2009 AFHVS presidential address: the steering question: challenges to achieving food system sustainability

In this address I examine the challenges of achieving food system sustainability. Starting from the position that most people want a food system that is sustainable and that we have a great reservoir of unapplied technical knowledge applicable to increasing sustainability, I argue that the big issue is collective decision-making to accomplish the goal of sustainability. Using the metaphor of a sailing ship, I raise three questions about steering collectively toward sustainability: What do we want? What are our options? And, how do we decide among the options?.