Mitigating sustainability tradeoffs as global fruit and vegetable systems expand to meet dietary recommendations

• Published in: Environmental research letters 2021-05, Vol.16 (5), p.55010
• Main Authors: Stratton, Anne Elise, Finley, John W, Gustafson, David I, Mitcham, Elizabeth J, Myers, Samuel S, Naylor, Rosamond L, Otten, Jennifer J, Palm, Cheryl A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: consumer demand; Consumers; diversification; Environmental degradation; environmental footprint; equity; Food; Food groups; Food waste; fruit and vegetable systems; Fruits; innovation; Nutrient loss; Socioeconomic factors; Supply chains; Sustainability; technology; Tomatoes; Tradeoffs; Vegetables
• ISSN: 1748-9326; 1748-9326
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abe25a

Recent analyses indicate that global fruit and vegetable (F&V) production will need to increase by 50%–150% by 2050 in order to achieve sustainable and healthy diets for 10 billion people. Although global production of F&V has grown by 50% during the last two decades alone, simply scaling up current systems of F&V production, supply chains, and consumption will inevitably worsen environmental and socioeconomic tradeoffs. This article examines three examples of important F&V—avocados, leafy greens, and tomatoes—to assess the global challenge of meeting dietary recommendations at affordable prices to consumers while sustaining producer livelihoods and minimizing environmental damage. These three cases highlight key characteristics of F&V systems that make the challenge of sustainable expansion especially difficult: knowledge-, input-, and labor-intensive production, high rates of food loss and waste, and low affordability to consumers relative to less nutrient-dense food groups. Our analysis shows that only by investing in innovations that increase diversity, integrate technology, and improve equity will truly sustainable expansion of F&V systems be possible.