The crisis on our plates: finding potential in failing food systems Glossary of key terms Food safety – the conditions and Planetary boundaries – based practices along the entire food supply on a scientific approach from the Food security – all people, at all chain that preserve food quality and Stockholm Resilience Centre, the times, need physical, social and prevent contamination and food- planetary boundaries concept, economic access to sufficient, safe borne illnesses, with the assurance introduced in 2009, defines the and nutritious food that meets their that the food will not cause harm to environmental limits within which food preferences and dietary needs the consumer. humanity can safely operate for an active and healthy life (1996 and continue to develop and World Food Summit). Food security Food systems – all interactions and thrive for generations to come. encompasses four main dimensions: activities along the whole food value Nine planetary limits have been – Food availability: the availability chain, from the production and identified as regulating the stability processing to the distribution and and resilience of the Earth system: of sufficient quantities of food consumption of food. climate change, biosphere integrity, of appropriate quality, supplied ocean acidification, ozone depletion, through domestic production Healthy diets – a diet that provides or imports enough of each essential nutrient, atmospheric aerosol pollution, – Food access: access by individuals high in fruit, vegetables, legumes, freshwater use, biogeochemical nuts and grains, but lower in salt, flows of nitrogen and phosphorus, to adequate resources for free sugars and fats. Healthy diets land-system change, and release of acquiring appropriate foods for a help maintain or improve overall novel chemicals. nutritious diet. health (WHO). 2030 Zero Hunger target – Zero – Food utilisation: adequate Hunger is Goal 2 of the 17 UN diet, clean water, sanitation Malnutrition – the condition Sustainable Development Goals. and healthcare contributing to resulting from getting inadequate It seeks to eradicate hunger by individuals reaching a state of or unbalanced nutrition and improving access to food, ending all nutritional well-being where all encompasses both under-nutrition forms of malnutrition and developing physiological needs are met (lack of enough nutrients) and agricultural productivity sustainably – Food stability: to be food secure, a over-nutrition (getting more nutrients by 2030, through eight sub-targets population, household or individual than needed). Malnutrition results in and 14 indicators to measure progress. must have access to adequate poor health conditions. food at all times. They should not Flexifood/flexi-diet/flexitarian – risk losing access to food as a a plant-based diet allowing consequence of sudden shocks (eg, occasional meat dishes in order to an economic or climatic crisis) or reduce environmental impact and cyclical events. improve health. 6