Research area 04 of 05
Food Systems
Production, distribution, diet and waste linked to land, water and energy.
How we study it
Food connects agriculture to water, energy and waste. Center research follows food from production through distribution, consumption and loss, making the environmental consequences of dietary and supply-chain choices visible alongside the resource systems they depend on.
Focus within this system
- Life cycle analysis of food production and supply chains
- Diet, consumption and food loss
- Food, energy and water interdependencies
Trade-off storyline
Reading a food choice across systems
A short, qualitative walk-through of how the boundary you choose changes the answer you get.
Step 01 · Boundary
Food is frequently assessed by a single indicator. A systems boundary follows land, water, energy and loss together.
Step 02 · Shift
Options that look better on one indicator can look more variable on another, particularly where water and land use diverge.
Step 03 · Consequence
Useful guidance names which indicator it is optimizing, and where the remaining tension sits.
Go deeper
Evidence behind this system
Published research, factsheets and teaching materials from the Center's library.
Factsheets
Short, regularly updated briefs that summarize a system or technology in a few pages, written to be read by non-specialists and cited with confidence.
OpenPublications
Peer-reviewed articles, reports and dissertations from Center faculty, staff and students. More than 1,000 publications have been produced by the Center.
OpenData & Educational Materials
Teaching materials and supporting resources that make the Center's analytical methods usable in classrooms and practice.
Open