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Background: A food system transformation is needed to address food and nutrition security, minimise impacts on planetary health, reduce climate change emissions, and contribute to equity, diversity, and the Sustainable Development Goals.Scope and approachThis paper summarizes findings of the European Commission's High Level Expert Group on Food Systems Science, which reviewed obstacles that prevent food systems policy from achieving society-wide impacts. These barriers include knowledge and translation gaps in food-related science-policy-interfaces (SPIs), insufficient attention to the priorities of diverse stakeholders, and a failure to adequately consider equity, diversity, political economy, and societal engagements.Key findings & conclusionsThree potential pathways can ensure science and policy support food systems transformation: (1) Adapt the current SPI landscape with extra resources and a wider mandate to ensure coordinated action across the full food system, (2) Enhance the current policy landscape with a range of multisectoral taskforces designed to fulfill specific functions such as creating an enhanced food systems data portal, and (3) Establish a “network of networks” to provide both global coordination as well as organize defined agendas at global through to regional scales. In embarking on these pathways, a revised science-policy-society landscape (SPSIs) should deliver the following core functions: (1) Engage and empower multi-stakeholder dialogue; (2) Build capacity at multiple scales to translate evidence into tangible real-world outcomes; (3) Ensure access to openly accessible data for the entire food system; (4) Use models, forecasts, and scenario building exercises to explore the potential future of food systems; (5) Produce assessment reports and policy publications; and (6) Establish fora for diplomacy that will be empowered to create standards set targets and establish policy.

The European Commission established a High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) to assess the needs and options for strengthening science-policy interfaces for improved food systems governance1. The HLEG concluded that food system transformation, needed more than ever due to the current food crisis triggered by the invasion of Ukraine, must be better supported through ambitious, interlinked science-policy-society interfaces. While elements of these interfaces exist, much more is needed. The HLEG makes the following recommendations: - multilateral governance organisations, such as the European Commission and the UN, should fully adopt a food system lens in all their investments and activities - one that links food producers through to processors and consumers by empowering all relevant stakeholders, diverse voices and geographical regions; - in adopting a food system lens, governance organisations, including national governments and regional bodies, should work collectively to connect stakeholders across all scales, convene regular multistakeholder dialogues, anticipate trends, set targets, articulate policy options, debate progress to fuel action at different levels and address trade-offs; - in terms of the global community, the current landscape of science-policy-society interfaces must be strengthened to engage a wider range of voices, integrate data, anticipate trends and set targets and standards. To support these ambitions, the HLEG proposes three pathways. RECOMMENDED PATHWAY 1: adapt the current landscape to include additional resources and broader mandates. Multilateral governance (e.g. cooperation between the European Commission and the UN) should strengthen and adapt existing science–policy interfaces using additional resources and under a broader mandate for engagement across sectors and scales. RECOMMENDED PATHWAY 2: enhance the current landscape with multisectoral task forces. Multilateral institutions should cooperate with participating countries to fund a series

Calls for food system transformation to strengthen synergies between socio-economic and environmental goals have been growing in recent years. As yet, however, insights from theoretical debates have not been tested against the actions and perceptions of food system actors. To add empirical weight to this debate, we focus on a region in the north of England where the Covid-19 crisis has challenged the embeddedness of linear thinking and siloed policy approaches. Based on an exploration of the potential of ‘circular food economies’, the analysis provides insights into the capacity of ‘city-regions’ to reorientate food system dynamics towards sustainability objectives.

The anticipated failure of many countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 necessitates the assessment of science-policy engagement mechanisms for food systems transformation. We explore options for enhancing existing partnerships, mandates and resources - or reimagining a new mission - for science-policy interfaces.

Background: Food systems are associated with severe and persistent problems worldwide. Governance approaches aiming to foster sustainable transformation of food systems face several challenges due to the complex nature of food systems. Scope and approach: In this commentary we argue that addressing these governance challenges requires the development and adoption of novel research and innovation (R&I) approaches that will provide evidence to inform food system transformation and will serve as catalysts for change. We first elaborate on the complexity of food systems (transformation) and stress the need to move beyond traditional linear R&I approaches to be able to respond to persistent problems that affect food systems. Though integrated transdisciplinary approaches are promising, current R&I systems do not sufficiently support such endeavors. As such, we argue, we need strategies that trigger a double transformation - of food systems and of their R&I systems. Key Findings and Conclusions: Seizing the opportunities to transform R&I systems has implications for how research is done - pointing to the need for competence development among researchers, policy makers and society in general - and requires specific governance interventions that stimulate a systemic approach. Such interventions should foster transdisciplinary and transformative research agendas that stimulate portfolios of projects that will reinforce one another, and stimulate innovative experiments to shape conditions for systemic change. In short, a thorough rethinking of the role of R&I as well as how it is funded is a crucial step towards the development of the integrative policies that are necessary to engender systemic change - in the food system and beyond.