What do we know about the future of food systems?

Keith D. Wiebe and Elisabetta Gotor

in IFPRI books from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Abstract: Food systems have achieved remarkable progress in recent decades, but moving forward, they will face significant challenges in delivering the many outputs and services we expect and need. This book presents a collection of short chapters on the current state of knowledge about different aspects of the future of food systems, written by a diverse group of scientists from around the world with expertise in a wide range of related disciplines and regions. Each chapter examines a particular aspect of food systems, describes recent trends and challenges that highlight the importance of the topic, summarizes the latest available foresight research on that topic, and identifies key gaps in existing foresight research that merit further attention. In a world of complexity and uncertainty, the goal of this book — and the purpose of foresight analysis, more generally — is not to predict the future with precision, but rather to carefully consider and present what can be known about possible future pathways in order to inform choices today. The collection includes 15 chapters focused on major drivers and impacts of change in food systems, 11 chapters that provide regional and national perspectives on the future of food systems, 7 chapters on the future of major food commodities, and 3 chapters on food systems measurement and modeling tools. The contributors come from across CGIAR and many other partner research institutions around the world. This collection was begun as part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on Foresight during the 2022–2024 period and completed as part of the ongoing area of work on foresight and prioritization under the CGIAR Science Program on Policy Innovations.

Keywords: food systems; forecasting; natural resources; policies; uncertainty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-07-21
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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175019

Chapters in this book:

Ch 1 What are food systems and what can we know about their future? , pp p. 1-5

Keith D. Wiebe and Elisabetta Gotor

Ch 2 What do we know about the future of poverty in relation to food system transformation? , pp p. 8-12

Karl Pauw, Paul A. Dorosh, Wenqian Xu and Jean Balié

Ch 3 What do we know about the future of diets and nutrition? , pp p. 13-21

Timothy B. Sulser, Marie T. Ruel and Shakuntala H. Thilsted

Ch 4 What do we know about the future of gender equality in relation to food system transformation? , pp p. 22-27

Elizabeth Bryan, Marilia Magalhaes, Ranjitha Puskur, Nicoline C. de Haan, Els Lecoutere and Hazel J. Malapit

Ch 5 What do we know about the future of the environment and biodiversity in relation to food systems? , pp p. 28-33

Elisabetta Gotor and Cargele Masso

Ch 6 What do we know about the future of food systems in relation to climate change? , pp p. 34-40

Timothy S. Thomas and Aditi Mukherji

Ch 7 What do we know about the future of agrobiodiversity in relation to food systems? , pp p. 41-44

Nicola Cenacchi, Elisabetta Gotor, Athanasios Petsakos and Benjamin Schiek

Ch 8 What do we know about the future of crop pests and diseases in relation to food systems? , pp p. 45-49

Athanasios Petsakos, Carlo Montes, Diego Pequeno, Benjamin Schiek and Kai Sonder

Ch 9 What do we know about the future of land in relation to food systems? , pp p. 50-53

Richard D. Robertson, Nicola Cenacchi and Abhijeet Mishra

Ch 10 What do we know about the future of water in food systems? , pp p. 54-59

Claudia Ringler, Matthew P. McCartney and Mohsin Hafeez

Ch 11 What do we know about the future of energy and food systems? , pp p. 60-63

Channing Arndt

Ch 12 What do we know about the future of food systems innovation? , pp p. 64-72

Daniel Mason-D'Croz, Mario Herrero, Cody Kugler, Rosaline Remans, Philip K. Thornton and Heather Zornetzer

Ch 13 What do we know about the future of food trade? , pp p. 73-80

Joseph W. Glauber and Sherwin Gabriel

Ch 14 What do we know about the future of urbanization in relation to food systems? , pp p. 81-84

Paul A. Dorosh and James Thurlow

Ch 15 What do we know about the impacts of the next El Niño on agrifood systems? , pp p. 85-90

Jawoo Koo and Weston Anderson

Ch 16 What do we know about the future of food assistance? , pp p. 91-96

Steven Were Omamo

Ch 17 What do we know about the future of food systems in West and Central Africa? , pp p. 98-102

Dolapo K. Enahoro, Charles Mensah and Sika Gbegbelegbe

Ch 18 What do we know about the future of food systems in East and Southern Africa? , pp p. 103-108

Kindie Tesfaye Fantaye, Faaiqa Hartley, Timothy S. Thomas, Sika Gbegbelegbe and Sherwin Gabriel

