Every day, tens of thousands of initiatives around the world are working to transform food systems. We call them “Beacons of Hope,” and each of them contributes inspiring, creative and necessary solutions to urgent global issues such as climate change, migration, urbanization and the need for healthier communities and more sustainable diets. By amplifying such stories and understanding their impact, we can connect diverse initiatives seeking food system transformation and strengthen our understanding of the transformation process. The Beacons of Hope (BoH) project applied an inclusive evaluation framework to analyze six innovative organizations across the four economic capitals—produced, natural, human and social—and identify their contribution to food system transformation. This facilitated a better understanding of the enabling factors for designing impactful alternative food systems that nourish current and future generations, while supporting social equality and keeping ecosystems and biodiversity intact.

The project team developed an interview guide to enable the BoH to identify major areas of impacts, their pathways and relevant data that demonstrates how True Cost Accounting can serve as both an analytical lens and a tool for change.

By disseminating the findings, the project contributed to a broader understanding of the positive impacts and cumulative benefits of food systems that are managed for health, sustainability and equity. It also served as counter to the dominant narratives of the industrial food system (such as technocracy, privatization and productivism) by marshalling concrete evidence in favour of the urgent need for food system transformation.