AGA2012_ Presentation by Professor Tim Lang

7/29/2019 AGA2012_ Presentation by Professor Tim Lang

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Food, Farmers and Markets:

a food policy overview

Tim Lang

Centre for Food Policy, City University London, UK

e: [email protected]

Paper to Food, Farmers & Markets, at the

Global Donor Platform for Rural Development Annual GeneralAssembly, The Hague, 30 & 31 January 2013
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Overview & introduction to this talk

NB my observations are from the rich world This is now in serious trouble: over-consuming

C20th brought global food advances but at a cost

We now must clarify what we mean by progress:What is a good food system?

How to get there in rich and poor worlds?

How to prevent spread of western diet-relateddiseases in developing countries?

How to lower foods environmental footprint?

What role for growers and consumers? 2


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Where are we now?

Where have we come from?

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The 1940s aspiration:

Hot Springs Conference, 1943source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/p4228e/P4228E01.htm

Called by F D Roosevelt (US president) 44 free countries agreed 4 goals:

I. raise nutrition and standards of living of the peopleII. improve efficiency of the production and distributionof all food and agricultural products

III. Deliver better condition of rural populations

IV. Contribute to expanding world economy and ensuring

humanity's freedom from hunger Agreed to create FAO (happened Oct 16, 1945) 144 member states by 1979

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http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/p4228e/P4228E01.htmhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/009/p4228e/P4228E01.htm


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So where has this got us?

The food system is still in trouble! Over-producing (kcal) but mal-distributed + wasted

C20th food efficiency has big impacts on health &

environment HUGE challenges ahead:

CO2e, H2O, eco-systems, population, inequalities,

urbanisation, nutrition transition (new fundamentals) Evidence/policy/action gap is wide and complex

.so..What can be done?

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Sober analyses from many reports

WHO/FAO (2011): diet and physical activity Global Burden of Disease (2012): NCDs spreading UN / FAO (2010): food insecurity old style

UNEP (2009 & 2012): food & environment IAASTD (2008): small farmers

World Bank (2008): Agriculture for Development / small farmers Scientific advisors national and global analyses: PMSEIC Australia (2010) INRA France (Paillard et al) (2010) Foresight UK (2011)

WEF (2011): business roadmap Prince Charles Intl Sustainability Unit (2011): agric & sustainability

UN Special Rapporteur (De Schutter): social justice & distribution Etc, etc

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The Hot Springs vision was theProductionist Paradigm Lang & Heasman (2004) Food Wars

Science + capital + distribution

output less waste cheaper food health =

progress


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What went wrong?

The sub-text of the dominant

narrative today is (a) neo-Malthusian(b) pro a new productionism

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What they didnt know

1930s/40s science policy could not imagineOver-consumption (consumers are irrational)

Environmental damage (planet can be mined)

Health complexities (Keys 7 Nations study, 1970) Why / how Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

now outweigh problems of under-consumption*

1.4 bn overweight/obese** + 0.9bn hungry***Higher life expectancy but more morbidity (= costs)

* http://www.thelancet.com/themed/global-burden-of-disease (December 2012)

** http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.html

*** http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i2845e/i2845e00.pdf 9
http://www.thelancet.com/themed/global-burden-of-diseasehttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.htmlhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i2845e/i2845e00.pdfhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i2845e/i2845e00.pdfhttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/index.htmlhttp://www.thelancet.com/themed/global-burden-of-disease


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Modern supply chains spread new culture

10(photo G Rayner - Tesco in Thailand)


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Planetary Boundaries already exceeded?Source: Rockstrm, Steffen et al. Nature2009

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Where did this go wrong?

1970s/80s?

The 1970s tension between productionism vssustainable development was altered by neo-

liberalism

Market emphasis side-lined the Brundtlandtriple focus: economy + environment + society

Markets focus on supply/demand

But supply chains were in process of massivechange: supermarketisation + globalisation

Language of markets favoured consumerism12


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Where now for global policy

thinking?

New wine into old bottles?

Have we got the right policy recipes?Is the mix wrong?

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Some old debates continue: eg

action now or long-term reform?

