self-interest coincides with eco-systems health– Embryonic shifts are underway already

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Research needs for policy

• Better integrated food systems analyses• Modelling total food systems• Better involvement of social sciences (natural

sciences verge on neo-Malthusianism!)• Better scenarii and options• Data summaries for policy-makers• Studies of impact on macro-economy if food

prices rise in developed economies (ie the rich)

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Thank you!

t.lang@city.ac.uk