What is the food system? It is a complex web of activities involving the production, processing, transport, and consumption of food - including food waste. Food provides us the energy we need to stay alive, and we cannot grow food without a healthy ecosystem. In a world with exponential population growth and limited natural resources and space, it is crucial to ensure sustainable governance and economics in a food system. Apart from food production, the degree to which we process and even waste food has an impact on individual and population health, not to mention the natural environment.

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In 2020, much of human activities have been brought to a sudden halt as a new pandemic COVID-19 swept through the world. As a result of global lockdown, environmental pollution was drastically reduced following weeks and months of reduced human activities. Across the world, consumers stockpile food, water, facial masks, and even toilet paper. People who were already facing challenges within the food system were now in more distress due to the exacerbation by the pandemic. 

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In Malaysia, climate change such as increased frequency of storms, floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events have disrupted the food system. Unsustainable food production due to overfishing and soil erosion have also affected food security. There is a lack of investment in research and development - our farms still operate with poor technology which affects the yields. Agriculture was not seen as an essential service early in the pandemic until people realised that it could mean a severe disruption in food supply.

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Our country is dependent on other countries for a number of food supplies. When there's a delay from overseas, or when there is a concern of food shortage, consumers get frantic and start stockpiling which disrupts the system and makes the people most in need unable to afford food. Apart from food production, transport, and supply, food waste also has a huge impact on contributing to climate change and food security if not managed properly. 

 

The current food systems in the world might be producing enough to feed the planet, but we need to make changes swiftly to reverse some of the negative consequences brought on by unsustainable practices especially on human health and food insecurity, pandemics, and economic impacts. Sometimes we forget that food is a part of our natural environment, and how we produce food has a huge impact on the sustainability of the environment. By improving the food system which is vital to human survival in multiple aspects, we can reverse nature loss, water use and pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, while making sure everyone has access to healthy and nutritious food. 

 

So how can we improve the food system? There are three ways we can organise ourselves.

 

First of all, every change starts with an individual making a decision to do something, be it individual action, organisational effort, or good governance. A collective effort of many individuals is one of the most powerful forces in bringing about change. Take climate activist Greta Thunberg for example. At the age of 15 in the year 2018, she decided to make changes to her diet into plant-based for a better environment, requested her whole family to reduce their carbon footprint, and protested alone outside the parliament every Friday. Her lone protest captured the attention of a few individuals, and within just a few months, many more individuals joined her protest and people in other countries followed suit - triggering a global climate strike from millions of individuals from around the world.

 

We can also make a difference through organisational effort - and that includes not-for-profit organisations and businesses alike. Not only adopting green policies and initiatives can give businesses a substantial advantage during the supplier evaluation process, being sustainable also often means more cost-effective and better growth in the long term. Some studies show that "green organizations" experience faster growth than their less eco-conscious counterparts. For instance, a sustainable food supplier can increase its revenue by redirecting the waste into animal feed or biofuel, and the good practices will attract more clients who demand for greener business practices.

 

Lastly, good governance from local, national, to international authorities is key to a sustainable food system. Collaboration across all sectors is needed to achieve global food security, by improving infrastructure, storage, waste reduction, and water quality management. Governments play a crucial role in setting the right framework for synergy as such, and are directly responsible for sustainable policies, regulation, and establishing laws. As the citizens of the nation and the world, it is important to remember that the government’s role is to serve the people, and the people should hold the government accountable for their role.

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