Another food system

The author contends that the European food system is failing, as evidenced by the horsemeat scandal and the environmental impact of agriculture, which accounts for over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The text advocates for a holistic approach to food policy that transcends narrow consumerist or ecological goals, emphasizing the need to place farmers at the center of change and promote food cooperatives to re-embed agriculture in society. It highlights a paradox where austerity leads to food bank reliance while obesity-related health costs rise, suggesting that food education and agro-ecological methods are essential for social justice and sustainable feeding of the global population.

• The current European agro-industry is characterized as a failing system that cannot reliably provide sustainable or healthy nutrition, as highlighted by the horsemeat scandal.
• Agriculture has a significant global environmental impact, contributing more than 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.
• A successful transformation of the food system requires placing farmers at the center of the process and fostering alliances between producers and consumers through mechanisms like food cooperatives.
• There is a critical social paradox in Europe where financial crises and austerity drive people to food banks, while public spending on obesity and diabetes increases.
• Sustainable feeding of the global population is possible through agro-ecological methods and by reducing food waste, which currently ranges between 30% and 50%.

APA

Board, E. (2013). Another food system. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/another-food-system/

Chicago

Board, Editorial. Another food system. Green European Journal, 2013. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/another-food-system/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Board |first1=Editorial |title=Another food system |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 March 2013 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/another-food-system/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{board2013another, author = {Board, Editorial}, title = {{Another food system}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/another-food-system/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }