Summary
Global agrifood systems generate substantial environmental, health, social, and economic externalities that remain largely invisible in market prices. True Cost Accounting (TCA) is an emerging framework to make these “hidden costs” visible and inform more sustainable food system decisions. However, studies on TCA remain fragmented across framework development, methodologies, and empirical applications. We conducted a systematic literature review to (i) trace the evolution of TCA, (ii) compare methodological practices, and (iii) synthesize empirical application patterns. Our review started with around 3600 records for initial screening, narrowing to 53 papers on TCA related to agrifood systems. We first consolidated dispersed TCA initiatives into an integrated three-phase timeline: conceptu
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