Challenges and opportunities in generating and utilizing environmental data for sustainable food systems

Modern agricultural production has detrimental effects on the environment including contributing toward current global climate and biodiversity crises. It is therefore necessary that our agroecosystems, and wider food systems, become sustainable, so that the growing population can be fed now and in the future. Agroecosystems are complex with multiple inputs, outputs and interactions, with consequent environmental effects and impacts. This complexity is mirrored in an equally complex "data ecosystem" that is utilized by different stakeholders to make decisions. New understanding and technologies are driving a data revolution. Data on the environmental impacts and performance of food production systems have undoubtedly grown in recent years, and we have a better understanding and more data on causal activities, environmental effects, and outcomes. However, we still often lack what is needed to provide a reliable and holistic picture of the environmental impacts of food production (covering all impacts on the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere), and a common picture of our food system to ensure that different stakeholders and their actions are pulling in the same direction. This is a complex topic with many scientific, technological, commercial, and social challenges. However, these also present opportunities to advance our understanding of environmental systems and identify the real changes needed to address sustainability issues. This paper explores these challenges and opportunities and their potential to facilitate a transition to sustainable food systems. It highlights that although many challenges remain, there are opportunities for real change to address food security and sustainability issues.