Short answer

When designing food-related products, services, or systems, consider the full lifecycle impact, including environmental costs, waste potential, and nutritional outcomes, rather than focusing solely on availability or affordability.

Field: Sustainability
Source: Nature Communications (2018)
Method: Quantitative analysis using a multi-indicator framework.
Sample: 156 countries
Evidence: Strong effect

High-income nations excel in many food system sustainability aspects but falter significantly in environmental impact, food waste, and healthy nutrient intake, indicating a trade-off between economic prosperity and ecological/nutritional well-being. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in Nature Communications. Using Quantitative analysis using a multi-indicator framework. with 156 countries, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing food-related products, services, or systems, consider the full lifecycle impact, including environmental costs, waste potential, and nutritional outcomes, rather than focusing solely on availability or affordability.

Study

SustainabilityHigh ImpactStrong effect

Global Food Systems Prioritize Affluence Over Environmental Health and Nutritional Balance

Nature Communications · 2018

Key Findings

01Countries exhibit widely varying patterns of food system performance with unique priorities for improvement.
02High-income nations perform well on most indicators but poorly on environmental, food waste, and health-sensitive nutrient-intake indicators.
03A shift towards plant-based diets would improve indicator scores for most countries.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When developing new food products or services, conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment that includes environmental impact, waste reduction strategies, and nutritional value, alongside economic viability.

Project actions

01When researching a food-related design project, consider using a framework that assesses multiple sustainability dimensions.
02Investigate how dietary choices impact environmental sustainability and explore design interventions that encourage healthier, more sustainable eating patterns.

Method & Evidence

AimTo globally assess national food system performance across multiple sustainability indicators and identify areas for improvement.

MethodQuantitative analysis using a multi-indicator framework.

ProcedureA global-scale analysis was conducted, quantifying the performance of 156 countries' food systems using 25 sustainability indicators across seven domains: nutrition, environment, food affordability and availability, sociocultural well-being, resilience, food safety, and waste.

Sample156 countries

ContextGlobal food systems

Variables

IVCountry income level, dietary patterns (e.g., animal vs. plant-based).

DVFood system sustainability indicator scores (across nutrition, environment, affordability, availability, sociocultural well-being, resilience, food safety, and waste).

CVNumber of indicators used, domains of sustainability assessed, data sources for indicator calculation.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Comprehensive global scope covering 156 countries.
+Utilizes a broad range of 25 indicators across seven key sustainability domains.

Limitations

National-level data may not reflect the specific context of your design project. The availability and accuracy of data for certain indicators can vary.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability is supported by its use of a standardized set of indicators across multiple countries. Validity is enhanced by the comprehensive nature of the indicators, covering diverse aspects of sustainability. However, the reliance on aggregated national data could limit the granularity and thus the direct applicability to specific local contexts.

Think critically

To what extent can technological innovation alone solve the sustainability challenges identified in global food systems, or are fundamental shifts in consumption patterns and policy equally, if not more, important?

Design Principles

"Holistic sustainability assessment is crucial for food system design, balancing economic, environmental, and social factors."

This research highlights that a singular focus on economic metrics within food systems can lead to detrimental environmental and health consequences. Designers and engineers must consider the interconnectedness of economic, environmental, and social factors to develop truly sustainable solutions.

What This Means for Your Design

Rich countries are good at making food available, but they create a lot of waste and hurt the environment. Eating more plants could make food systems better for everyone.

How to use in your project

1.Use the findings to justify the need for your design intervention, highlighting specific sustainability challenges in food systems that your project aims to address.
2.Incorporate a multi-indicator sustainability assessment into your design process to evaluate your proposed solution.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research underscores the critical need for holistic sustainability assessments in food systems, revealing that high-income nations often achieve food availability at the expense of significant environmental degradation and poor nutritional outcomes. The study's findings, which highlight the potential benefits of plant-based diets for global food system sustainability, provide a strong rationale for design projects focused on promoting sustainable food consumption and production.

Source

Nature Communications

Multi-indicator sustainability assessment of global food systems

journal · 2018

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about global food systems prioritize affluence over environmental health and nutritional balance?: When designing food-related products, services, or systems, consider the full lifecycle impact, including environmental costs, waste potential, and nutritional outcomes, rather than focusing solely on availability or affordability. Evidence: Nature Communications (2018).
Why does "Global Food Systems Prioritize Affluence Over Environmental Health and Nutritional Balance" matter for design?: This research highlights that a singular focus on economic metrics within food systems can lead to detrimental environmental and health consequences. Designers and engineers must consider the interconnectedness of economic, environmental, and social factors to develop truly sustainable solutions.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing food-related products, services, or systems, consider the full lifecycle impact, including environmental costs, waste potential, and nutritional outcomes, rather than focusing solely on availability or affordability.
What were the main findings?: Countries exhibit widely varying patterns of food system performance with unique priorities for improvement.. High-income nations perform well on most indicators but poorly on environmental, food waste, and health-sensitive nutrient-intake indicators.. A shift towards plant-based diets would improve indicator scores for most countries.
What research method was used?: Quantitative analysis using a multi-indicator framework. with 156 countries.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2018 journal from Nature Communications.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing new food products or services, conduct a comprehensive sustainability assessment that includes environmental impact, waste reduction strategies, and nutritional value, alongside economic viability.
What are the limitations?: The study relies on aggregated national data, which may mask significant regional or local variations within countries. The selection and weighting of indicators can also influence the overall assessment.