The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has called for bold action, increased investment and stronger partnerships to accelerate the transformation of global agrifood systems.
Rising from the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4), in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the theme: “Transforming Food Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity, the Director-General of FAO, QU Dongyu, underscored the critical role agrifood systems play in addressing interconnected global challenges — including food insecurity, climate change, environmental degradation, and inequality.”
he summit brought together world leaders, policymakers, farmers, youth advocates, private sector actors and development partners from across the globe to assess progress since the 2021 Food Systems Summit and chart the course towards 2030.
This edition focused on turning national food systems pathways into measurable outcomes, whilst spotlighting the role of inclusive finance, local innovation, and political leadership in driving transformation.
While addressing the delegates, which include world leaders, ministers, and other stakeholders, Dongyu noted that transformation is not a distant ambition, but already happening. “But the pace, scale, and coordination of our collective action would determine whether we succeed. The challenge now is not only action, but acceleration.”
In his remarks, the Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, Stefanos Fotiou, expressed satisfaction that governments have started to walk the talk of food systems transformation, noting that over 120 countries now have national food system pathways.
Throughout the summit, the discussions centred on the urgent need to mobilise finance for smallholder farmers, invest in climate-smart agriculture, and improve data and governance systems to support effective implementation.
The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in his address, stressed the need for global solidarity in tackling food insecurity and climate change. He outlined Somalia’s national efforts to boost agricultural production, empower rural communities, and strengthen public-private partnerships.
He also emphasised the importance of building sustainable market systems to support food system resilience, especially in fragile contexts. His remarks echoed a common theme at the summit: that local leadership and tailored solutions are vital to long-term progress.
For the three days the summit lasted, participants engaged in a series of investment dialogues, technical panels and regional consultations. Some of the sessions focused on food loss reduction, regenerative agriculture, nutrition-sensitive supply chains, and scaling innovative solutions through blended finance, where delegates emphasised the need for policy coherence, long-term investment, and collective action to build food systems that serve both people and planet.
The summit was wrapped up with renewed commitments and an urgent call to action, as it served as a global checkpoint highlighting progress made, identifying critical gaps, and reinforcing the shared responsibility of governments, private sector actors, and communities to act decisively and inclusively.
