The Food System Compass is a metrics framework developed by a multi-disciplinary team, including scientists from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and published in the journal Global Food Security, to support decision-makers in assessing and navigating food system sustainability. Unlike single-issue approaches, it offers a comprehensive view by defining four interconnected societal goals that must be considered simultaneously to achieve meaningful transformation. The compass provides the structure needed to move beyond fragmented policy-making and facilitates multi-actor negotiation and transparent, evidence-based decisions.
The Four Societal Goals of the Compass
At the heart of the Food System Compass are four universal societal goals, each supported by specific "areas of concern" that provide detailed metrics for assessment.
- Dietary Health: This goal focuses on ensuring healthy, adequate, and safe diets for all people. It moves beyond merely preventing hunger to address the full spectrum of nutrition, including food safety and the prevention of malnutrition in all its forms.
- Environment: This pillar is concerned with fostering a clean and healthy planet. It includes metrics related to environmental impacts such as water usage, soil health, biodiversity, and climate change, ensuring food production does not come at the expense of ecological integrity.
- Economy: The compass's economic goal aims for economically thriving food systems that also support the common good. It evaluates aspects like market viability, value distribution, job creation, and profitability, making sure economic growth benefits a wide range of actors.
- Social Justice: This final goal focuses on creating just, ethical, and equitable food systems. This involves assessing factors like worker rights, fair value distribution for producers, and inclusivity for marginalized groups, such as youth and indigenous peoples.
How the Compass Is Operationalized
The implementation of the Food System Compass follows a logical process designed to produce actionable insights and foster inclusive policymaking.
- Defining and Mapping: Stakeholders first define the food system being analyzed, which can range from a local city-region to a national or international context. This involves mapping all actors and activities from production to consumption and waste disposal.
- Developing Indicators: Next, specific indicators are selected for each of the four societal goals. These indicators are tailored to the local context and priorities but aim to compare performance against science-based targets.
- Data Collection and Monitoring: Data is systematically collected to measure the indicators. This phase involves monitoring changes over time to track progress or identify areas of regression.
- Reflexive Assessment and Negotiation: The collected data is used for reflexive assessment, where trade-offs and synergies between goals are made visible. This facilitates multi-actor negotiation, allowing diverse stakeholders—policymakers, farmers, industry, and civil society—to find common ground and prioritize actions.
Comparison: The Food System Compass vs. Other Assessment Tools
To better understand its distinctiveness, it is helpful to compare the Food System Compass to other related assessment tools. The compass is unique in its integrated approach to all four pillars of sustainability.
| Feature | Food System Compass | FAO/WHO Food Control System Tool | Food Compass (Nutrient Profiling) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Comprehensive food system sustainability across four societal goals (dietary, environmental, economic, social). | Assessing food safety and quality control systems from farm to consumer. | Scoring individual foods and beverages based on nutritional healthfulness. |
| Target Audience | Policymakers, researchers, multi-stakeholder groups involved in food governance. | Government regulatory bodies and public health authorities. | Consumers, public health professionals, industry for reformulation. |
| Scope | Holistic, covering the entire food system and its interconnected outcomes. | Specific to food safety regulations and infrastructure. | Limited to the nutritional quality of individual products. |
| Key Outcome | Actionable insights for policy, negotiation on trade-offs, and tracking progress toward sustainable food systems. | Identification of regulatory deficiencies and prioritization of improvements. | Guidance for consumer choice and development of healthier products. |
Why is the Food System Compass Important?
The complexity of modern food systems means that improving one aspect, such as increasing crop yields, can inadvertently harm another, like environmental quality. The Food System Compass offers a critical solution by providing a framework that helps navigate these intricate trade-offs transparently.
- Addresses Multi-Dimensional Problems: It provides a systemic view, preventing decision-makers from solving one problem while creating others. By integrating dietary, environmental, economic, and social justice goals, it ensures a holistic perspective.
- Fosters Inclusive Governance: The compass is designed to facilitate negotiation among diverse stakeholders with potentially conflicting interests. This promotes transparent and inclusive policymaking, increasing the likelihood of widespread support for sustainable strategies.
- Enables Evidence-Based Policy: By providing a robust, metrics-based framework, it moves policy discussions away from purely anecdotal evidence toward fact-based decision-making. This allows for a clearer understanding of who benefits and who loses from policy changes.
- Supports Global Goals: The framework helps countries and organizations work toward the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those related to zero hunger, good health, climate action, and reducing inequalities.
A Path Toward Sustainable Food Systems
The Food System Compass is more than a simple scorecard; it is a tool for systemic change. It provides a common language and framework for diverse groups to analyze, understand, and act on the complex interconnections within their food systems. By highlighting trade-offs and supporting negotiation, it can guide policymakers toward more coherent, integrated food policies. This ultimately paves the way for food systems that are not only productive but also truly sustainable, equitable, and resilient for all stakeholders involved.
In conclusion, understanding what is the food system compass is crucial for anyone involved in modern food policy or sustainability initiatives. Its comprehensive, multi-goal approach helps to illuminate complex challenges and guide the concerted efforts needed to build a healthier, fairer food future for everyone. This structured approach is a vital asset for navigating the complicated pathways to food system transformation.
Food System Compass in Practice
Case studies, such as those related to the European Green Deal's Farm to Fork Strategy, have shown how the compass can be used to assess and guide policy. For example, the framework can be applied to evaluate the potential impacts of a new agricultural subsidy on smallholder farmers (social justice), pesticide use (environment), and local food prices (economy). The metrics help clarify potential conflicts, such as increased production (economic) leading to higher environmental costs. Through a facilitated negotiation process, stakeholders can work toward a policy solution that minimizes negative trade-offs and maximizes overall sustainability, demonstrating the real-world utility of this integrated tool.
