Towards Post-Pandemic Sustainable and Ethical Food Systems

Area of Science:

• Food Ethics
• Sustainability Science
• Societal Resilience

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic weaknesses in global food systems, necessitating a re-evaluation of current practices and policies.
• Pre-existing global, national, and local food systems required significant revisions to align with sustainable and ethical future goals.
• Scientific disciplines addressing food systems are often siloed, lacking a holistic approach to diverse stakeholder values and problem framing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a transdisciplinary framework for re-imagining food systems in the post-pandemic era.
• To advocate for a shift towards more sustainable and ethical food futures.
• To highlight the importance of inclusive deliberation in reshaping food system values.

Main Methods:

• Transdisciplinary research integrating food ethics perspectives.
• Analysis of existing food system structures and their limitations.
• Conceptualization of a post-pandemic deliberative model.

Main Results:

• The pandemic presents a critical juncture for transforming food systems.
• A bottom-up, regional, cross-sectoral, and non-partisan approach to deliberation is crucial.
• This approach can establish new benchmarks for sustainable and ethical food futures.

Conclusions:

• Rethinking food systems through inclusive deliberation is essential for achieving sustainability and ethical standards.
• A post-pandemic food system framework must address the multidimensional crises exacerbated by the pandemic.
• Food ethics provides a vital lens for guiding the necessary re-orientation of food systems and relevant sciences.