A systems thinking approach to examine local food systems planning through a climate-biodiversity-health lens: A Comox Valley case study

Abstract

Food systems are highly vulnerable to the effects of anthropogenic climate change and environmental degradation. At the same time, food systems contribute significantly to the production of greenhouse gases that negatively impact ecosystems. Such a vicious cycle of cause and effect demands a transition to sustainable food systems, and this is best done through integrated planning and policy perspectives that tackle interconnected socioeconomic and environmental concerns and goals. This research applies systems thinking to map relationships among food systems planning and other sustainability priorities, namely those related to climate, biodiversity, and health. The study engaged stakeholders in the Comox Valley region, British Columbia, to develop a causal loop diagram, which was subsequently analyzed using the Girvan-Newman community detection algorithm to identify closely connected nodes or 'clusters'. The results of this work provide a comprehensive understanding of how local food systems' challenges and opportunities connect and integrate with other local and regional sustainability objectives. The research identified 123 systems nodes, which were organized into five categories: food, climate, biodiversity, health, and governance. The community detection method was applied to reveal 15 clusters among these nodes. The methodology employed in this research, integrating the development of a causal loop diagram and applying community detection, is novel and contributes to the growing body of literature advocating for an integrated planning approach to address the complex challenges facing local and regional food systems.