May 2025

The True Cost of Food: Transforming Food Systems with True Cost Accounting

Based on the report, “Recommendations and high impact areas for policy interventions,” this policy brief presents recommendations for effective measures to support the transition towards sustainable and healthy diets. It introduces True Cost Accounting (TCA) as a systems-based approach that reveals the hidden environmental and health costs embedded in our food systems. By identifying high-impact foods—such as red and processed meat—that impose significant external costs not included at the point of sale but borne by society, the brief builds a strong evidence base for policy action. It concludes with targeted policy recommendations divided into regulatory, fiscal and financial, and informational measures, offering support for the transition towards sustainable and healthy diets.

Authors

Anna Berlina, Leneisja Jungsberg, Louise Ormstrup Vestergård, Marlene Ohlau, Olivia Riemer