A sustainable and resilient food system

The overarching vision of the programme Mistra Food Futures is to create a science-based platform to enable transformation of the Swedish food system. We consider sustainability in all three dimensions of the concept: environmental, economic and social.

Changing the way we produce, process and consume food is one of our most pressing questions. Significant evidence of global environmental change exist to suggest that we are at a critical point in time, where we need to transform societies into ones that are more sustainable and resilience. Food and agriculture is at the very heart of global commitments such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the 17 Sustainable Development goals. Therefore, transforming the food system is a key in transforming the whole society to be more aligned with sustainable development and resilience.

Starting in 2020, Mistra Food Futures will take a systemic perspective in developing pathways for a future Swedish food system that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and resilient. This includes both short-term adaption (by 2030) and long-term transformation (by 2045) of the current system. While the work focuses on Sweden, the proposed pathways will be analysed in a global context to ensure that national solutions also contribute to global sustainable development goals.

The work will be carried out through a transdisciplinary consortium where key scientific perspectives are combined and integrated, and where the scientific process of systematic inquiry is developed in close collaboration with non-academic partners from all parts of the food system. Mistra Food Futures will also initiate the transformation through applied activities together with food system actors and by supporting on-going activities, e.g. pilot projects in supply chains, through dissemination and curation of cutting-edge science to relevant industry and policy actors.