TY - JOUR
T1 - Nature-Based Solutions as Building Blocks for the Transition towards Sustainable Climate-Resilient Food Systems
AU - Keesstra, Saskia
AU - Veraart, Jeroen
AU - Verhagen, Jan
AU - Visser, Saskia
AU - Kragt, Marit
AU - Linderhof, Vincent
AU - Appelman, Wilfred
AU - van den Berg, Jolanda
AU - Deolu-Ajayi, Ayodeji
AU - Groot, Annemarie
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - Food systems—encompassing food production, transportation, processing and consumption, including food losses and waste—are currently not delivering what is expected or needed to ensure their full contribution to societal well-being and ecological sustainability. In this paper, we hypothesize that nature-based solutions (NBS; solutions that are inspired by, supported by, or copied from nature) can overcome system challenges related to the functioning of the biosphere, society, or economy (including governance arrangements), and support a transition to sustainable climate-resilient food systems. We develop a conceptual framework to assess NBS contributions to such transitions. Three types of NBS are evaluated: intrinsic NBS which make use of existing ecosystems; hybrid NBS which manage and adapt ecosystems; and inspired NBS which consist of newly constructed ecosystems. We show that inspired NBS in particular will increase opportunities to achieve sustainable development in food systems. NBS can facilitate the much-needed transition to a different way of using our natural resources to reach the SDGs by 2030. We identify the knowledge gaps that impede the development of NBS to support a transition towards sustainable, climate-resilient food systems.
AB - Food systems—encompassing food production, transportation, processing and consumption, including food losses and waste—are currently not delivering what is expected or needed to ensure their full contribution to societal well-being and ecological sustainability. In this paper, we hypothesize that nature-based solutions (NBS; solutions that are inspired by, supported by, or copied from nature) can overcome system challenges related to the functioning of the biosphere, society, or economy (including governance arrangements), and support a transition to sustainable climate-resilient food systems. We develop a conceptual framework to assess NBS contributions to such transitions. Three types of NBS are evaluated: intrinsic NBS which make use of existing ecosystems; hybrid NBS which manage and adapt ecosystems; and inspired NBS which consist of newly constructed ecosystems. We show that inspired NBS in particular will increase opportunities to achieve sustainable development in food systems. NBS can facilitate the much-needed transition to a different way of using our natural resources to reach the SDGs by 2030. We identify the knowledge gaps that impede the development of NBS to support a transition towards sustainable, climate-resilient food systems.
KW - circular food systems
KW - climate change adaptation
KW - ecosystem services
KW - food system transformation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85149975421&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/su15054475
DO - 10.3390/su15054475
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85149975421
SN - 2071-1050
VL - 15
JO - Sustainability (Switzerland)
JF - Sustainability (Switzerland)
IS - 5
M1 - 4475
ER -
