International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Food Systems in the Anthropocene: An Econometric and Bioeconomic Perspective for Global Nutrition Security

This review examines the structural challenges of the global food system in the Anthropocene through an integrated econometric and bioeconomic perspective. Despite producing sufficient calories to feed the world, the current system simultaneously generates widespread malnutrition and severe environmental degradation. These outcomes are largely driven by economic frameworks that fail to internalise health and ecological externalities. Using a systematic review of the existing literature, combined with conceptual econometric modelling, the study analyses the relationships among dietary transitions, environmental pressures, and nutrition outcomes. Findings highlight the immense economic and social costs of current food systems. Global malnutrition in its various forms imposes an estimated burden of about $3.5 trillion annually, while the broader hidden costs of agri-food systems, including environmental damage and health impacts, are estimated to reach $10 trillion each year. The analysis also identifies reinforcing feedback mechanisms that sustain unhealthy consumption patterns and environmentally intensive agricultural practices. However, the review also reveals promising pathways for transformation. Approaches such as agroecology, crop diversification, and biofortification demonstrate strong societal returns by simultaneously improving nutrition, strengthening ecological resilience, and reducing long-term economic costs. The paper positions nutrition-sensitive food systems as a central mechanism linking multiple Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to health, climate action, and biodiversity. Ultimately, the crisis is interpreted as a governance and policy misalignment problem. A transition toward a health-oriented and environmentally restorative bioeconomy requires coordinated policy reforms, including subsidy restructuring, fiscal measures targeting unhealthy foods, and strategic public procurement to realign market incentives with human and planetary well-being.