Applying a climate-biodiversity-health framework to support integrated food systems planning and policy

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 358; p. 120769
• Main Authors: Ghadiri, Mohaddese, Krawchenko, Tamara, Newell, Robert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2024
• Subjects: CBH nexus; Food systems; Integrated planning; Sustainability; CBH nexus; Food systems; Integrated planning; Sustainability
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120769

Food systems impact different aspects of sustainability and human life, such as pollution, health, climate change, biodiversity loss, water shortage, and soil infertility. However, in many places, food systems are neither resilient nor sustainable. Integrated planning approaches can help to overcome fragmented strategies and policies in ways that improve the sustainability and resilience of food systems. This study explores such an approach by applying a climate-biodiversity-health (CBH) nexus to local and regional food systems in the Comox Valley region, British Columbia, Canada. The CBH nexus is used as an analytical lens to identify systems relationships among food systems, climate change, biodiversity and health issues and strategies in the region. The employs a place-based approach entailing semi-structured interviews with provincial, regional, and local stakeholders in order to develop a holistic understanding of planning challenges, strategies and their outcomes through the CBH lens. Outcomes of this work include a system map that can be used as a framework for elucidating how various strategies align or conflict with different CBH imperatives and can be used to support integrated community sustainability planning and policy-making efforts. The framework is developed within the Comox Valley context, but it can be adapted to other communities. This paper details the development of this framework, the interconnections between different components, and how this framework can be adopted in other communities.
•Applying a context-based lens and place-based approach that engages stakeholders can be beneficial for integrated planning in food systems.•This study applies a Climate-Biodiversity-Health nexus in the Comox Valley's food systems.•Semi-structured interviews and a case study approach are used to elucidate how the nexus can be effectively applied to a particular place and context.•The case study's system maps are developed to illustrate how the research domains impact each other.