Abstract:-

The current food system transgresses many planetary boundaries while failing to supply healthy foods to all. Providing nutritious and sustainable food while not leaving anyone behind is a grand societal challenge. Calls for transitioning to more sustainable and equitable forms of food production and consumption – sometimes referred to as The Great Food Transformation – highlight various interventions, strategies and policies that are urgently needed; however, different stakeholders voice different narratives around the precise actions that should be taken. In this talk I will present three case studies that identify major levers in food system transformation. In the first case I will discuss research on the environmental impacts of animalbased products in the USA and the implications of transitioning into other pathways that are perceived as more sustainable such as grass-fed beef and regenerative farming. In the second case study I will explore the transition towards plant-based diets focusing on the importance of agrobiodiversity and agroecology. And in the last case study I will present on-going research on global sugar production and explore plausible, more sustainable prospects for its utilization. Together, these three case studies provide valuable lessons on food system transitions and how to steer the global food system towards greater sustainability