One of the most pressing global challenges of our time is feeding a growing population of 10 billion people by 2050 a healthy diet produced sustainably. According to the landmark EAT Lancet Commission report, published in January 2019, this is possible but will require no less than a Great Food Transformation. Action is needed quickly, by all relevant stakeholders, to prevent risking falling short in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Practically all of the food consumed across the world is produced by farmers and supplied through agricultural value chains operated by the private sector. This puts both large, multinational enterprises and small and medium sized enterprises at the heart of transforming the global food system and meeting the targets for healthy diets and sustainable food production.

Based on the EAT-Lancet agenda and other target-setting initiatives for food system transformation, the Food and Agriculture Benchmark will evaluate companies in three main dimensions: environment, nutrition and social inclusion. These dimensions will be used to create a measurement framework that will inform the development of specific indicators to assess companies. It will build upon science-based targets, existing standards and accountability frameworks that are relevant for the three dimensions.

The benchmark will likely be conducted on an annual basis and aims to provide an evidence base to the dialogue around industry and company performance and drive action among stakeholders.