Food Systems Transformation in the Post-UNFSS+4: Achievements and Opportunities for Science-Driven Decision Making

“Science demands action,” stated the UN Secretary-General at the opening of the 2025 Climate Summit. Yet despite decades of evidence on the consequences of climate change for human health and well-being, coordinated efforts contesting scientific consensus are on the rise. As the 2030 Agenda deadline approaches, progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is faltering, while the world faces overlapping crises that threaten to breach planetary boundaries at irreversible levels and undermine food, health, and environmental security. One central challenge is how to translate the growing body of knowledge into actionable policy. Food systems exemplify global paradoxes: the rising cost of healthy diets alongside increasing child obesity; regions that feed the world yet struggle to nourish their own populations; and Africa’s mounting food import bill even as half of the continent’s fertile land remains underutilized. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the cost of a healthy diet remains the highest among global regions. These dynamics demonstrate both the urgency and the opportunity of food systems transformation. This presentation shares opportunities arising from the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action at the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment 2025 (UNFSS+4), showcasing how science must be supported to achieve sustainable and just food futures. Aligned with Japan´s priorities, three areas are particularly science-intensive and globally relevant: (i) the decarbonization of agriculture through biofertilizers, precision farming, and soil microbiome research; (ii) innovation in digital and smart farming, including robotics and artificial intelligence, to offset labor constraints and enhance efficiency; and (iii) responsible fisheries resource management, leveraging biotechnology and ecological science to secure healthy diets and reduce environmental pressure. By addressing these domains, and by confronting power asymmetries that hinder implementation, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and its Science cluster can enable over 150 countries to make knowledge-based decisions in the food–environment–health nexus, contributing to intergenerational well-being and global stability.