Three foci for food to leverage SDGs and beyond

The current global food systems harm both the natural environment and human health. While the food system contributes significantly to climate change, water and air pollution, and biodiversity loss, it also fails to nourish a quarter of the population. Our food production and supply are also at risk of climate extremes and resource scarcity. Thus, transforming the food system to a more sustainable, healthy, and resilient state becomes increasingly urgent in light of the SDGs and the post-2030 agenda.

This workshop aims to identify progress and gaps in food-system data and models, and to explore more nuanced ways to support food-related SDGs. We focus on modelling studies of three foci and themes of food system sustainability: environment, health, and resilience. With leading presentations and roundtable discussions in each theme, we will bridge critical gaps by identifying key limitations and opportunities for innovation and fostering next-generation tools for policymakers, businesses, and communities. We will take notes on the reflections and insights from everyone on the progress and gaps of food system modelling.

During the workshop, our colleague Gonzalo Parrado Hernando (University of Valladolid) will participate in the session:

• (15 min) Session 3.2: Models and methods. "WILIAM: An Integrated Assessment Model Within Planetary Boundaries", presenting a recent publication acknowledging IAM COMPACT, titled: "Analysis of the competition between land, energy and food using the TERRA module of WILIAM System Dynamics IAM". 

  The paper introduces WILIAM‑TERRA, a newly developed module within the open‑source Within Limits Integrated Assessment Model (WILIAM), specifically designed to explore the interactions between land use, food systems, bioenergy, and ecological dynamics. It addresses limitations in traditional IAMs by integrating food and land‑use pathways with energy and carbon sequencing models for a truly cross‑sectoral analysis.  Read the full paper here. 

The workshop will take place on August 2-3, 2025 at the School of Ecology, Environment & Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.