Giving Compass' Take:

• Food Tank interviews World Bank Senior Environmental Economist Dr. Gunars Platais about The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food report and what we can do to make our food system more sustainable.

• Platais advocates for reducing pesticide use and thinking beyond agriculture production. But the main takeaway is that we need more data to make informed policy decisions that will improve our eco-agri-food system.

• When it comes to evaluating food systems, people care when they see the cost.

Dr. Gunars Platais is a Senior Environmental Economist at the World Bank where he works to integrate environmental concerns into the policies of countries in Latin America, Africa, and Europe. He is a chapter author for the new report from The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood). The report evaluates the world’s agriculture and food systems while considering a range of social, human, and environmental dimensions across the value chain.

FOOD TANK: What is the best approach to changing our food system? Is it through international agreements? Grassroots efforts? The private sector?

PLATAIS: It’s going to require a mixture of a bottom-up and a top-down approach. At the grassroots level, consumers must become sensitized to the inefficiencies of the current system, whether that be through moral persuasion or the realization of the gravity of the situation. At the top, you have policymakers who have become more aware of the negative impacts of business as usual and are beginning to recognize the value of scientists and other technical advisors. The bottom line is that change requires both grassroots pressure and abundant scientific information to influence policymakers to make the right decisions. Change is also driven by international agreements that create a uniform and fair playing field for agricultural producers. It’s complex, but there is no use running from it.

Read the full interview with Dr. Gunars Platais about changing the food system at Food Tank.