The TEEB for Agriculture and Food: Scientific and economic foundations report addresses the core theoretical issues and controversies underpinning the evaluation of the nexus between the agri-food sector, biodiversity and ecosystem services and externalities including human health impacts from agriculture on a global scale. It argues the need for a 'systems thinking' approach, draws out issues related to health, nutrition, equity and livelihoods, presents a Framework for evaluation and describes how it can be applied, and identifies theories and pathways for transformational change.
Evaluating agriculture and food systems requires understanding the vast and interacting complex of ecosystems, agricultural lands, pastures, inland fisheries, labor, infrastructure, technology, policies, regulations, institutions (including those involved in making policies, framing regulations and providing markets), cultures and traditions that are involved in growing, processing, distributing, and consuming food. Agriculture and food systems must evolve if we are to survive as a planet. This report seeks to shine a light on the pathways forward and to generate new thinking and strategies that might lead to a more sustainable food future. Within the report, you will find comprehensive, systems thinking approaches to evaluating ’eco-agri-food systems’, an innovative Framework along with methodologies and tools to support robust evaluation of current production practices, and a theory of change describing how this all fits into the bigger picture.