> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://4revs.gitbook.io/handbook/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://4revs.gitbook.io/handbook/chapters/food-futures/value-compass.md).
# Value Compass
Three values from the 4Revs framework are vital to supporting food system change:
CIRCULAR: The most pressing issue within the global food system is a third of all food is wasted and a quarter of that is tossed in its original packaging. If measures such as designing out waste, closing the loop, and adopting circular business models are taken to reduce food waste, this also prompts actions like improving storage and transport systems, generating public awareness, and changing consumer behavior. Together these solutions could lead to substantial reductions in waste and carbon emissions.
SOCIAL EQUITY: The innovations and business models which focus on: improving nutritional food access for everyone; sharing the costs and resources to de-risk business for others; allowing communities to gain access to agricultural land and build new markets.
SYSTEMS THINKING: Businesses that take a holistic approach and have a fundamental understanding of relations and (hidden) dependencies as a result of their embeddedness, are more resilient, and have a greater capacity to recover from shocks and disasters.
DECARBONIZE: (Indirect) A prioritizaton of food waste reduction and plant-rich diets, which together could significantly curb carbon demand (e.g. reduced pesticides, fertilizers), deforestation, and associated emissions (e.g. food miles). Decarbonization solutions in the food sector center around addressing waste and dietary patterns, safeguarding ecosystems, implementing improved agricultural practices, promoting localization, and incorporating diversity into enterprise models and business design. What sets apart the most compelling innovations is the emphasis on circularity, social equity, and systems thinking approaches, which indirectly contribute to decarbonization.
Our global food system operates as a vast intricate network of numerous interconnected businesses, each contributing to its complexity. In the context of Food Futures, how exactly can we discern between technologies and business models that are contributing to the regeneration of soil, ecosystems, climate, cultures and human health and ones that are extending the life of the predominant extractive food system?
In the following sections, we are going to look at business cases that support a just transition of our food systems and principles that lead to the regeneration of the natural ecosystems they depend on, as well as a brilliant example of leadership from the city of Ghent in Belgium. Our insights are largely based on reviewing the 4Revs innovation cases.