Act now

GAIN

SUN

Rationale:

Virtuous circle begins

Investment pays

Cash can be unlocked now Prevention begins now not

later

Longer-term reform

CFS

NGOs eg Oxfam et al If

Rationale:

Technical fixes dont work

Ownership and power are

concentrated The problem is democracy

Prevention requiresinstitutional reform

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The problems seen through

Agriculture & Development lens

The potential to produce more exists

Rural development is a key to this

Poor infrastructure and technology transfer Investment is required

Capacity building is required

Institutional blocks need to be removed

Public private partnerships can help do all this

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d h h E l i l


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.and seen through Ecological

Public Health / Food Policy lens

20th century advances focussed too much onproduction and not enough on social issues

Under/over/mal-consumption + Nutrition

Transition = mismatch of bodies and environment Modern food systems have high impact on

health, environment, social inequalities

Farmers are squeezed by value-adding and powerlocated off the land

There is policy battle over goals: more food or

sustainable diets? (but what is sustainability?)16


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Ironically, many big Food Companies

now want sustainability (lite)

Unilever: MSC (1990s) / Sustble Living Plan (2010)

Wal-Mart: Hurricane Katrina (2007) Asda

PepsiCo: 50-in-5 commitments (2010) Barilla: double pyramid (2010)

Nestle: 60/40+

Marks & Spencer: Plan A (2007)

but can individual companies resolve world foodsystems problems? This is a governance issue!

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Choice editing has its limits

Companies are mainly concerned about theirown supply chains

They have big investment locked into

unsustainable systems Everyone needs new framework / level playing

field

This needs Government as facilitator We can use choice-editing for a short time

but in the end it needs big consumer change

(Giant retailer) 18


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Meanwhile the EU stirs: some

sustainable Food developments, 2008-12

Sustainable Consumption-Production & SustainableIndustrial Policy Action Plan (2008) Suitability of the potential extension of the Ecolabel to

foodproducts

European Food Sustainable Consumption Production(SCP) Roundtable (2009-) co-chairs DG Environment &European Food & Feed Trade Associations. Based inFoodDrinkEurope) & supported by JRC.

DG Environment & JRC (2011 -2012): Harmonised

framework methodology for the calculation of theenvironmental footprint of products.

Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe(2011)part ofthe actions form Europe 2020: A strategy for smart,sustainable and inclusive growth (2010)

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Sustainable food consumption and production

emerging Govt policy advice in Europe (North), 2006ff

UK 2006 Sustainable Development Commission

(SDC) & National Consumer Council

Sustainable Consumption I

will if you will generic

Germany

1990s(2008)

German Council for SustainableDevelopment

Sustainable Shopping Basket :includes food lists labels andschemes

EU 2008 Sustainable Consumption-Production &

Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan

Voluntary initiatives but little

food focus

Netherlands

2009

LNV Ministry Policy outline for achievingSustainable Food

Sustainable food production &consumer educ. campaigns

Sweden

2009

National Food Administration (& SwedishEPA) notification to EU (withdrawn 2011)

Environmentally friendly foodchoices

UK 2009 SDC, Council of Food Policy AdvisorsDept Environment Food Rural Affairs (Defra)

Recommend defining lowimpact (sustainable) healthydiet

Netherlands2011

Health Council for Ministry Economic Affairs,

Agriculture & Innovation

Guidelines Healthy Diet:Ecological Perspective

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Major public policy choices

are here

Note: This is put simplistically for

discussion!

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Over- vs under-consumption worlds

Over-consuming world Cheap food

Packaged and pre-processedfood culture

Waste mostly post consumerpurchase

Hidden environmental impact

Infrastructure very capital

efficient Retailers get most money

Health problems: over/mal-consumption

Under-consuming world Expensive food as % outlay

Staple food and domesticcooked food culture

Waste mostly on/near farmeg poor storage

Overt environmental impact

Infrastructure

underperforming Traders get most money?

Health problems: under/mal-consumption

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G l f C 21 t li if


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Goals for C 21stpolicy processes: if

there was a Hot Springs 2 now.

The Goals Sustainable Diets from Sustainable Food Systems

Narrow the Evidence-Policy gap

Reshape consumer aspirations around sustainable diets

New frameworks for whole chain sustainability

This requires: Integrated food chain analysis:

o Agri-food-health-environment- society-economy etc Rationalisation of initiatives (end policy cacophony)

Stop being frightened of consumerso World cannot eat like the West; nor should it!

