In just a few years, 'food systems transformation' has become a widely used term in the food and agriculture sector, gaining significant global attention, particularly at the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. Its importance cannot be overstated, as it brings together several areas that are critical to the future well-being of people and the environment. Food systems provide the foundation for global food security, nutrition, and livelihoods of almost eight billion people. At the same time, current unsustainable food systems are driving several intersecting social, ecological and health crises of global concern, and jeopardizing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The persistent and growing issues of hunger, food-borne diseases, poverty, environmental degradation, and climate change call for a fundamental transformation of food systems. 

However, despite increasing international attention and calls for food systems transformation, it remains unclear what transformation means in different contexts, how it can be achieved and how seeming trade-offs between policies or various sustainability goals can be overcome. As the term becomes increasingly overused, it risks losing its clarity and focus, with little consensus on its specific goals or the pathways to achieve them. 

TMG aims to address these challenges by contributing to a systemic understanding of food systems transformation. As part of the Assessment and Communication of Climate Impacts of Food (CLIF) project, coordinated by WWF and funded through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), we developed a series of reports. This FORESEE (4C) series  explores the intersections between food systems and four critical crises: Climate, (Post-)Covid, Conflict, and Costs. 

Our approach: 

• Comprehensive review of international food systems literature and conferences and analysis of political and conceptual frameworks

• Workshops with the CLIF Expert Advisory Group, consisting of a multi-disciplinary group of international experts with diverse backgrounds, including social and political sciences, food security, agriculture, health and nutrition, human rights, Indigenous Peoples, trade, food economics, biotechnology, climate change, natural resource management and biodiversity 

• Online Expert Consultations and international debates 

The results: 

• 2 Scoping studies

• 5 Strategic Reports on food systems transformation

• A Blog series

• Dissemination of the results in 17 webinars and at 4 high-level events 

In our report series, we propose a set of actionable approaches to achieving meaningful change of agri-food systems.  Some highlights of our report series: 

Using a decision-support tool to guide the transformation: To ascertain the agents ("who") and drivers ("what") pivotal for the successful transformation of agri-food systems we developed the  Agri-food Systems Transformation Protocol. It serves as a decision-support tool at the strategic and operational level to guide diverse actors in the development of systemic solutions for sustainable agri-food systems. The Protocol proposes a four-stage and nine-step iterative process that can guide the development of transformation pathways in different contexts and at different levels of implementation.

Establishing a multi-level governance framework: Acknowledging the lack of international consensus on driving factors of Food Systems Transformation and the necessary agents supporting its implementation globally, we advocate for a  multi-level governance framework, incorporating global agreements (primarily the three Rio Conventions - CBD, UNCCD, and UNFCCC), national pathways, and local implementation. As stewards of the environmental pillar of the 2030 Agenda, the Rio Conventions can play a stronger role in steering food systems transformation by jointly monitoring agri-food systems' impacts, issuing annual reports, and recommending pathways to meet international targets in collaboration with Member States. Our proposal is detailed in an open letter to the heads of the three conventions.

Uncovering and tackling hidden costs: Addressing hidden costs is crucial for sustainable food systems transformation. Economic systems often privatize profits while externalizing costs, such as environmental damage and rising healthcare expenses. These hidden costs, exceeding USD 10 trillion annually according to the  FAO’s SOFA 2023  and 2024 report (informed by our  background paper), surpass the global GDP contribution of food systems, highlighting a destructive imbalance. True Cost Accounting (TCA) integrates economic, environmental, social, and health factors into decision-making, fostering sustainable development. Our fifth report outlines pathways such as Beyond GDP frameworks, sustainability reporting, public procurement, and consumer labelling to embed TCA in policies and practices, aligning food systems with sustainable economic models.