AFNZ Meeting Uncovers 'Triple Lock-In' Barrier to Net Zero Food Transition
A high-level meeting, a follow-up to previous work with Agri Foods for Net Zero (AFNZ), delved into the complex challenges facing the global food system. The gathering, dominated by discussions on accelerating the transition to Net Zero, shed light on the 'triple lock-in' mechanism, a barrier to sustainable change led by Dr. Matthias Schneider and Tim Benton.
The 'triple lock-in' consists of three interconnected factors: the cheaper food paradigm, market concentration, and path dependencies. The cheaper food paradigm, which assumes that consumption drives growth and markets are the best way to provide cheaper food, is deeply ingrained. This is exacerbated by market concentration, where a few big players dominate, absorbing competitors and creating significant barriers to entry. Path dependencies further reinforce this system through investment weight, incentives, and high margins on 'cheap food'.
The external health costs of this system are staggering, at least $10 trillion annually, with unhealthy diets driving more than 70% of these costs. This is reflected in the alarming statistic that 770 million people, close to one-in-ten of the world population, are obese. Meanwhile, despite producing enough food to feed the world, close to one-in-ten people are under-nourished, and this number has been increasing. The meeting was dedicated to developing AFNZ's research agenda to tackle these issues.
The 'triple lock-in' mechanism, as presented by Dr. Matthias Schneider and Tim Benton, highlights the urgent need for systemic change in the global food system. With the current paradigm driving significant health costs and under-nourishment, the meeting's focus on accelerating the transition to Net Zero is a crucial step towards a more sustainable and equitable food future.
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