The Transforming Food Systems Under a Changing Climate initiative began with work packages on five key areas,
each of which produced a paper to inform this report. The papers, listed below with their authors, are available at
www.transformingfoodsystems.com
Over 100 partners have come together in a new initiative to identify pathways for food systems transformation. The initiative focuses on six elements of a transformation among which: Empowering farmer and consumer organizations, women and youth; Catalyzing action; Digitally enabled climate-informed services; Climate-resilient and low-emission practices and technologies; Innovative finance to leverage public and private sector investments;Reshaping supply chains, food retail, marketing and procurement;Fostering enabling policies and institutions.

Building on the 6 elements of the action plan, the authors have identified 5 areas with the potential to redefine the way food systems function. These five areas became the work packages of the Initiative, which commissioned a paper on each area. The papers bring together a wide range of partners to deliver key messages for these areas and galvanize action in them.

The four action areas for food systems transformation for climate change adaptation and mitigation are: 1) Reroute farming and rural livelihoods to new trajectories, to deal with greenhouse gas emissions, reduce inequality, address gender and incentivize climate-resilient practices.

Our food systems are failing us. This is the overarching message from the wealth of literature on food systems.1 Analysis by Bene and colleagues finds that this growing body of literature focuses on four main types of failures: food systems’ inability (i) to produce greater quantities of food to feed a growing world population, (ii) to meet nutritional needs, and (iii) to benefit everyone equally and equitably, with both over- and underconsumption rife in current food systems, plus (iv) the negative impacts of food systems on the environment and natural resources.1 Last but far from least, climate change is increasingly having severe negative impacts on food systems, while food systems themselves are part of the problem through direct and indirect emissions.2 Our score for the global food system: cause for grave concern.