Global leaders in true cost accounting for food share research at COP16 Biodiversity event hosted by CGIAR’s NATURE+

CGIAR’s Nature-Positive Solutions Initiative (NATURE+) brought together world-leading experts in True Cost Accounting (TCA) in food systems at the recent Convention on Biological Diversity in Colombia, or COP16. The event spanned the growing global body of TCA research and included recent NATURE+ findings in Kenya and Vietnam. 

Ms. Estefania Marti of True Price Foundation, representing the Global Partnership for the True Price of Food (GPTPF) and Mr. Marcel Beukeboom, chairperson of the UNFSS coalition True Value of Food Initiative spoke as experts at the event.  

We thank True Price’s Estefania Marti for this recap of the fast-paced, highly informative, and inspirational event. Original posting by CGIAR here. 

Have you ever considered the true cost of food?

On October 28, during Food Day at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, the CGIAR Pavilion hosted a session exploring True Cost Accounting (TCA) as a transformative roadmap for tackling systemic challenges biodiversity faces due to food systems. I had the privilege to present at this event, sharing insights from True Price’s work on TCA.

During his opening remarks, Carlo Fadda, the leader of NATURE+ and researcher at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (the Alliance), reminded us that while the global food system provides many safe, accessible, and convenient foods, the prices we pay often hide significant externalities. Agriculture contributes to over 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, is the leading driver of biodiversity loss (threatening 86% of species at risk of extinction), and 40% of the planet’s land are degraded.

10-plus years of TCA progress

The FAO SOFA 2024 report estimates that hidden costs in the global agri-food system amount to USD 12 trillion annually. However, as Anna Lappé highlighted during the event, “Data alone does not drive change. Transformation requires aligning data with values, principles, advocacy, and power-building.”

Similarly, Juan Lucas Restrepo, the Director General of the Alliance, stressed the importance of Food Days at COPs (which only started at the climate COP27 in 2022 in Egypt) as platforms to encourage cross-sectoral collaboration and inspire governments to adopt strategies with triple wins: biodiversity, climate and health.

From product true pricing to national studies

Sara Farley of the Rockefeller Foundation described TCA as a methodology that “makes the invisible visible and the implicit explicit.” She shared Rockefeller’s U.S. food system study, which revealed that the true cost of food is three times higher than what Americans pay at the counters. Building on this momentum, Rockefeller is now exploring specific policy interventions, such as using public procurement to improve farmer relationships. In Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, they are working with local partners to analyze the benefits of shifting school meals, for example moving away from refined to fortified whole grains. Kenya’s has a new national school lunch policy to ensure 50% of meals use climate-smart and regenerative practices by 2030.

Linking supply and demand

At True Price, we have developed a methodology to calculate true costs at the product level, working with food retailers and catering businesses in the Netherlands to implement true pricing pilots. These initiatives have engaged consumers, raised awareness of hidden costs, and influenced policy and programming. For example, the True Cost of Kenyan Coffee study, conducted with the Impact Institute, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and others, has provided actionable insights for stakeholders, while our ongoing assessment in Ethiopia focus on capacity building among researchers and local actors together with the International Livestock Research Institute.

However, as Tania Eulalia Martínez-Cruz warned in the TMG blog series, “TCA could theoretically address power imbalances, but it might also reinforce them if applied without safeguards that protect fundamental rights.” At True Price, we support a rights-based approach, ensuring transparency extends beyond monetization to safeguard human rights and equity.

Connecting the dots: country- and farm-level insights

Rui Benfica from IFPRI demonstrated how TCA connects commodity-specific assessments to farm-level realities. For instance, in Kenya, low crop prices often force farmers to rely on family labor, while in Vietnam, the use of chemical inputs drives high environmental costs. By combining these insights researchers can derive policy recommendations to balance agricultural development while minimizing externalities. (Benfica and colleagues’ recent research paper can be explored here.)

Scaling TCA: The Role of Multilateral Organizations

During the panel, Marcel Beukeboom, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN in Rome, asked: “What’s next? How can we scale and ensure others use these methodologies?” Panelists seemed to agree multilateral organizations can help further drive TCA’s adoption by connecting ministries and sectors, translating data into actionable insights, and aligning subsidies and investments with sustainability goals.

For example, Peter Goodman of the World Bank emphasized that “not everything should be monetized,” but where valuation is possible—such as with ecosystem services—it provides a crucial basis for repurposing subsidies and guiding investment decisions. He noted, “As more data becomes available and technology drives costs down, TCA will become mainstream.”

Andrea Cattaneo from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations highlighted TCA’s potential to translate data into meaningful impacts for people. He emphasized the importance of sharing TCA assessment experiences with decision-makers to ensure policies are informed by comprehensive insights rather than focusing solely on the biggest costs.

From COP16 to action

As discussions on food systems transformation evolve, TCA promises to remain an important approach. Whether at the farm, national, or global level, it has the potential to inform policy, foster collaboration, and guide investments. I am happy to be part of this exciting field, and I hope the momentum from COP16 helps us drive progress toward a more sustainable and equitable future for people and the planet.

A big thanks to Kristin Davis and Carlo Fadda from NATURE+ for organizing this event.

Want to get involved?

Join the Global Partnership on the True Price of Food , facilitated by True Price Foundation and Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP), through which we aim to scale the understanding and application of true pricing, ensuring that accessibility and equity remain at the core of food system transformation. We will also be engaging with TCA Accelerator in their upcoming Dialogue series. Stay tuned!

With edits and contributions from Kristin Davis and Sean Mattson, NATURE+ and NFP.