From Development to Nutrition: Tailoring food systems for sustainable and nutritional outcomes

The Dual Challenge
Today’s food production systems exist on a spectrum from small-scale, traditional farms to highly industrialized operations. Historically, the evolution of these systems has depended on many factors: climate and natural resources, farming methods, market access, infrastructure, policy, technology, and education. While traditional food systems are subsistence-oriented and often low-input, they lack critical support and are vulnerable to external shocks, leading to poor outcomes like food insecurity and resource degradation. In contrast, more developed systems may achieve higher productivity and social benefits but often at the cost of environmental sustainability through practices that exceed biophysical thresholds. This dual challenge, balancing social gains with environmental integrity—demands tailored strategies that reflect local realities and avoid simply replicating the industrial model.

Evolution of Food Systems: Opportunity and Risk
As food systems transition, the potential for social benefits, higher yields, incomes, and improved nutrition, expands. However, progress often comes with environmental trade-offs: increased greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and soil degradation. Recognizing that food systems evolve under unique circumstances, new and transitioning systems must be empowered to shape their own pathways—ones that align productivity with sustainability.

Tailoring as a Strategic Approach
To navigate this complexity, food systems must be deliberately tailored. This means aligning development goals with ecological realities and social needs. A one-size-fits-all approach risks undermining both productivity and sustainability. A key component of this tailoring is an understanding of biophysical thresholds, natural environmental limits such as soil fertility, water availability, and nutrient cycling. Respecting these thresholds ensures long-term viability.

Crop Nutrition as a Lever of Change
Crop nutrition is a foundational element of agricultural productivity and food quality. It must be matched to the unique characteristics of each farming system: Sustainable crop nutrition requires balancing input use with soil health and nutrient cycling capacity. For instance, phosphorus-deficient soils require targeted application, while high-input systems must guard against nutrient leaching and eutrophication.

Practical Framework: Matching System Needs with Nutritional Strategies
To develop sustainable and resilient food systems, it is critical to align the nutritional strategies of crops with the specific development stage of the farming system and the biophysical context in which it operates. This involves not only understanding the differences between traditional, organic, and conventional systems but also applying principles like 4R Nutrient Stewardship to guide responsible and effective nutrient management.

The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Concept
The 4R framework, applying the Right source of nutrients at the Right rate, at the Right time, and in the Right place, offers a science-based foundation for tailoring nutrient inputs across different farming contexts. It aims to maximize crop uptake, minimize losses to the environment, and support both productivity and sustainability.

• Right Source: Matching fertilizer type to crop needs and soil properties.
• Right Rate: Applying the correct amount to meet plant demand without excess.
• Right Time: Making nutrients available when crops can best absorb them.
• Right Place: Positioning nutrients where roots can access them efficiently, avoiding runoff or leaching.

In all systems, 4R Nutrient Stewardship can serve as a unifying principle guiding nutrient efficiency while aligning with each system’s developmental capacity and environmental context.

Conclusion: Pathways to Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security
Tailoring food systems to local conditions and development stages, while aligning crop nutrition with ecological limits, is essential for long-term sustainability. By integrating principles such as 4R Nutrient Stewardship and respecting biophysical thresholds, we can support food systems that are productive, resilient and nutritious. Through informed policies and adaptive farming strategies, stakeholders can guide food system transformation in a way that serves both people and the planet.

Key References
Fanning, A.L., et al. 2022. Nat Sustain 5, 26–36. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00799-z
Marshall, Q., et al. 2021. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 5:746512. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.746512
Montgomery, D.R., et al. 2021. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 5:699147. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.699147/full
Crews, T.E., & Rumsey, B.E. 2017. Lancet Planet. Health 1, e33–e42. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196%2817%2930007-4/fulltext
Wood, S.A., et al. 2021. Nat. Commun. 12, 5351. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8423801/
Tilman, D., et al. 2008. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 363, 789–813. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2610177/
Montgomery, D.R., & Biklé, A. 2022. PeerJ 10, e12848. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8801175/
Kumar, S., et al. 2024. J. Environ. Manage. 369, 122255. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479724014737
Shang, Y., et al. 2025. Npj Sustain. Agric. Food 3, 14. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-025-00066-0
Thangavelu, S., & Gopalan, V. 2024. Discov. Sustain. 5, 214. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44279-024-00078-3