Short answer
When designing food system innovations, anticipate and plan for potential negative impacts on other sustainability goals, particularly social equity, by integrating solutions systemically rather than in isolation.
- Field
- Sustainability
- Source
- The Lancet Planetary Health (2020)
- Method
- Systemic analysis and scenario modeling
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Innovations in food systems, while aiming to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can create unintended negative consequences for other SDGs, necessitating a systemic approach to implementation. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in The Lancet Planetary Health. Using Systemic analysis and scenario modeling, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing food system innovations, anticipate and plan for potential negative impacts on other sustainability goals, particularly social equity, by integrating solutions systemically rather than in isolation.
Food system innovations can hinder as well as help Sustainable Development Goals
Innovations in food systems, while aiming to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can create unintended negative consequences for other SDGs, necessitating a systemic approach to implementation.
The Lancet Planetary Health · 2020
Key Findings
- 01Food system innovations can have diverse and sometimes conflicting impacts across multiple SDGs.
- 02Unintended adverse side-effects are common, especially for social dimensions like inequality and social justice.
- 03Stand-alone innovations are less effective than systemic changes that integrate multiple solutions.
- 04Addressing trade-offs requires careful planning, monitoring, and transparent science-based targets.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing food system innovations, anticipate and plan for potential negative impacts on other sustainability goals, particularly social equity, by integrating solutions systemically rather than in isolation.
How to apply
Before launching a new food product or system, map out its potential effects on all relevant SDGs, identifying potential conflicts and developing strategies to address them.
Project actions
- 01When proposing a design solution, consider its wider impact on environmental, social, and economic factors.
- 02Identify potential unintended consequences and explain how your design mitigates them.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Addresses the complex interdependencies of food systems and SDGs.
- +Highlights the critical issue of unintended consequences in innovation.
Limitations
It can be difficult to quantify all potential impacts of a design, and some effects may only become apparent long after implementation.
Reliability & validity
The study's findings are based on complex modeling and expert synthesis, making direct replication difficult. Validity relies on the robustness of the models and the consensus of the expert authors regarding the interconnections between food systems and SDGs.
Think critically
How can designers proactively identify and address potential negative trade-offs in their innovations before they manifest, especially when dealing with complex, interconnected systems?
Design Principles
"Systemic sustainability integration: Design innovations to positively impact multiple interconnected sustainability dimensions while actively mitigating potential negative trade-offs."
Designers and engineers must consider the broader systemic impacts of their innovations. A solution that improves one aspect of sustainability might inadvertently worsen another, leading to complex trade-offs.
What This Means for Your Design
New ideas for food can help some global goals but hurt others, so we need to think about the whole system and plan carefully.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify the need for a holistic approach in your design project, demonstrating an understanding of the complex interactions between your proposed solution and broader sustainability goals.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This study underscores the importance of a systemic approach to innovation, demonstrating that advancements in food systems, while intended to support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can create unintended negative consequences for other SDGs. Therefore, any design project within this domain must consider not only the direct benefits but also the potential trade-offs, particularly concerning social equity and justice, and propose strategies to mitigate these adverse effects.
Source
The Lancet Planetary Health
Articulating the effect of food systems innovation on the Sustainable Development Goals
journal · 2020
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about food system innovations can hinder as well as help sustainable development goals?
- When designing food system innovations, anticipate and plan for potential negative impacts on other sustainability goals, particularly social equity, by integrating solutions systemically rather than in isolation. Evidence: The Lancet Planetary Health (2020).
- Why does "Food system innovations can hinder as well as help Sustainable Development Goals" matter for design?
- Designers and engineers must consider the broader systemic impacts of their innovations. A solution that improves one aspect of sustainability might inadvertently worsen another, leading to complex trade-offs.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing food system innovations, anticipate and plan for potential negative impacts on other sustainability goals, particularly social equity, by integrating solutions systemically rather than in isolation.
- What were the main findings?
- Food system innovations can have diverse and sometimes conflicting impacts across multiple SDGs.. Unintended adverse side-effects are common, especially for social dimensions like inequality and social justice.. Stand-alone innovations are less effective than systemic changes that integrate multiple solutions.. Addressing trade-offs requires careful planning, monitoring, and transparent science-based targets.
- What research method was used?
- Systemic analysis and scenario modeling.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from The Lancet Planetary Health.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Before launching a new food product or system, map out its potential effects on all relevant SDGs, identifying potential conflicts and developing strategies to address them.
- What are the limitations?
- The complexity of global food systems makes precise prediction of all impacts challenging; modeling relies on assumptions about future scenarios and technological adoption.