Systems Perspective (Web – Feb 2024)
The left side of the food system futures figure is a simplified representation of the present food system, comprising four components of the food system that include production, processing, distribution, and consumption. The components sit within a circle that indicates that these impact each other. The food system produces outcomes for individual health, the environment, the economy, and society. These outcomes are shown in a concentric circle around the food system components, indicating their interrelationship with the components and their impact on each other.
In the middle of the food system futures figure, there is a single pathway emerging from the present food system towards food system futures. This pathway is impacted by opportunities, drivers, threats, and uncertainties. Towards the right side of the figure, this pathway diverges to two different pathways. One pathway labelled the current pathway indicates no action is taken and continues downward to the bottom of the figure. The second pathway labelled preferred goes upwards in steps, which are labelled transformation, indicating that we can have a preferred food system future through transformation. All of the pathways occur within a cone of colour, which indicates that there are many different pathways, and thus many different food system futures.