July 2017

DISCUSSION
PAPER

A Research Agenda for Food Systems

Photo: Sandipani Chattopadhyay

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food systems program discussion paper number one

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Abstract

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Introduction
What is a food system?
1
 Fully bl&ached Acropora
colony on Moore Reef m
late February 2017-
Photo: Tyrone Ridgway

Is not the coral reef real? Can I not swim in the water and touch the
coral? Yes this is reality, but the concept of the reef ecosystem is not
real, it is a mental construct. The distinction I wish to emphasise is that
while the various elements of the reef are real and can be studied at
various scales or granularity, the way these elements interact with each
other and the 'external' environment is open ta interpretation and
analysis. The reef ecosystem provides a useful example of some of the
key characteristics of a system. The ecosystem in question has
boundaries that we define for our purposes 2, certain components or
subsystems are given priority while others may be ignored completely,
similarly certain interactions between components are prioritised over
others, the reef ecosystem responds ta certain inputs (ocean warming,
coastal land use, tourism, policy, etc.) and produces certain outputs
(biodiversity, aesthetics, livelihoods, etc.). Note that all of these system
descriptors require value judgements concerning what is important and
what can be excluded from the research in question. These value
judgements provide an insight into the ethics of belief formation, and
epistemology, with significant but often neglected implications tor the
framing of research questions.

2
The Australian and Queensland governments do not want to include burning of fossil
fuels and global warming in their boundary definition of the reef ecosystem because it
raises uncomfortable and irreconcilable issues with the granting of export licenses tar
coal mining. Unfortunately this boundary decision condemns coral to bleaching from
ocean warming. These are ethical decisions.

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Rationale for a systems approach

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Disciplines and disciplinarity
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A framework for food systems research
Systemic boundary critique
Guideposts for the future GCI Food Systems Program
Three exemplar food system pursuits
A Food Systems Community of Practice
Conclusion
Acknowledgment
REFERENCES