Brent Loken

Due to complex interactions, changes in any one area of food systems are likely to impact—and possibly depend on—changes in other areas. Here we present the first annual monitoring update of the indicator framework proposed by the Food Systems Countdown Initiative, with new qualitative analysis elucidating interactions across indicators. Since 2000, we find that 20 of 42 indicators with time series have been trending in a desirable direction, indicating modest positive change. Qualitative expert elicitation assessed governance and resilience indicators to be most connected to other indicators across themes, highlighting entry points for action—particularly governance action. Literature review and country case studies add context to the assessed interactions across diets, environment, livelihoods, governance and resilience indicators, helping different actors understand and navigate food systems towards desirable change.

This Analysis presents a recently developed food system indicator framework and holistic monitoring architecture to track food system transformation towards global development, health and sustainability goals. Five themes are considered: (1) diets, nutrition and health; (2) environment, natural resources and production; (3) livelihoods, poverty and equity; (4) governance; and (5) resilience. Each theme is divided into three to five indicator domains, and indicators were selected to reflect each domain through a consultative process. In total, 50 indicators were selected, with at least one indicator available for every domain. Harmonized data of these 50 indicators provide a baseline assessment of the world’s food systems. We show that every country can claim positive outcomes in some parts of food systems, but none are among the highest ranked across all domains. Furthermore, some indicators are independent of national income, and each highlights a specific aspiration for healthy, sustainable and just food systems. The Food Systems Countdown Initiative will track food systems annually to 2030, amending the framework as new indicators or better data emerge.

Numerous studies have been conducted on swimmer's itch, but very few have been in Montana and none on Flathead Lake, the largest, natural freshwater lake in the western United States. We conducted a study to determine the prevalence of hosts transmitting cercariae causing swimmer's itch in this lake. Hosts for this life cycle were determined by direct observation of fresh waterfowl fecal material for the presence of miracidia, and snails for the presence of cercariae. Swimmer's itch-producing cercariae were verified directly by placing various species on the arms of human volunteers and waiting for a reaction. Results of the study were further substantiated using a controlled experiment in which snails were individually infected with miracidia from the suspected waterfowl host and then checked for infection after a 6-wk incubation period. Our findings show that the common merganser (Mergus merganser) and the snail Stagnicola elrodi were natural hosts of the swimmer's itch parasite (Trichobiharzia ocellata) with prevalences of 84% and 2.0%, respectively. To our knowledge this is the first documented case of S. elrodi transmitting the swimmer's itch cercariae.