Ch 19 What do we know about the future of food systems in Central and West Asia and North Africa? , pp p. 109-114

Aymen Frija

Ch 20 What do we know about the future of food systems in South Asia? , pp p. 115-120

Swamikannu Nedumaran, Judy Thomas, Ravi Nandi, Jyosthnaa Padmanabhan and Victor Afari-Sefa

Ch 21 What do we know about the future of agrifood systems in Southeast Asia? , pp p. 121-124

Nhuong Tran, Harold Glenn Valera, Chin Yee Chan, Valerien Olivier Pede, Yee Mon Aung and Ronald Jeremy Antonio

Ch 22 What do we know about the future of food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean? , pp p. 125-131

Valeria Piñeiro, Guy Hareau and Robert Andrade

Ch 23 What do we know about the future of agriculture in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay? , pp p. 134-138

Nicolas Jorge, Silvia Kanadani Campos, Juan Pablo Gianatiempo, Vanessa da Fonseca Pereira and Valeria Piñeiro

Ch 24 What do we know about the future of agriculture systems in China? , pp p. 139-144

Xinru Han, Xiangdong Hu and Kevin Z. Chen

Ch 25 What do we know about the future of food systems in India? , pp p. 145-150

Sedithippa Janarthanan Balaji, Pratap S. Birthal and Barun Deb Pal

Ch 26 What do we know about the future of the agrifood system in Indonesia? , pp p. 151-158

Erizal Jamal, Sahara Sahara, Syahid Izzulhaq, Syarifah Amaliah, Fahmi Salam Ahmad, Komalawati Komalawati, Pihri Buhaerah, Ifan Martino, Wulan Metafurry, Dadang Jainal Mutaqin, Irfan Thofiq Firdaus, Dewi Setyawati, Angga Pradesha, Vivi Yulaswati, Irfan Syauqi Beik, Irwanda Wisnu Wardhana, Jarot Indarto, Agus Eko Nugroho, Bustanul Arifin and Tahlim Sudaryanto

Ch 27 What do we know about the future of the agrifood system in South Africa? , pp p. 159-163

Ferdi Meyer, Louw Pienaar, Tracy Davids and Mmatlou Kalaba

Ch 28 What do we know about the future of animal-source foods and food systems? , pp p. 166-171

Dolapo K. Enahoro, Daniel Mason-D'Croz, Mario Herrero, Charles Mensah and Isabelle Baltenweck

Ch 29 What do we know about the future of aquatic foods in global agrifood systems? , pp p. 172-176

Chin Yee Chan, Nhuong Tran, Yan Hoong, Timothy B. Sulser and Yee Mon Aung

Ch 30 What do we know about the future of maize value chains in a changing climate and agrifood system? , pp p. 177-182

Kindie Tesfaye Fantaye, Kai Sonder, Diego Pequeno, Faaiqa Hartley and Sika Gbegbelegbe

Ch 31 What do we know about the future of pulses in global and regional agrifood systems? , pp p. 183-190

Sika Gbegbelegbe, Wupe Msukwa, Swamikannu Nedumaran and Arega D. Alene

Ch 32 What do we know about the future of rice in relation to food systems? , pp p. 191-195

Harold Glenn Valera, Valerien Olivier Pede and Ronald Jeremy Antonio

Ch 33 What do we know about the future of roots, tubers, and bananas in relation to food systems? , pp p. 196-200

Evelyne Kihiu, Guy Hareau, Sika Gbegbelegbe, Robert Andrade, Athanasios Petsakos and Arega D. Alene

Ch 34 What do we know about the future of wheat? , pp p. 201-207

Gideon Kruseman, Kai Sonder, Diego Pequeno, Matthew Reynolds and Aymen Frija

Ch 35 What do we know about the future of measuring food systems? , pp p. 210-215

Jessica Fanzo, Bianca Carducci and Michael Puma

Ch 36 What do we know about the future of food demand, production, and food security based on IMPACT model projections? , pp p. 216-222

Nicola Cenacchi, Timothy B. Sulser and Abhijeet Mishra

Ch 37 What do we know about the future of foresight modeling related to food systems? , pp p. 223-229

Keith D. Wiebe, Aline Mosnier, Daniel Mason-D'Croz, Athanasios Petsakos, Johannes Svensson and Monika Zurek

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