Can the UN Food Systems Summit Chart a New Food Future?
In this op-ed, TechnoServe's global director for local food systems transformation highlights key themes to consider at this critical juncture
By Dominic Schofield, Global Director for Local Food Systems Transformation, TechnoServe
Next week’s UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Addis Ababa should be a moment to spotlight progress toward building fair, sustainable, and healthy food systems. Instead, it risks being overshadowed by dramatic cuts in international aid that threaten to stall, or even reverse, the gains made in recent years.
This moment demands reflection and renewed resolve. Amid shrinking donor budgets and mounting global challenges, how can we still make meaningful progress in nurturing food systems that work for people and the planet?
Food Systems as a Post-Pandemic Priority
Four years ago, when leaders gathered for the UN Food Systems Summit, the world was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the pandemic’s wake, the number of people facing acute food insecurity nearly doubled. An additional 150 million people were undernourished. Another 112 million found themselves unable to afford a healthy diet.
In response to that crisis–and the strains that the conflict in Ukraine and climate change have placed on our food systems–the global community responded with a new level of urgency, cooperation, and ambition. Governments, NGOs, and the private sector paid greater attention to the central role food systems play in delivering health, opportunity, and environmental protection. Global leaders increasingly recognized the need for resilient local food systems.
How we sustain and scale this progress in a radically changed financial landscape is an urgent–and open–question. As leaders meet in Addis Ababa, there are three issues that are important considerations in answering it.
The Private Sector is More Critical than Ever–and It Must Evolve
Historically, efforts to transform food systems have focused primarily on public-sector programs and civil society-led initiatives. But markets have always played a leading role in shaping how we grow, process, distribute, and consume food. Today, there are growing efforts to ensure that local and international food businesses have a seat at the table, alongside increased expectations that the private sector deliver social and environmental impact.
This will only accelerate amid reduced investment from traditional donors. To meet the moment, we need new models of collaboration, collective action, and mutual accountability that see the private sector work more robustly alongside governments and civil society in the benefit of local communities.
The Millers for Nutrition coalition, for example, brings together local food-processing businesses in eight countries in an effort to scale food fortification across a number of dietary staples, reducing the incidence of debilitating and deadly disease. It works in partnership with global suppliers of fortificants and equipment, national governments, and civil society organizations to make safe, fortified food more accessible to low-income communities.
Food Sovereignty is Gaining Momentum
Another notable trend is the push for food sovereignty. The pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine revealed just how vulnerable many countries are to disruptions in global trade. Imported staple foods became scarce and expensive, underscoring the urgency of producing more food locally.
In response, many low- and middle-income countries—particularly across Africa—have elevated food sovereignty as a national priority. Re-orienting food systems around locally produced crops will require investment, innovation, and enabling markets that work for farmers and consumers alike.
One promising initiative is the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils, a global movement to promote regenerative agriculture and traditional, climate-resilient crops like sorghum, millet, and teff that are well suited to local growing conditions and dietary needs. But for these crops to truly supplement imported food in African markets, there must also be a thriving milling sector that can turn them into affordable, nutritious, and appealing products.
Technology is Driving Innovation and Trust
Technology is rapidly evolving, and this also represents an opportunity for food systems transformation. The booming AgriFoodTech sector in South and Southeast Asia and Latin America, the increased focus on traceability in many markets, and the astounding growth of AI tools for businesses all underscore technology’s importance–especially when it is adapted to the needs of local communities.
Technology has a particularly important role in (re)building trust in our food systems, reflected in the experience of the Micronutrient Fortification Index (MFI) in Nigeria. This industry-owned, independently verified public ranking scores major food companies on their efforts to fortify products with micronutrients. The participating brands represent more than half of Nigeria’s edible oil market, three-quarters of the flour market, and 93% of the sugar market.
Soon to publicly release its fifth set of results, the MFI has built public trust and created strong business incentives for companies to invest in the safety and nutritional quality of their products. The approach has been expanded to Kenya, and new efforts are underway to evolve this model to include fair trade and ESG metrics.
Towards a New Model
These are three important considerations as we face this pivotal moment. Even as we continue to advocate for smart investments and philanthropic and public-sector support, we must consider how to inspire all actors—governments, corporations, and communities—to commit and invest in a shared future.
No single institution will have all the answers. But if we act boldly now, we can still reshape food systems around shared values and shared accountability—before it’s too late.
