Food, Nature and Health Transitions − Repeatable Country Models

The report argues that food systems must be transformed at the national level to meet 2030 net-zero and nature-positive goals. It analyzes 'early mover' countries to establish repeatable models for transformation, emphasizing the need for concurrent application of government policy, public-private financing, and technological innovation. Key case studies include Ethiopia's institutional capacity building, India's dairy and agritech growth, Vietnam's seafood and sustainable rice production, and Ghana's focus on the 'hidden middle' of SMEs. The document concludes with a roadmap for multi-stakeholder action, prioritizing integrated national roadmaps, farmer-allied enterprises, blended finance, and innovation ecosystems to scale climate-smart practices and shift consumer diets toward healthier, more sustainable options.

• Food and agriculture systems are major drivers of environmental degradation, accounting for over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 80% of tropical deforestation and biodiversity loss.
• Ethiopia achieved significant agricultural growth and poverty reduction by consistently spending over 10% of its government budget on agriculture (averaging 12% between 2005 and 2019) and establishing the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) to coordinate policy and implementation.
• India's dairy sector transformation was driven by long-term public programs like Operation Flood and a 'Priority Sector Lending' policy from 1985 that required commercial banks to lend at least 18% of adjusted net bank credit to agriculture.
• Vietnam successfully scaled the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) by applying the '4As of Adoption'—Awareness, Advantage, Access, and Affordability—resulting in 1.8 million farmers adopting the techniques by 2015.
• Ghana has focused on the 'hidden middle' of the food value chain by supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through initiatives like the '1 District 1 Factory' (1D1F) program to increase domestic value addition.
• In developed economies, the adoption of nature-positive practices is often hindered by poor economics; for example, in Canada, conservation tillage reached 82% adoption by 2016, while cover-cropping remained at 16% due to higher costs and longer break-even periods.
• Shifting consumer diets in high-income countries requires addressing the 'say-do' gap through pricing interventions, clearer communication, and increased availability of sustainable products.
• A significant financing gap exists for agricultural SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated $74.5 billion in needs remaining unmet, necessitating expanded use of blended finance and de-risking mechanisms.

APA

World Economic Forum (2023). Food, Nature and Health Transitions − Repeatable Country Models. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Food_Nature_and_Health_Transitions_2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Food, Nature and Health Transitions − Repeatable Country Models. 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Food_Nature_and_Health_Transitions_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Food, Nature and Health Transitions − Repeatable Country Models |date=January 2023 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Food_Nature_and_Health_Transitions_2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2023food, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Food, Nature and Health Transitions − Repeatable Country Models}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Food_Nature_and_Health_Transitions_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }