Activate TCA in National and International Policy

Community Insights

Government leadership is critical to scaling TCA. Despite growing interest, policy integration remains limited due to institutional fragmentation, competing priorities, and short-term political incentives.

TCA offers a framework for more cohesive planning and decision-making, but this type of long-term, systemic thinking is often overlooked in planning and budgeting cycles that prioritize short-term gains. Policymakers need support to mount sweeping changes.

Stakeholders also highlighted the importance of inclusive policymaking to ensure food system reforms are practical, equitable, and responsive to local realities. They said broader citizen engagement and collaboration across the public, private, and civil sectors can build momentum for adoption. They noted:

• Integrating TCA into government planning and budget processes can improve policy coherence across issue areas and strengthen impact.
• Policymakers need clear, credible evidence of TCA’s benefits — supported by robust data and real-world examples — to identify where and how to apply it effectively.
• Entry points for adoption exist at every level of governance. National and subnational governments can embed TCA into planning, procurement, and subsidy reform, while multilateral institutions can align global commitments and standards.
• Treasury and finance ministries may be particularly receptive to TCA’s value in improving efficiency and return on public investment.
• Fragmented institutional structures and competing mandates impede adoption. Stronger coordination across ministries and multilateral institutions is essential to scale implementation.
• Political cycles and competing interests often discourage long-term or sweeping reforms. Connecting TCA to near-term wins can build momentum.
• Policymakers may be unduly influenced by powerful interests and disconnected from the on-the-ground realities of producers, consumers, and others who disproportionately bear the burdens of the agrifood system.
• Inclusive conversations are essential to ensuring transformation plans are equitable and grounded in real-world perspectives.