Food
Food futures
What will we eat in the future? Food is a central component of human-nature relations and an issue where scenario planning can play an important part. Changing the way we produce, process, and consume food is vital in order to reach the Paris Climate Agreement goals and the 17 Sustainable Development goals. Food is not only social-ecological – it is often tied to culture and history, and to economic and political structures. It also encapsulates the complexities of teleconnected social-ecological systems: demand for certain foods in one region impacts ecosystems in the regions where the foods are produced.
Scenarios about future food systems help bridge technological, ecological, social, and cultural perspectives on food. Below you can find projects that explore food and its vital complexities.
Learn more about Mistra Food Futures
This featured page is part of the Mistra Food Futures project, a research program hosted at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). The overarching vision of the programme is to create a science-based platform to enable the Swedish food system to transform toward sustainability and resilience. The project takes a holistic perspective on both “sustainability” and food. The project’s analysis prioritizes multiple dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic). Its analysis also investigates the entire food system (including agriculture, processing, distribution, and diet). While the work focuses on Sweden, the project positions its national-scale research within the context of global goals for sustainable development.
Read more about the Mistra Food Futures project
Explore the Mistra Food Futures’ pathways:
WP3 – Alternative pathways to Sustainable Future Food systems