Joining forces for food system change

The way we grow, produce and eat our food is not sustainable. Today's food systems' need some structural changes as we heavily impact our planet, our diets to not support good health and many farmers and food workers suffer from poverty. (IPCC, 2019, IPBES, 2019, FOLU, 2019, WRI, 2019, EAT-Lancet, 2019 Dasgupta et all, 2021, FAO, 2021).

Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide for healthy nutrition for future generations, we will fail to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. This is why UN Secretary-General António Guterres is convening the first Global UN Food Systems Summit on Thursday, 23 September 2021 to positive changes to the world’s food systems calling upon all actors to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.

Envisaging an appealing 'future we want' and levers for change is a great way to start. In the run up to the Food System Summit, Action Track leads, 147 countries and many others have convened working groups and 'Food Systems Dialogues' to identify areas for food system change with all stakeholders involved. During the upcoming food system summit, national governments and newly formed 'coalitions' will present their national pathways and plans during the upcoming food system summit.

For further inspiration on this journey, I warmly recommend you to get your hands on architect Carolyn Steel's latest book 'Sitopia' (2020) in which Steel explains in an inspirational way how 'food binds us to the natural world', pictures a world where food is valued again as the contributors to a healthy and sustainable life, with cities and 'Hinterland' are living in symbiose. Or, in 'The Future We Choose' (2021) by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac lay out what it will be like to live in a regenerative world that has net-zero emissions (plus another, less fortunate scenario). See also WBCSD's 'Vision 2050: Time to Transform' a vision for a world where 9 billion people are able to live, eat, work and move around in a healthy sustainable way.

Envisaging an appealing 'future we want' is a great way to start

Change can only happen in collaboration. At Royal DSM we have been working in close cooperation with our business, civil society and governmental partners to help making changes in the food systems, bringing in our (bio) science-based solutions for human and animal nutrition, raising awareness and addressing global challenges such as malnutrition of all forms, climate change and nature loss and inequality with a vision for 'healthy diets for all within planetary boundaries'.

New commitments that articulate aspired impact. To further accelerate our ambitions for food system transformation, we are publishing now a new set of quantified food system commitments, that cover three areas where we believes we can make the greatest positive impact together with its business partners, based on our science capabilities, business priorities and ambitions: Health for People, Health for Planet and Healthy Livelihoods:

Health for People:

• Enable the micronutrient gap of 800 million vulnerable people to be closed
• Support the immunity of 500 million people

Health for Planet:

• Enable double-digit on-farm livestock emission reductions
• Reach 150 million people with nutritious, sustainable plant-based protein foods

Healthy Livelihoods

• Support the livelihoods of 500,000 smallholder farmers across value chains together with partners

combined with 2 new supporting commitments:

• Good workforce nutrition for all employees
• De-forestation free primary supply chains

The new commitments align well with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 12 and 13, the UN Food System Commitment Action Areas. and the 'Seven priorities to end hunger and protect the planet' (UN FSS Scientific committee, 2021)

DSM is committed to continue to obtain reasonable assurance on its impact reporting including these new commitments. We hope and expect the commitments will contribute to stronger cooperation with our business and other partners and employee pride.

Let's team up, build bridges and join forces as we can only change systems for the better when working together. Do not hesitate to reach out!

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