ABSTRACT
The ways our societies produce, distribute, consume, and dispose of food place unnecessary and often noticeable impacts on the environment. As the pressure on the planet due to food systems is increasing, measuring the multiple environmental impacts of our current food systems (here referred to as externalities) is becoming a priority to inform decision-making and food policy. In this chapter, we discuss what externalities should be measured when dealing with food systems sustainability and suggest possible indicators for conducting such measurements. We focus on the four more robust Footprint indicators—indicators of the pressure on the planet in terms of resource use and/or emissions—Ecological, Carbon, Water, and Nitrogen Footprints. We discuss how the use of such Footprint indicators would help our societies monitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and planetary boundaries, especially in complex systems such as food systems. We conclude by providing recommendations on the joint use of multiple Footprint indicators, how to interpret results and understand trade-offs among externalities, opportunities for synergies and efficiencies, and we offer an indication of the policy implications of Footprint accounting.
