Systems approach: what and why

With only 15 percent of the SDGs on track to be achieved, supporting governments on SDG acceleration is the collective mandate of the UN development system. Governments and development partners, including the UN system, predominantly, however, try to achieve individual SDGs in isolation. At the global and national levels, institutions, markets, economic incentives and structures, and governance processes all promote very siloed and sectoral approaches to development. It is critical to recognize that sectors are in fact part of an interconnected system. A system is a set of components in dynamic interaction that delivers a number of functions. The core function of the food system is to bring food and agricultural products from production to human use and consumption. Food systems also deliver other functions, such as nutrition, ecosystem services, livelihoods and social cohesion. The need to consider all of these functions is one of the reasons why working in food systems is so complex. There may be trade-offs between them that need to be managed to ensure an overall positive impact across different agendas and systems. Moreover, each component of the system influences and is influenced by the others through multiple interconnections, creating a dynamic and frequently unpredictable structure that may also necessitate experimentation and learning by doing. Systems change over time as goals, objectives and activities undergo continuing adjustments, and as they face shocks resulting from the climate crisis, conflict and economic instability.

Understanding systems’ components and the interconnections between them is crucial for identifying leverage points for change. Components in the food system include activities (e.g. production, processing, distribution, consumption, waste management) people and institutions, policies, and norms and values. Importantly, adopting a systems approach means understanding the relationships between these components and with components in interrelated systems, like energy, water, health and the environment. Food systems are dependent on both the energy and the water system. Transforming food systems will require engagement with these interrelated systems to help them deliver their multiple functions.

What is a systems approach?

Recognizing that food is part of an overall system alone demonstrates the need for a systems approach. That is to take action that connects the different components and outcomes of agrifood systems and interrelated systems to transform system to achieve and sustain better outcomes towards multiple SDGs. It is the lack of a systems approach and the predominance of a siloed, fragmented approach that is limiting the sustained impact of the actions currently being taken in food systems; actions taken to address one goal (e.g. economic development) may be having unintended negative consequences for others (e.g. environmental sustainability). A systems approach can help enhance impact by identifying the portfolio of actions needed to improve its functioning and to maximize synergies rather than trade-offs. By that token, a systems approach is, therefore, key for SDG acceleration.

What is systems thinking?

Systems thinking is the foundation of a systems approach. Systems thinking is the practice of visualizing and identifying interactions in systems. Given the complexity and multitude of components involved in systems, systems thinking is a way of helping people understand how a system works – its components, linkages and outcomes. Systems thinking also helps people see their role within the wider system and come to a shared understanding of the problem with other people and institutions who may come from different perspectives. Recognizing the different interests and trade-offs at stake within a system, systems thinking can help people understand why there are different perspectives. In so doing, it helps identify the key leverage points and portfolio of actions needed to collectively change the way the system functions to produce better outcomes. Changing the way a systems functions can be referred to as systems change, or systems transformation.

Figure 1. Applying a systems thinking approach is akin to solving a Rubik’s Cube, where concentrating solely on just one side undermines our ability to find a timely solution - to solve the puzzle, all sides and their interconnected nature must be considered collectively

Source: CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

How does systemic transformation happen: food systems transformation as a key transition for SDG acceleration

A large body of evidence, summarized in the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 (GSDR), highlights what has worked and not worked on the SDGs, and on socioeconomic transformations in the past. There is no "one size fits all" path to success for systems change. A country and its given context is a factor too. However, the GSDR gives us some ideas on what successful systems change entails. Historically, changes such as the shift from horse-drawn power to the internal combustion engine, the rollout of immunization, or even the spread of the Internet have followed three phases.

First, an emergence phase for a new system is instigated by an innovation – technological, organizational, behavioural – that creates political impetus for a shift to the new technology or behaviour or organization. Second, when a "tipping point" is reached, a phase of acceleration sees rapid uptake of the new technology or modality. This is supported by government incentives, innovation, rapid deployment, the scaling up of technology, and increased demand by voters and consumers. Third, there follows a period of stabilization, where the new technology or system is entrenched and becomes an accepted part of life. To harness this mechanism for the SDGs, we need to support promising solutions that are tailored to the country's context and are attuned to the particular phase of a transition that the country finds itself in. Success is far from guaranteed. Continuous attention and action are needed to ensure the transition takes place fully and does not experience a strong backlash or get locked into an unsustainable new norm.

