Sixteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Food systems have significantly changed in the last 60 years, transitioning from traditional patterns towards modern ones. These changes have many drivers; the most significant are urbanization, dietary changes, commerce, trade, logistics, and agricultural intensification. This research analyzes production and trade patterns, especially in South America, during the last six decades through a sustainable food system framework. South America currently produces more than enough calories to feed its population and has positioned itself as an important food-exporting region. If in the 1980s the region represented around 8% of global agricultural trade, by recent years its share had grown to around 12%. This growth has been closely linked with land-use changes; total land dedicated to growing crops in the region has grown more than 2.5 times in the last six decades, while soybean production occupies today more than 43% of the total land used to grow crops. As production patterns have changed, so have dietary outcomes. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the rates of undernourishment have significantly decreased; however, the rates of obesity and overweight have increased. Additionally, global food production is the largest pressure threatening biodiversity and one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gases. Food systems could potentially support both environmental sustainability and human health; however, current trends and developing patterns are harming both. Furthermore, food systems are closely linked with the achievement of the sustainable development goals, as they are the nexus that joins nutrition, food security, human and ecological health, and climate change.