The Food Sustainability Index (FSI), which ranks 25 countries according to their food system sustainability, is a quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model. It is based on 58 indicators that measure the sustainability of food systems across three pillars: food loss and waste; sustainable agriculture; and nutritional challenges. The index has three key performance indicators— environmental, societal and economic—which are in turn based on 35 indicators and eight categories selected on the basis of expert analysis by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in consultation with an advisory board. The scores for the three main pillars are calculated from the weighted mean of underlying indicators and are scaled from 0 to 100, where 100 equals most sustainable. The overall score for the FSI (also on a scale of 0 to 100) is calculated from a weighted average of the category scores.
For the purposes of this study, sustainability refers to the ability of the food system to be maintained without depletion and exhaustion of its natural resources or compromises to its health and integrity.
The following 25 countries were assessed. They form the Group of 20 (G20) largest economies, which account for 85% of global GDP and two- thirds of the global population, plus five nations from regions otherwise unrepresented (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Colombia, the UAE and Israel).
The Economist Intelligence Unit, with the BCFN Foundation, has also initiated a pilot project on urban food systems. This indicator-level analysis is called City Monitor. It is intended to be a first step in assembling a set of indicators to understand the dynamics of urban food systems through data and policy assessments. In this pilot phase, the 16 cities were selected on the basis of geographic representation, data availability and their efforts towards implementing sustainable urban food policies.
The full index, including data sources, methodologies and interactive tools to explore results, can be accessed at foodsustainability.eiu.com
AN INDEX ON FOOD AND SUSTAINABILITY. WHY?
The Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN) Foundation is a private non-profit institution. The multidisciplinary research team includes researchers and professionals from different fields, such as economics, nutrition, and environmental and social sciences. The mission of the BCFN, through research, dissemination, and public engagement is to contribute to the shift towards more sustainable food systems. The global challenges that relate to food and nutrition, health, and sustainability are at the core of BCFN activities.
The rationale behind the development of the Food Sustainability Index (FSI) with The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) can be found in the continuous effort of the BCFN to prompt the engagement of civil society, policymakers, and businesses on the food challenges that the world is now facing. This white paper is the outcome of an iterative process of collaboration between the BCFN and EIU research teams. The FSI is a means to analyse the progress of 25 countries in the world vis-à-vis three main challenges with which the global food system is currently confronted: sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and food waste. The objective of the FSI is fourfold:
- to highlight the performance of countries
- to establish a comparable benchmark
- to offer examples of best practices at the national and city levels
- to measure progress over time.
The FSI is a tool for policymakers and experts to orient their action, for students to be educated, and for the public to conscientiously adjust their behaviour for the good of our health and our planet. The BCFN’s efforts in contributing to the tackling of the three ‘paradoxes’ that affect the global food system began in 2014 with the development of the Milan Protocol, and were further strengthened after the United Nations identified the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officially known as Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs set the targets that all countries in the world are called upon to achieve by 2030. Food, nutrition, and sustainability are integral components of the SDGs that represent the framework upon which the BCFN bases its actions. Immediate action is needed to tackle climate change and ensure sustainable agriculture, to improve nutrition and well-being in developing and developed countries, and to address food loss and waste. For each of these challenges, the BCFN is committed to raising public awareness and informing policy-making by providing scientifically sound analyses and data.
Over the past few years, a number of publications have been released and are available for free download at the BCFN website. The annual report on the Nutritional and Environmental Double Pyramid can be considered as the flagship of the foundation, showing a direct correlation between the nutritional value of food and its impact on the environment. The message conveyed is simple and straightforward: a diet that is healthy for people is also healthy for the planet. The database on which the Double Pyramid is based contains more than 1,300 entries. Relevant BCFN publications include the position papers on food and well-being, food and health, sustainable agriculture, genetically modified organisms and biotechnologies in agriculture, sustainable diets, and water resources. Find out more at www.barillacfn.com.
This white paper is part of a series called "Food Sustainability Index". Click Here to read the full series.