Food systems have been identified by the UNSDG as one of the six transformative entry points or six key transitions that can have potential ripple effects across other agendas.

Figure 2. The six key transitions that can have catalytic and multiplier effects across the SDGs

Source: Adapted from Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General. 2023. Global Sustainable Development Report 2023: Times of Crisis, Times of Change - Science for Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Development. New York, USA, United Nations.
https://doi.org/10.18356/9789213585115

Harnessing the potential of sustainable food systems is essential to achieving food security and nutrition for present and future generations, while concurrently addressing critical global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, natural resource degradation, rural poverty, and resilience to economic shocks. Transforming food systems therefore requires a systems approach, with a potential of real catalytic and multiplier effects across all the SDGs.

The most successful transformative strategies will not be fixed or carried out according to the letter of a log-frame but will adapt to changing conditions. Transformation is a continuous process; it can occur, but it will never reach completion as both the external circumstances surrounding any given system and its internal factors continue to evolve. Therefore, effective transformation requires the application of a systems approach which helps acknowledge the intricate relationships and power structures that go beyond individual sectors.

Box 1. The risk of fragmented approaches.
A practical example

Pause and think about the green revolution experience. The idea of using high-yielding crops along with fertilizers and irrigation to transform agricultural systems seemed great. Crop yields rose rapidly, food consumption increased, and undernutrition decreased significantly. However, without applying a systems approach to consider potential trade-offs, issues such as unequal land distribution, insecure tenancy rights, restricted access to credit, soil degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss due to chemical-intensive farming were not adequately addressed, which led to leaving numerous smallholders behind. This created unequal benefits and even damaged smallholder farmers and their right to food. The green revolution experience is an example highlighting how interventions may not always yield fully sustainable transformations, especially if a whole-of-society approach is not considered. This does not mean that a systems approach completely eliminates unintended consequences. The reality is that every action carries unintended consequences, but employing a systems approach enables us to identify options that yield greater benefits across the entire system.

Across the six transitions highlighted by the UNSDG, we observe common bottlenecks hindering the transition to a sustainable system. These are visible in national plans and in intergovernmental agreements – whether in the Paris Agreement on climate change; the global Energy Compacts; the outcomes of the Transforming Education Summit; or the outcomes of the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in 2021 and the Stocktaking Moment in 2023.

First, at the national level, policy, regulatory and legislative environments are not optimal. Second, large-scale projects – such as infrastructure – may not be aligned with the needs of the transition and the SDGs. Third, investors or financing sources are not lined up to invest in the appropriate large–scale projects, even if these existed. And fourth, there is a lack of capacities and incentives in national public institutions and in civil society to take forward and sustain a transitions approach.

Many different actors will need to work together to overcome these bottlenecks and drive forward a transition. For example, governments have the power to create shifts across policy frameworks. But civil society also has the power to demand this. And policy frameworks and legislation can nudge and incentivize private finance in specific ways. Large companies with high market shares can make changes to their supply chains or organizational practices that can start shifting the market. This can be buoyed by consumer demand as well as by trade unions. Research and development are critical for many transitions, and science and technology has a key role to play. In many societies, religious leaders can have a big influence, and so forth.

In each phase of a transition, these actors will need to work in specific ways to keep the momentum going. The UN is among these actors. The unique value added of the UN systems approach is that it ensures the right engagement by the right actors at the right times, so that the transition progresses to stabilization rather than falling to resistance or unexpected and unsustainable norms. In other words, the UN can play critical nudging and choreographic roles to fill gaps and ensure synchronized actions among all these actors.

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UN Food Systems Task Force. 2025. Food Systems Thinking Guide for UN Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams – Working collectively towards food systems transformation.. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd0497en

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