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What would food systems look like if

built for health and eco-systems? Contract & converge (Royal Society 2012 People & Planetreport):

Rich societies cut and Poor societies eat more

All restructured around low impact diets

Rebalanced financial flows (growers get too little):UK (agric 8%, manuf 28%, retail 29%, catering 25%)

Shift incentives (biofuels, commodities, ecosystems)

More focus on horticulture within nutrition-sensitive agriculture:

Biodiversity in field and to the stomach (FAO&Bioversity 2012)

2x Fruit & Veg = 180k jobs in USA (UCS 2012) 24

More refined notion food sustainability: UK Sustainable


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More refined notion food sustainability: UK SustainableDevelopment Commission proposal (2011)

http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1187

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Quality Social values

Taste

Seasonality Cosmetic

Fresh (where appropriate)

Authenticity

Pleasure

Identity Animal welfare

Equality & justice

Trust

Choice

Skills (citizenship)

Environment Health Climate change

Energy use

Water

Land use

Soil

Biodiversity

Waste reduction

Safety

Nutrition

Equal access

Availability

Social status/ affordability

Information & education

Economy Governance

Food security & resilience

Affordability (price)

Efficiency

True competition & fair returns

Jobs & decent working conditions Fully internalised costs

Science & technology evidence base

Transparency

Democratic accountability

Ethical values (fairness)

International aid & development
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1187http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1187http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1187http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=1187


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Towards a new agenda? Ask what is farming for?

(1) sustainable diets (2) eco-system services (3)employment

New dietary guidelines international & national

Ecological public health requires re-engineeringof the food system:

Roadmaps; frameworks; low energy infrastructure

Prices: from value-for-money to values for moneyUse rising energy prices to get more $ to growers

Consumer behaviour change:

contract & converge; citizenship not consumerism26


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Different versions of Progress

Dominant policy position Commodity output

Specialisation

Export agribusiness

Private leadership in PPPs

Globalised markets

Productivity definedfinancially

Western modernisation

Contribute to high value-adding

Consumerism

Radical policy position

Low impact food output

Multifunctionality

Sustainable food business

Public institutional lead

Localised markets

Productivity defined asecological production

Ecological modernisation

Maximise value for real foodat grower end

Citizenship 27


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Entries into a proper debate

Sustainable intensification

Is this benign or still too focussed on production?

Food waste

Progress merely changed where and how we waste

Western modes of consumption

Big battles here: Mayor Bloomberg on soft drinks

Eco-systems are more than climate changeWhat would a diet good for biodiversity look like?

Economic concentration:

who makes the money? (who wins/loses?) 28


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What might achieve a

radical but reasonable future?

Reasoned action?

Events?

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Potential pressure points

World Food insecurity pressures

Commodity trade; speculation (see: UNCTAD 2012);Price volatility (OECD 2012)

Internal systems boiling-over: (Tipping Points bk, OUP 2013)2006-08 food price spike

Climate change kicks in faster than politicians expectOil prices ( biofuel commitments)Land grabs ( UN Special Rapporteur report)Global Obesity rates (WHA 2003 + CSR ie not much)

Potential boil-dry moments:Prices?social unrestWater? crop shortageMigration? labourGeo-political turmoil? food wars 30

Summary: we must face the range


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Summary: we must face the range

and scale of our problems ahead

We need a new Hot Springs 2 around...:Sustainable diets: new international guidelines

Integration of food for human and eco-systemshealth, ie ecological public health

Re-engineer food systems around broad version ofsustainability (6 core value sets)

Consumer culture change: contract & converge

We need to unblock the politics, arguing:Organised change is better than enforced change

Self-interest coincides with eco-systems health

Embryonic shifts are underway already 31


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Research needs for policy

Better integrated food systems analyses

Modelling total food systems

Better involvement of social sciences (natural

sciences verge on neo-Malthusianism!)

Better scenarii and options

Data summaries for policy-makers beyondproductionism

Studies of impact on macro-economy if foodprices rise in developed economies (ie the rich)

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Thank you! [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

Documents

AGA2012_ Presentation by Professor Tim Lang