Responsible food production and consumption

Yuanchao Hu, Vivienne Reiner, Mengyu Li and Arunima Malik

Chapter 15 in The Elgar Companion to Food System Transformation for Sustainable Development, 2026, pp 208-221 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Food production and consumption link human health and environmental sustainability, playing an essential role in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12. However, progress towards many SDG 12 targets is currently lagging. Food production and consumption account for 30–80 per cent of the global freshwater use, greenhouse gas emissions, habitat land use, nitrogen, and phosphorus emissions. The spillover of food supply across regional borders is one of the key drivers of these impacts. These environmental impacts will continuously increase along with the growing global food demand. Thus, a holistic food system transition to sustainability is urgently needed to facilitate progress towards SDG 12. Technical and managerial innovations across life-cycle stages of food could reduce environmental impacts and improve resource use efficiency, which benefits sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12.1–12.5). However, comprehensive analyses of technology and policy are needed to inform the cost–benefits and potential adverse effects. Moreover, coordination between food system stakeholders is crucial to accelerate the social-technical transitions in achieving SDG 12.

Keywords: Environmental Impacts; Emissions; Waste; Chemical Use; Sustainable Transition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332847
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