University Assignment: ICAM 401 Sustainable Food Systems Dictionary

This homework assignment delves into the realm of sustainable food systems, providing a comprehensive exploration of its key concepts. The student begins by selecting 25 relevant terms, defining each from official sources and then rephrasing them in their own words, clarifying their understanding for a broader audience. Furthermore, the assignment categorizes each term under the pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, economic, or a combination of these. The second part of the assignment focuses on the concept of sustainability itself, requiring the student to define it both officially and personally, reflecting on how their understanding has evolved through the course. The student also articulates their interests within the field and considers the practical application of sustainability principles to their future career as a chef. Finally, the assignment concludes with a professional reflection, integrating the learned concepts and demonstrating a holistic understanding of sustainable food systems and their implications. The assignment is supported by a reference list, providing a foundation for the student's research and analysis.

Running head: SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
Sustainable Food Systems
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
Part 1:
1. 25 words that lie under the subject of Sustainable Food Systems
a) Food Value Chain
b) Food System Development Paradigm
c) Sustainable diets
d) Agroecology
e) Sustainable intensification
f) Complex food systems
g) Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS) project
h) Commodity Systems Analysis (CSA)
i) Food crises
j) Local Food systems (LFSs)
k) Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs)
l) Nutrition transition
m) Multifunctional Food Systems
n) Improved Production Practice (PROD)
o) Sensitivity Analysis
p) Great Food Transformation
q) Alternative Food Systems
r) Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
s) Kitchen Incubator
t) Permaculture
u) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
v) Urban and peri- urban agriculture
w) Biotechnology
x) Agricultural Urbanism
y) Biodynamic Agriculture
2. Definition of each word based on official source
a) Food Value Chain (FVC) basically comprises of most of stakeholders who usually
take an active part in coordinated production as well as certain activities that usually
add value that are mostly required to manufacture good quality food products (Willett
et al., 2019).
b) Food System Development Paradigm usually consist of four different types of
feedback loops that are mostly related to social, environmental sustainability as well
as economic factors that have direct impact on hunger, poverty as well as nutrition
(Seyfang & Smith, 2007).
c) These type of diets usually take into account different types of dietary concerns that
have low level impact on environment and therefore contribute towards security of
food as well as nutrition and thus promote healthy lives for generations in the present
as well as future.
d) Agroecology usually refers to sustainable methods of farming that is usually centred
round production of food therefore makes best utilization of most of the natural goods
as well as services while taking care that resources do not get damaged.
e) Sustainable intensification leads to focus on three areas associated with sustainability
towards environment, provision of adequate supplies of nutrients to animals as well as
human beings that are to be taken care during intensification of issues associated food
security measures.

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
f) Complex food systems comprises of a complicated web of various activities that
usually involve production, processing, transportation as well as consumption of food
and issues that arise usually concern food systems that mostly abide by governance as
well as production of food.
g) Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS) is a type of Joint project
activity that mostly concerns the programme that is mostly related to Geosphere and
Biosphere at international level that involve various biological researchers to
investigate on the vulnerability associated with food systems for human beings
(Fresco, 2009).
h) CSA is another term that usually help in description of various stages that a food
product undergo through as it transforms into organic food products that are impacted
due to social or physical presence.
i)
3. Rewriting each word in own words
a) While explaining the particular word to a friend or a stranger it can be said that that it
is a type of food chain that generates profit and also generate various benefits for
economy as well as society and it has a neutral impact on the environment.
b) This term can be explained as through incorporation of catalytic support, generally
positive forms of feedback loops usually have impact on behavioural changes of
people towards consumption and contribution towards value creation help in
achievement of goals associated with sustainable development.
c) This term in simpler language can be explained as consumption lists of people that
meet the requirements of essential nutrients and also overcome certain ecological
problems such as loss associated with biodiversity as well as climate changes.

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
d) This type of farming method actually helps to improve soil as well as improve
conditions of growth of plants through availability of biodiversity as well as biomass
and thus able to create stability between availability of food as well as protection of
ecosystems.
e) This particular term can be explained such that it is an essential requirement for
intensifying several issues pertaining that are related to environmental problems as
well as health.
f) In simpler ways, complex food systems gives a holistic sort of approach associated
with food that is usually adopted in order to identify as well as analyse various
impacts as well as feedback of various systems that help in enhancement of measures
of food security.
g) Impacts due to GEC have wide number of adaptation options towards improvement of
strategies that are utilized on changing the conditions at environment as well as
socioeconomic standards.
h) CSA is usually defined as that it is a process by which different products undergo
different types of procession methods that usually increase productive capacities of
land.
4. Pillar of sustainability standards that those words fall under
Most of the words fall under the category of social as well as Environmental and words like
Food crises and Alternative Food systems fall under the category of all.

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
Part 2:
Definition of sustainability both officially as well as personally
Sustainable Food Systems is defined officially as a type of food system that usually
help in delivering security measures towards food as well as nutrition for people in such ways
so that various social, environmental as well as economic bases help to generate security
towards food as well as nutrition for people who belong to future generation.
Sustainability in food approaches can be attained by gradual adaptation towards local
as well as cultural contexts and control of emissions of greenhouse gases from different levels
of food chain.
Meaning of the term and changes undergone during this particular course
Sustainability framework is usually agree with set of important sustainability issues and
various measures towards food security can find implementation at various levels at national
levels, operational as well as supply chain units and this ultimately contributes a great deal
towards achievements of sustainability in food chains that can be verified and contribute
towards health standards
Interests according to sustainability standards
Main interest concerns over assessment of various tools as well as assessment techniques that
can be utilized to achievement good nutrition and thus meet health standards.
Application of sustainability that would help an individual to become successful chef in
future
Knowledge of methods of being able to achieve sustainability standards would actually help
an individual in becoming a renowned chef as he or she would come to know methods by

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
which various tasty food preparations can be made without wasting much resources and he or
she would also come to know many green technologies by which good food can be cooked
without posing much harm towards the society (Brklacich, Bryant & Smit, 1991).

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
Reference List
USDA National Agriculture Library - http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/sustainable-agriculture-
definitions-and-terms-related-terms
Why Food Security Learning Centre Local & Regional Food Systems Glossary
-http://www.whyhunger.org/programs/fslc/topics/local-a-regional-food-systems/
glossary.html
Brklacich, M., Bryant, C. R., & Smit, B. (1991). Review and appraisal of concept of
sustainable food production systems. Environmental Management, 15(1), 1-14.
Fresco, L. O. (2009). Challenges for food system adaptation today and tomorrow.
Environmental science & policy, 12(4), 378-385.
Willett, W., Rockström, J., Loken, B., Springmann, M., Lang, T., Vermeulen, S., ... & Jonell,
M. (2019). Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets
from sustainable food systems. The Lancet, 393(10170), 447-492.
Seyfang, G., & Smith, A. (2007). Grassroots innovations for sustainable development:
Towards a new research and policy agenda. Environmental politics, 16(4), 584-603.