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Food systems transformation requires science–policy–society interfaces that integrate existing global networks and new knowledge hubs

Nature Food volume 4, pages 1–3 (2023)Cite this article

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Sustainable food systems are key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but food systems fall short on multiple fronts as they place pressure on natural capital and ecosystem services while generating significant greenhouse gas emissions. To future-proof food systems, the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) called for a transformation of food systems that guarantees equitable access to affordable, healthy, and safe food, produced in fair and environment-friendly ways. Such a transformation will be challenging1,2.

Efficient science–policy interfaces (SPIs) that effectively bridge the local to global span of food systems in a coordinated way will be key to transformation. Effective SPIs need to support six key functions: forecasting and monitoring, capacity building, data collection, independent assessment, engagement and diplomacy3,4. We, the members of a European Commission high-level expert group (HLEG), have suggested three pathways to achieve effective SPIs: (a) strengthening and adapting existing SPIs with additional resources and a broader mandate to engage across the food sector and across scales and engage with society, (b) enhancing the multilateral institutions’ capacity to cooperate with member states and fund a series of task forces to fill priority knowledge and data gaps, and (c) creating a global coordination hub comprising multilateral institutions through collective investment in a ‘network of networks’3,4.

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Fig. 1: A potential food systems SPSI from a network of existing knowledge hubs and SPIs.

References

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the work and report prepared by the European Commission HLEG on International Platform for Food Systems Science, along with the discussion with key stakeholders (for example, FAO, One CGIAR, UNFSS scientific committee, industries and general public). The HLEG is an independent panel constituted by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation to advise on the need, potential, feasibility, options and appropriate approaches for SPIs to support food systems transformation. The views expressed in this article represent those of the authors. This manuscript is an independent exercise that addresses the implication of the HLEG report in light of ongoing debates around these issues.

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Author notes

  1. Jemimah Njuki

    Present address: UN Women, New York, NY, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia

    Brajesh K. Singh

  2. Arrell Food Institute and Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    Evan D. G. Fraser

  3. Irish Government’s Special Envoy for Food Systems, Dublin, Ireland

    Tom Arnold

  4. Center for Latin America Studies (CLAS), Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Patricia Biermayr-Jenzano

  5. Athena Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jacqueline E. W. Broerse

  6. Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University Di Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Gianluca Brunori

  7. University of Montpellier, Cirad, ART-DEV, Montpellier, France

    Patrick Caron

  8. Université Catholique de Louvain, Leuven, Belgium

    Olivier De Schutter

  9. European Commission- Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Brussels, Belgium

    Karen Fabbri & Magdalena Gajdzinska

  10. Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

    Shenggen Fan

  11. School of Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University, Washington, DC, USA

    Jessica Fanzo

  12. Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Mirjana Gurinovic

  13. European Food Safety Authority, Parma, Italy

    Marta Hugas

  14. Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London, London, UK

    Jacqueline McGlade

  15. National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

    Christine Nellemann

  16. International Food Policy Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya

    Jemimah Njuki

  17. Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) and Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Hanna L. Tuomisto

  18. Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Helsinki, Finland

    Hanna L. Tuomisto

  19. Thriving Solutions, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Seta Tutundjian

  20. Agriculture Economics and Rural Policy Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Justus Wesseler

  21. Centre for the Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

    Roberta Sonnino

  22. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    Patrick Webb

Authors
  1. Brajesh K. Singh
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  17. Jemimah Njuki
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  18. Hanna L. Tuomisto
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  20. Justus Wesseler
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  21. Roberta Sonnino
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  22. Patrick Webb
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brajesh K. Singh.

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Competing interests

The authors are members of the European Commission HLEG, on International Platform for Food Systems Science. The HLEG acts independently and in the public interest.

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Singh, B.K., Fraser, E.D.G., Arnold, T. et al. Food systems transformation requires science–policy–society interfaces that integrate existing global networks and new knowledge hubs. Nat Food 4, 1–3 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00664-y

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