Some of us live to eat, and most of us eat to live, but there are still 2 billion people who suffer from some form of hunger or malnutrition. Why do hunger and malnutrition persist even when the world produces enough calories for everyone? Why is the food system a victim to and a villain of climate change, accounting for 26% of greenhouse gas emissions? Among the many reasons for this, one key reason is the myopic goal of yield that our food system has chased for the past half-century. 

Our economic pursuit of yield and efficiency heralded the green revolution, which pulled India from the brink of famine to a net exporter of food. While necessary at the time, it now needs to be reimagined. The chase for productivity might have created caloric sufficiency, but it has left us nutritionally deficient. The amount of fertiliser we use per hectare has increased over the years, but the production-based metrics fail to capture the hidden inefficiencies. Prioritising yield ends up favouring only a few crops, reducing diversity both on farms and our plates. Today, 83% of our calories come from just ten crops.  

Metrics - the bridge between principles and action 

Our principles define the goals we pursue; our goals determine what we measure, and what gets measured gets done - as demonstrated in the case of hotels, restaurants, and catering units in Sweden and Norway, which measured food waste and succeeded in reducing it. 

New principles for our food system are needed—ones that welcome the diversity of crops and practices, diets that respect local culinary cultures, and put equity for all at the centre of our decision-making. But how do we operationalise these abstract principles into on-ground action? Metrics are the bridge.  
Image Credit: Food Systems Dashboard

If we move from measuring yield per hectare to nutrition per hectare or measure efficiency not just in terms of production but also by the amount of fertiliser used per hectare, the incentives, policies, and actions that follow will imbibe diversity and respect.  
 
A great example of this shift in action is the Global Farm Metric (GFM), a framework farmers in the UK use to assess sustainability beyond just yield. Farmers like Rachel Davies in Wales have made informed decisions that improved both productivity and environmental outcomes by tracking soil health, biodiversity, and community impact. 80% of the farmers who used the GFM reconsidered the sustainability of their farms, and a majority of them considered new approaches for improvement. 
 
Metrics that measure the outputs and the connections within our food systems are essential for creating resilience. The Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) brilliantly captures over 50 indicators across five thematic areas and how each of them interacts and affects the others. “A single indicator cannot do justice to the multiple outcomes that the agriculture system is supposed to serve.” 

These metrics are in no way exhaustive or fit for all. Many frameworks and tools, like the FSCI, TEEBAgriFood Evaluation Framework, Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), True Cost Accounting, Regen 10, etc., showcase a long list of qualitative and quantitative indicators and metrics that can be tracked based on the needs of the context and can be customised as required. What matters is how “success” is defined and who defines it. The sidelining of social, human, and natural capital has continued to cause hunger and drive degradation. All stakeholders from farm to table, especially producers and indigenous knowledge holders, must have a seat at the table when the goals and metrics are defined to create a food future that is socially and environmentally just. For example, metrics that also measure soil’s biological activity along with its chemical composition will inspire a wider variety of interventions that go beyond the traditional “NPK fertilisers”. 

Focusing solely on productivity and efficiency has weakened our relationships with the people who produce our food, our land and, thereby, the origin of our food, which is arguably one of the deepest causes of the ecological crises. Therefore, we need to evaluate the actions and outcomes we chase by not only quantitative but also qualitative factors such as gender equity, mental health, food education, and the strength of relationships and networks within and across communities and stakeholders. While developing and adopting new indicators, we also need to be cognizant of their limitations. 

Challenges and the Way Forward 

One of the many reasons a yield-based paradigm has dominated agricultural policy and decision-making is the ease with which it can be measured and tracked. While holistic and progressive, the metrics suggested by the TEEBAgriFood Evaluation Framework or the World Business Council’s Sustainable Development for Regenerative Agriculture face limitations as data on the chosen metrics is not always easily measurable or available. It may face risks or uncertainties when used by different stakeholders (policymakers, NGOs, businesses, etc) for different purposes, and it may require more resources, capacity, and capital. Therefore, metrics that are easy and cost-effective to measure and are co-designed and customised based on the needs of the concerned stakeholders will inherently have the incentive to be measured accurately and inform action. 

From agroecology to regenerative agriculture and beyond, each school of thought and practice has developed its framework of indicators and measures of success. These frameworks can provide a well-rounded picture of the outcomes and purposes they pursue but do not always capture the drivers of change. According to a UNDP MLE study, alongside purpose, captured by indicators, we must also document power, relationships, resource flows, rules, and mindsets that shape outcomes and govern actions within the system. 

Given the complexity and diversity of our food system, there is no silver bullet, but ushering in a new paradigm of metrics can redirect our actions to build a sustainable food future for all. 

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To know how metrics beyond yield have been applied in case studies across the world, you can explore the resources below: 

The Food Systems Countdown Initiative Dashboard globally tracks 50 indicators across five themes - diets, nutrition and health; environment, natural resources and production; livelihoods, poverty and equity; governance; resilience 

Application Of The Teebagrifood Framework: Case Studies For Decision-Makers 

Case Study on Applying Regenerative Agriculture Metrics