Synergy Project

Can We Agree on the Fundamentals of Food System Transformation? Insights from the TUKFS Synergy Project

This Transforming UK Food Systems (TUKFS) synergy project has brought together researchers from across the UK to address a vital question: Can We Agree on the Fundamentals of Food System Transformation?

Running from May 2024 to March 2025, this collaborative initiative has aimed to foster dialogue and build alignment among stakeholders tackling challenges in transforming the UK food system.

 

The Team

The project has brought together expertise from five TUKFS projects, with representatives from:

  • TRADE (University of Edinburgh): Jay Burns (lead applicant), Dominic Moran, Peter Alexander, Isabel Fletcher
  • SNEAK (University of Bristol): Taro Takahashi, Jeff Brunstrom, Annika Flynn
  • BeanMeals (University of Hull and Oxford): Gerald Midgley, Monika Zurek
  • Mandala (University of Cambridge and Exeter): Martin White, Rich Smith
  • H3 (University of Leeds): William Young
  • Supported by Tracey Duncombe, TUKFS Knowledge Exchange Fellow

This diverse group of researchers reflects the interdisciplinary approach required to explore food systems’ complex challenges.

 

The Problem: Differing Views on Food System Failures

Food systems today face mounting pressure to balance productivity with ecosystem health and equitable outcomes for human and animal well-being. Despite this, the system continues to fall short, generating over $10 trillion in global costs related to human and planetary health each year.

The challenge lies in differing interpretations of the root causes of these failures—and the best ways to address them. There are several types of market failure, including:

  • Externalities: When the actions of individuals or firms have unintended consequences on others, either positive or negative, that are not reflected in market prices. For example, GHG emissions in the UK food system are a negative externality, while green space benefits of urban farming for mental health can be a positive externality.
  • Public Goods: Goods that are non-rivalrous (one person’s consumption doesn’t affect another’s) and non-excludable (people cannot be prevented from using them), leading to underproduction. Examples include research and development(!), and ecosystem services such as pollination.
  • Imperfect Competition: Occurs when there is a lack of competition in the market, often due to monopolies or oligopolies, which can lead to higher prices and reduced innovation. This includes situations where firms can control prices or supply.
  • Asymmetric Information: Happens when one party in a transaction has more or better information than the other. For example, sustainability claims that are not well-founded can distort consumer preferences, or the health implications of processed foods might lead to poor dietary choices and associated public health challenges.

Without a shared understanding of the theoretical basis of food system failure, achieving system transformation becomes even more challenging, especially when a joined-up systems approach is more important than ever.

 

The Project’s Approach

The TUKFS Synergy Project has taken a mixed methods approach to explore these divergent perspectives and opportunities for alignment:

  1. Surveying Perspectives:
    • Researchers designed and distributed a questionnaire to summarise how each project conceptualises system failures, identifies interventions, and considers trade-offs.
  2. Facilitating Expert Discussions:
    • Experts will delve into the similarities and differences in the conceptualisation of food system failures and solutions within and between projects across the TUKFS programme.
  3. Synthesising Findings:
    • A final report will consolidate insights, highlighting areas of agreement and divergence, and offering recommendations for future collaborative efforts.

 

Wider Programme Benefits

This project will provide opportunity to:

  • Facilitate meaningful dialogue between projects within TUKFS.
  • Build connections and partnerships across disciplines and institutions.
  • Highlight shared challenges and identify opportunities for complementary interventions.
  • Explore how regulatory and non-regulatory approaches can work together to address systemic failures.

The outcomes aim to contribute to the broader goals of TUKFS by providing a clearer foundation for food system transformation—one that aligns with the programme’s mission to place healthy people and a healthy environment at the centre of change.

The findings from this work will offer valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders as they continue working toward a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient UK food system. 

Updates and a link to the final report will follow.