Food Systems Outcomes & Drivers

This page provides an overview of key data on food system drivers and outcomes, structured around the food systems model.

Drivers are factors that shape food system activities and influence their outcomes, while outcomes are the consequences—reflecting how key indicators of food system progress evolve over time. Based on an extensive literature review, the outcomes are categorized into: 1) Food and Nutrition Security 2) Climate and Environment 3) Livelihoods, Equity, and Social Well-being. The drivers are grouped into the following categories: 1) Shifting Demographics 2) Economic Development 3) Changing Diets and Consumer Behaviour 4) Technology and Innovation 5) Climate, Environment, and Resources 6) Policy and Governance 7) Socio-cultural Paradigms and Inequalities and 8) Crises and Conflicts. This classification helps to understand the complex interactions within food systems and their broader implications.

Through Foresight4Food research, 95 unique factors or processes have been identified that drive the global food system. Their interactions and transitions will shape the future trajectories of food system outcomes. A thematic assessment of these drivers classified them into eight principal drivers selected based on expert opinion; Shifting Demographics, Economic Development, Changing Diets and Consumer Behaviour, Technology and Innovation, Climate, Environment, and Resources, Policy and Governance, Socio-cultural Paradigms and Inequalities, and Crisis and Conflicts.

Here, we only present data on the most critical drivers, and their current and future trends, chosen through discussions with various Foresight4Food food system experts. The availability of data on trends for these drivers varies, and where possible, links to original sources are provided. It is important to recognise that future trends are shaped by many internal and external factors and assumptions about how these drivers interact, contributing to significant uncertainties in predicting their future trends.