FAQ

The Food System Economics Commission (FSEC) is an independent academic commission set up to equip political and economic decision-makers with tools and evidence to shift food and land-use systems. Consisting of commissioners who represent a wide range of disciplines, FSEC explores different pathways to food system transformation on a global scale.

The global food system accounts for about a third of the total greenhouse gas emissions and more than 70% of global freshwater withdrawal. It is the single largest cause of deforestation and biodiversity loss, and both hunger and obesity are on the rise. Business as usual must therefore be considered unsustainable for both people and planet. The commission aims to provide the insight and tools to address these issues.

FSEC is a joint initiative by three core conveners: The Food and Land Use Coalition, EAT, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

The commissioners are leading experts on the economics of climate change, health, nutrition, agriculture, and natural resources. They were selected to have a wide range of academic economic expertise, as well as practical policy and/or business experience related to food, health, environment, or inclusion. They represent intersectional diversity across geography and gender and demonstrate a mix of academic and applied experience.

While the conveners provided the commissioners with the guidelines and core questions to answer, the commissioners’ work is in itself independent. The funders have had no say on the direction or methodology of the commission.

The hidden costs of food include, but are not limited to, the socio-economic costs of greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, biodiversity loss, hunger, and noncommunicable diseases.

The commission’s research will provide new tools to support policy design to ensure a healthy, sustainable and equitable future for people and the planet. An open-ended engagement program has been established in parallel to enable key financial sector actors and policy decision makers to make use of the commission’s findings.