The environmental nutrition model

The current system of food production is unsustainable, calling for an assessment of contemporary practices. A basic food system model includes inputs from nature in the form of land, seeds, water and solar radiation. Food is the desired output of the system, but also produces undesirable outcomes in the form of emissions and waste. Consumer demands are a major driver of the food system. We developed the environmental nutrition model (ENM) to clarify the intricate and overlapping associations between inputs and outputs of the food system with human societies and the natural world. As food makes a life cycle from farm to market to consumption and waste bin, the ENM shows the interactions between the four domains in a compelling picture. It provides a didactic tool useful in assessing current food production practices and can provide insights as specific concerns are investigated by differing science and technology sectors. One application, that of climate change and food security is offered.