Planning for Sustainability in the Food System Using Demand-Supply Coordination

The Canadian food system may seem to be functioning normally but it is in turmoil. Food system issues are manifested socially, economically, and environmentally. Too many in Canada are food insecure, and a lot more are malnourished; farmers are often not compensated fairly, and face ample threats to their livelihoods as corporate control over the food system steadily increases; food and agriculture sectors are significant contributors to climate change and ecological damage more broadly. These issues were not created out of a vacuum, and are the result of intentional lack of proper regulation and oversight. To date, food system interventions in Canada have failed to address the root causes of the food system’s core issues with the notable exception of the innovative governance of the food system during World War II. Looking back to history at how interventions were successfully orchestrated can provide guidance on facing the current challenge of climate change. This research posits that a systemic, and intentional re-design of the food system using similar tools to those that were used in the past is vital in facing the substantial challenges facing the food system. Using the beef sector as a microcosm of the broader food system, this paper argues that matching food supply with demand based on principles of health and sustainability can solve some of the issues affecting food systems today