Existing sustainability efforts and policies in the food systems in the EU and worldwide

Ensuring everyone in the EU and the world has access to a nutritious diet in a sustainable way is one of the greatest challenges we face, and one of the most ambitious targets of the Sustainable Development Goals framework. The need for a transformation of food systems towards sustainability is increasingly being recognised, as demonstrated by the growing number of initiatives implemented worldwide. This report presents an overview of existing initiatives that aim to address the sustainability of food systems in the EU and globally. It first describes the initiatives proposed by international organizations, followed by the most relevant policy framework initiatives in non-EU countries that consider the sustainability in the food systems as a whole, mainly in Canada, Japan, United States and Norway. Subsequently, the assessment focuses on the EU initiatives, providing examples of current policy initiatives in place, both at the EU and its Member States levels. Finally, key messages and recommendations are provided to foster a fair and just transition towards a European sustainable food system. The analysis revealed the importance to embrace sustainable food systems as a whole, looking at the environmental, economic, and social dimensions and their complex interactions, along the whole food value chain.