Page 13 - GUIDELINES FOR FOOD SYSTEM PROFILE DEVELOPMENT at sub-national levels in Vietnam

1. WHAT IS THE FOOD SYSTEM AND ITS ELEMENTS?

HIGHLIGHTS FOR USERS
Definition of a food system

The food system encompasses all elements and activities involved in the production,
processing, distribution, preparation, and consumption of food, and the output of these
activities, including nutrition, health, socio-economic and environmental outcomes
(HLPE, 2017).

The concept and approach of food systems have gained prominence among
policymakers and researchers over the past decade. Among the various food system
frameworks developed, our profile uses the framework derived from the 2017 HLPE
Nutrition and Food Systems report. Fanzo et al. (2020) adapted the framework (Figure
1), creating a dashboard to support food system stakeholders. The Institute of Policy and
Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD) (now Institute of Strategy and
Policy on Agriculture and Environment (ISPAE)) referenced the framework in their Q&A
guidelines developed for the Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development
(2021-2030) and their vision to 2050 (IPSARD, 2022; Huynh Tuyen, 2023).

Figure 1. Food system framework

Source: Fanzo et al. (2020), adapted from HLPE (2017).

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