The Challenge

The global food system is under pressure to supply affordable, nutritious and appetising products. To maximise production and affordability, the food system has become extractive, linear, less diverse and excessively reliant on imports and long supply chains. This has resulted in harmful environmental, human and economic health impacts, including: increased greenhouse gas emissions; biodiversity loss; high levels of food waste; poor diets; preventable diseases; poorly paid jobs; low productivity; reduced opportunities for SMEs; etc. To address these challenges, multiple institutional innovations have been experimented with at the micro-scale. Yet, their suitability has yet to be tested at regional scales in a joined up, circular system.