DOI
10.3390/su11010171

Summary
Recent discussions on the results of food security programs devote key attention to complex interactions between policy interventions and business innovation for improving nutrition outcomes. This shift from linear approaches of food and nutrition security towards a more interlinked and nested analysis of food systems dynamics has profound implications for the design and organization of research and innovation processes. In this article we outline our experience with interdisciplinary and interactive processes of food systems analysis at different scale levels, paying systematic attention to three critical system interfaces: intersections with other systems, interactions within the food system, and incentives for food system innovations (the so-called: 3I approach). We discuss the importance of these interfaces for leveraging food system adaptation and managing food system transformation. We also provide illustrative examples of the relevance of food systems analysis for the identification of appropriate and effective programs for reinforcing the resilience, responsiveness and inclusiveness of novel food and nutrition programs.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This article describes how systems thinking can be used to analyse food security, availability, access and utilization of food among vulnerable populations. It direct the attention to multidimensional nature of food security as influenced by interactions between technical, economic, social and cultural factors, throughout the entire production, distribution, and consumption chains. It analyses the inter-dependencies between different stakeholders and interactions between different system levels within the set system boundaries. Furthermore the article assess different methodological strands within food systems analysis and indicate their prospects for food policy appraisal, the need for collaborative research, links to policy making and a theory of change approach. Among the different approaches the authors prefer the analysis to focus on non-linear food system transformation rather than food system adaptation.

To be able to analyse the systemic preconditions for transformation the authors suggest three major areas to study:

a) Intersections with other non-food systems that influence the supply and demand of food;
b) Interactions between stakeholders that are engaged at different levels of the food system;
c) Incentives that influence the adaptive behaviour and response of food system stakeholders.

The authors continue by looking at how different system perspectives look att leverage points such as: Production systems,  Value chains, Distribution networks, Household livelihoods, and Food choices

Point of Strength
This article will provide a good introduction to the study of food systems for students from second year and onwards in academic studies. It use an uptodate language both as regards development studies and complex system theories.