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, U. Rashid Sumaila, Maximo Torero Cullen, Patrick Webb, Keith Wiebe, Lawrence Haddad, Jose Rosero Moncayo, Jessica Fanzo and Mario Herrero

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

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.

JEL-codes: Q01 Q18 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 11 pages
Date: 2026-08-31
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Published in Nature Food, 31, August, 2026, 7(8), pp. 802 – 812. ISSN: 2662-1355

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