Humanity faces an unprecedented sustainability challenge, with food systems playing a central role. The global food system is among the largest drivers of environmental impacts, including climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, accounting for over a third of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly half of the planet’s biocapacity. As human populations and consumption demands continue to grow, the stability of key planetary systems is increasingly threatened. This working paper synthesizes knowledge on the European agri-food system, addressing two main objectives: 1) examining its current environmental and biodiversity impacts, alongside the potential of circularity to mitigate these effects, and 2) exploring how biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices are interconnected with and can be supported by shifts in food consumption.This working paper offers valuable insights into existing monitoring frameworks and methodologies, their ability to effectively capture environmental and biodiversity impacts, and key findings from their evaluations.

Preparation of this working paper has been co-funded by the European Environment Agency as part of a grant with the European Topic Centre on Biodiversity and ecosystems and expresses the views of the authors. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission or other institutions of the European Union. Neither the European Environment Agency nor the European Topic Centre on Biodiversity and ecosystems is liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of the information contained in this publication.