An authoritative reference on food system transformation and how it can be achieved in the face of climate change.

This open access book is the result of an expert panel convened by the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and Nature Sustainability. The panel tackled the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 head-on, with respect to the global systems that produce and distribute food. The panel’s rigorous synthesis and analysis of existing research leads compellingly to multiple actionable recommendations that, if adopted, would simultaneously lead to healthy and nutritious diets, equitable and inclusive value chains, resilience to shocks and stressors, and climate and environmental sustainability.

If the world is to transition towards agrifood systems that are more sustainable and equitable, small-scale production systems will be key to progress. Large parts of the world depend on small-scale systems for maintaining food security and nutrition (Lowder, Sánchez and Bertini, 2021; Herrero et al., 2017). Despite this centrality, neither small-scale production systems nor small-scale producers have received due recognition under predominant agrifood systems paradigms. This paper analyzes the diversity of small-scale producers and demonstrates how understanding small-scale production can have consequences for how policies and investments are directed and how they impact small-scale producer livelihoods. The diverse roles and functions of small-scale production are presented as being essential to realizing sustainable agrifood systems transformations and respecting its social, environmental and economic dimensions. Constraints faced by small-scale producers in accessing the assets, financial and knowledge services and market positioning that can support profitable livelihoods are examined. This publication provides recommendations for expanding the potential of small-scale producers for sustainable agrifood systems transformations across the following areas: create an enabling environment to support the multifunctionality of small-scale production; address the economic and social marginalization of small-scale producers; ensure the political voice and participation of small-scale producers in agrifood systems governance; increase access of small-scale producers to natural and productive resources; improve access to financial services; improve the market positioning of small-scale producers; support the co-creation and exchange of knowledge and innovation for sustainable small-scale production.

What are the key drivers of change in agrifood systems? What challenges do these drivers present to achievement of sustainable food and nutrition security at global, regional, and national scales? How can agricultural technologies, natural resource management practices, and investment in infrastructure address these challenges in ways that manage trade-offs, protect natural capital, and sustain the provision of ecosystem services? PIM researchers analyzed the consequences of a number of key drivers for the future development of food systems. The primary focus has been on climate change, population and income growth, food prices, and their combined effects on dietary preferences, health, and the environment, as well as on the role of changing technology and responses to investments in key components of the food system. A body of work comprised of ground-breaking original research and review studies was made possible by the successful building of a community of practice on foresight that brought together researchers across CGIAR with collaborators from academia and centers of excellence all over the world.

This comprehensive report provides an overview of the objectives, speakers, and outcomes of each session of the second edition of the FAO Science and Innovation Forum (SIF) 2023. The SIF, a pivotal component of the annual flagship World Food Forum, unfolded from 18 to 20 October 2023 at FAO headquarters. Centered around the theme of leveraging science and innovation for the transformative enhancement of agrifood systems in the context of climate action, the Forum fostered discussions aimed at identifying concrete actions. It served as a platform for strategic deliberations on the nuanced ways in which science, technology, and innovation contribute to vulnerability, impact, and capacities, crucial for reshaping agrifood systems and bolstering climate action. Noteworthy attendance marked the event, with a total of 8 967 registrants, comprising 4 000 in-person participants and 7 153 virtual attendees representing diverse global backgrounds. The Forum featured the insights and perspectives of nearly 150 speakers drawn from academia, research, business, government, non-governmental organizations, farmers' organizations, young entrepreneurs, and Indigenous Peoples. These experts actively contributed to the discourse through engaging roundtables and panel discussions.