True Cost Accounting for Food

Situation

Food systems are major contributors to detrimental environmental, social, and health impacts globally. The transformation of food systems has been widely recognised as necessary to meet Agenda 2030. True cost accounting for food (TCAF) - measuring social, environmental, and health impacts in monetary terms - has been put forward as a holistic approach for transforming food systems. There is thus an important momentum at the national and international level for implementing the true cost and true value of food. While TCAF methodologies have flourished in the literature, very few studies explore pathways of implementation and the potential of TCA to drive food systems transformation. In this context and based on existing literature, we believe that the true cost of food can support the transformation of the Swiss food system towards a more sustainable, fair, and resilient one, as it allows us to go beyond a sectoral approach and embed food systems in their complexity. The mission of the project is to provide more comprehensive information about true cost accounting for food. The project aims at understanding TCAF holistically in the Swiss context, by embedding the different stakeholders involved and the impacts of the Swiss food system on society. It identifies interdependencies and levers for change at different levels, including policy-making, the private sector, consumers, and public health, and the dynamic effects of possible TCAF interventions across the system.