The Three Pillars of Our Next Food System

The Farm Tractor: Soon to be an ancient artifact of an old food system? (Photo credit: Micki Seibel)

Throughout human history we have transformed our food system on several notable occasions. The ability to domesticate plants and animals, for example, brought about the first transformation: the rise of agriculture. The food system we know today is the result of the “green revolution” of the mid 20th century.

Transformations of the food system illustrated by the team at Food System 6.

The green revolution of the mid to late 20th century solved for quantity. How can we grow the most calories possible to feed a growing population? The key pillars of this revolution were 1) innovations in chemistry to create artificial fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides; 2)the development of high yielding grain crops; and 3) controlled water infrastructure (e.g., irrigation). The result: we massively increased the quantity of food we produce as measured by crop yields.

Alas, as with most things, there are unintended consequences. We made a food system that produces the wrong food with massive damage to the environment.

This is why we are at the beginning of the next transformation in our food system. This time, while preserving our ability to produce quantity, we are solving for sustainability. The three pillars of our next food system are 1)…