Food systems performance evaluated against targets and benchmarks reveals urgent gaps and a path to 2050

Bianca Carducci, Kate Schneider Lecy, Stella Nordhagen, Ty Beal, Christophe Bene (), Carlos Gonzalez Fischer, Anna Herforth, Francesco N. Tubiello, Ramya Ambikapathi, Krishna Arunkumar, Christine Campeau, Shouro Dasgupta, Fabrice Declerck, Inmaculada del Pino Alvarez, Alejandro Guarin, Rebecca Mclaren, Jose-Luis Vivero-Pol, Nancy Aburto, Simon Barquera, Jane Battersby, Carlo Cafiero, Piero Conforti, Patrick Caron (), Andrea Cattaneo, Namukolo Covic, Ismahane Elouafi, Carola Fabi, Jessica A. Gephart, Alexander Fremier, Pat Foley, Christopher D. Golden, Sheryl L. Hendriks, Jikun Huang, Gina Kennedy, Amos Laar, Rattan Lal, Preetmoninder Lidder, Brent Loken, Hazel Malapit, Quinn Marshall, Yuta J. Masuda, Roseline Remans, Danielle Resnick, Michaela Saisana, Ussif Rashid Sumaila, Maximo Torero Cullen, Patrick Webb, Keith Wiebe, Lawrence Haddad, Jose Rosero Moncayo, Jessica Fanzo and Mario Herrero
Additional contact information
Kate Schneider Lecy: ASU - Arizona State University [Tempe]
Stella Nordhagen: GAIN - Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
Ty Beal: GAIN - Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
Christophe Bene: CIAT - International Center for Tropical Agriculture [Colombie] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Carlos Gonzalez Fischer: CU - Cornell University [Ithaca, NY, USA]
Anna Herforth: WUR - Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen]
Francesco N. Tubiello: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Ramya Ambikapathi: CIAT - International Center for Tropical Agriculture [Colombie] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Christine Campeau: CARE
Fabrice Declerck: CIAT - International Center for Tropical Agriculture [Colombie] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Inmaculada del Pino Alvarez: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Alejandro Guarin: World Benchmarking Alliance
Rebecca Mclaren: GAIN - Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
Jose-Luis Vivero-Pol: WFP - World food programme
Nancy Aburto: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Jane Battersby: University of Cape Town
Carlo Cafiero: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Piero Conforti: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Patrick Caron: UMR ART-Dev - Acteurs, Ressources et Territoires dans le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UM - Université de Montpellier - UMPV - Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry
Andrea Cattaneo: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Namukolo Covic: ILRI - International Livestock Research Institute [CGIAR, Nairobi] - ILRI - International Livestock Research Institute [CGIAR, Ethiopie] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Ismahane Elouafi: CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Carola Fabi: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Jessica A. Gephart: University of Washington [Seattle]
Alexander Fremier: WSU - Washington State University
Pat Foley: WFP - World food programme
Christopher D. Golden: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Sheryl L. Hendriks: University of Greenwich
Jikun Huang: Peking University [Beijing]
Gina Kennedy: CIAT - International Center for Tropical Agriculture [Colombie] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Amos Laar: Université du Ghana = University of Ghana
Rattan Lal: OSU - The Ohio State University [Columbus]
Preetmoninder Lidder: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Brent Loken: WWF - World Wildlife Fund for Nature
Hazel Malapit: IFPRI - International Food Policy Research Institute [Washington] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Quinn Marshall: IFPRI - International Food Policy Research Institute [Washington] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Yuta J. Masuda: Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
Roseline Remans: JRC - European Commission - Joint Research Centre [Ispra]
Danielle Resnick: IFPRI - International Food Policy Research Institute [Washington] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Michaela Saisana: JRC - European Commission - Joint Research Centre [Ispra]
Ussif Rashid Sumaila: UBC - University of British Columbia [Canada]
Maximo Torero Cullen: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Patrick Webb: Tufts University [Medford]
Keith Wiebe: IFPRI - International Food Policy Research Institute [Washington] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Lawrence Haddad: GAIN - Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
Jose Rosero Moncayo: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Jessica Fanzo: JHU - Johns Hopkins University [Baltimore]
Mario Herrero: CU - Cornell University [Ithaca, NY, USA]

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: Despite national and international commitments to food systems transformation and an increasing adoption of common indicators, no comprehensive targets have been established against which progress can be measured. Here, building on the Food Systems Countdown Initiative framework, we identify existing targets—based on internationally agreed commitments and normative goals—and establish benchmarks—based on empirically derived peer performance reference values at the global, regional and income group levels—for 44 Food Systems Countdown Initiative indicators. We also assess countries' historical progress and the rate of change required to achieve targets and benchmarks over two different timescales. We show that current progress is insufficient to meet 2030 targets and benchmarks at global level. Comparing countries' status to regional and income benchmarks, which are generally less ambitious, yields better performance across indicators and regions, although gaps remain. Achieving most targets and benchmarks by 2050 is possible if countries correct course and accelerate progress, but certain indicators will require considerable investment and intervention.

Keywords: National assessments; Pathways; Performance; Food System (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05796361v1
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Published in Nature Food, 2026, 7, pp.802-812. ⟨10.1038/s43016-026-01379-0⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05796361

DOI: 10.1038/s43016-026-01379-0

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