We have to CHANGE how we EAT and GROW food to provide sustainable healthy diets to a growing population. A food system transformation is necessary to fight climate change, environmental degradation and the different forms of malnutrition that still coexist.
More than 820 million people in the world are undernourished, over 2 billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies while about 2 billion adults are overweight. Land use change and the intensive production of food and feed has caused serious negative environmental impacts such as soil erosion, freshwater contamination and depletion, the destruction of natural ecosystems and biodiversity loss. Providing regular access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for a growing population without depleting the natural resources is a key global challenge.
But how can this be achieved? What are the key problems that persist or emerge in local or global food systems? What projects or initiatives do already exist that address certain aspects of these challenges? At what stage of the food value chains do they interfere? And what does the current state of research in food and agriculture tell us?
The “Eat Grow Change” Blog was established in 2020 as a platform to discuss and reflect on facts and opinions about challenges and innovative solutions related to the world food system. It is a public space that is meant to stimulate thoughts and inspire creative thinking.
Blog articles are primarily written by students, lecturers and researchers from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences dealing with topics related to agriculture, food and nutrition. They can comprise social, political, ecological, economic, technical or cultural aspects of food systems.