Sustainable Food Systems - Maximising Irish Impact

The global food system is not working, hundreds of millions of people are under fed and even more are overweight. Nutritious food is not easily accessible - even in the richest countries in the world. Small producers struggle to access markets where they can sell their food, while large commercial interests influence policy and donor spending decisions in their own interests. Our environment and climate are suffering as we continue to produce food in ways that damage the long-term viability of the planet.

But the seeds of a way forward are there. The world has committed to ending hunger by 2030, and governments across the world are adopting policy positions that commit them to sustainability in the food system. Food systems thinking offers a way to navigate that journey.

This document, compiled by Sabi insights ltd. on behalf of Dóchas closely examines how the transition to sustainable food systems can come about and makes 10 recommendations for getting there. They are:

1. Improve coherence across Irish Government departments,
2. Strengthen coherence of Ireland’s food systems focus in international bodies,
3. Align Overseas Development Spending with ambitions (achieve 0.7% as soon as possible),
4. Address trade fairness,
5. Encourage local and regional markets,
6. Build the architecture to support small scale producers,
7. Emphasise environment and justice,
8. Make the global local,
9. Open up global dialogues,
10. Build alliances.

 Contact louise(at)dochas.ie for more information on this