Global food systems face the daunting task of nourishing an estimated 8.23 billion people by 2025 while minimizing environmental damage and ensuring nutritional security. Unsustainable practices are accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion, jeopardizing long-term food production. Malnutrition, encompassing both undernutrition and obesity, remains a significant barrier to human and economic development. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) demands a transformation of food systems, prioritizing nutritious diets, reduced food waste, and sustainable agriculture. Alarmingly, progress against hunger has stagnated in recent years. The 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicates a moderate score of 18.3 globally, a minimal improvement from 2016. This obscures stark regional disparities, with Africa South of the Sahara and South Asia experiencing the most severe hunger, driven by factors such as high undernourishment, child mortality, and persistent challenges in diet quality and economic stability. The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025 shows a nearly 5% rise (13.7 million) in people needing urgent food and livelihood support, increasing from 281.6 million in 59 countries in 2023 to 295.3 million in 53 countries in 2024. This is the sixth consecutive annual increase, driven by updated assessments and worsening severe food insecurity in 19 countries, outweighing improvements in 15 others. Although fewer countries were reported, expanded analysis revealed new areas of severe food insecurity. The affected population share grew slightly from 21.5% to 22.7%. In East Africa, Sudan saw 5.3 million more people facing severe food insecurity, totaling 25.6 million (54% of its population), mainly due to conflict. In West Africa and the Sahel, Nigeria’s affected population rose by 6.9 million to 31.8 million, driven by conflicts, high inflation, and wider data coverage. This research aims to develop a roadmap for achieving sustainable food systems through policy interventions, technological innovations, and behavioural changes, ultimately fostering a resilient and equitable future where all have access to healthy diets.

This Research Topic aims to transform global food systems for environmental sustainability and nutritional security through actionable, interdisciplinary strategies. Bridging agriculture, nutrition, environmental science, economics, policy, and behavioural science, it addresses challenges hindering SDG 2 progress. We encourage submissions exploring, but not limited to, the following themes: • Sustainable Agricultural Intensification: Resource-efficient practices, soil health, and integrated pest control for increased productivity with minimal environmental harm.

• Climate-Smart Agriculture: Practices enhancing productivity and climate resilience while reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

• Food Loss and Waste Management: Innovative technologies, policies, and strategies to minimize food loss and waste throughout the entire supply chain.

• Dietary Diversity and Nutrition Security: Interventions transforming food systems to promote nutritious and diverse diets, especially for vulnerable populations

• Policy and Governance for Sustainable Food Systems: Effective policies driving sustainable food production, food security, and equitable access to nutritious diets.

• Technological Innovations in Food Systems: Evaluating technologies (e.g., precision agriculture, alternative proteins) for efficient, sustainable, and resilient food systems.

• Consumer Behaviour and Food Choices: Influencing consumer choices through education, labeling, and marketing to promote healthier, more sustainable diets

• Resilience and Adaptation to Shocks: Diversification, risk management, and social safety nets for food system resilience against climate, economic, and pandemic impacts

• The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Integrated approaches to optimize resource use and minimize environmental impacts by addressing interdependencies between water, energy, and food systems.

Trade and Supply Chains: Leveraging global and regional trade for equitable, sustainable food systems supporting local production and universal access to nutritious food

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

A Roadmap for Sustainable Food Systems: Prioritising Diets and Eradicating Hunger (SDG 2)