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

Participate in this topic

Submit your idea

You will be redirected to our submission process.

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 25 August 2025 | Manuscript Submission Deadline 13 December 2025

  2. This Research Topic is still accepting articles.

    1. Check author guidelines

Background

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.

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

TE Dr. Olutosin Ademola Otekunrin PiLAF, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/749028/overview?utm_source=searchPeople

Prof. Isaac Busayo Oluwatayo https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/2042105/overview?utm_source=searchPeople

Dr. Yetunde Olawuyi https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/3074022/overview?utm_source=searchPeople

Prof. Samuel A.O. Adeyeye https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/735252/overview?utm_source=searchPeople

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Community Case Study
  • Conceptual Analysis
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Community Case Study
  • Conceptual Analysis
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review
  • Opinion
  • Original Research
  • Perspective
  • Policy and Practice Reviews
  • Policy Brief
  • Review
  • Systematic Review
  • Technology and Code

Keywords: Food Security; Resilient Food Systems; Sustainable Agriculture; Climate Change; SDG2 (Zero Hunger); Healthy Diets; Malnutrition; Food wastes

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.

Submit your idea

You will be redirected to our submission process.

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript