The Food System Model is a human activity system involving interactions between people and key components of the system:

1. producing plants and animals for food and related products;
2. processing plants and animals into food products for human consumption;
3. transporting, storing, and marketing food products to consumers;
4. studying the nutritional and health aspects of the foods humans consume;
5. the waste products subsystem from production and consumption of food; and
6. the educational aspects that relate to all of these components in order to have safe food in sufficient quantities for a healthy life.