Communication and advocacy for food systems transformation

Advocacy involves intentional efforts to influence policies and practices, enhance institutions, reshape power dynamics, and modify attitudes and behaviours. This section will not focus on the principles and phases of advocacy, but will provide input for consideration when framing the key advocacy messages related to food systems transformation. The framework in Figure 9 highlights the different phases of advocacy, which include concepts that have already been covered in the previous sections of this guide, such as stakeholder mapping, causal analysis and policy analysis. For further reading on the principles of advocacy and the advocacy framework, please refer to the Resources and tools section.

Figure 9. Advocacy process

Source: Neely, C., Bourne, M., Chesterman, S. & Smith Dumont, E. 2020. Resilient Food Systems Tailored SHARED Toolbox – Enhancing inclusive and evidence-based policy development. Rome, FAO.
https://doi.org/10.4060/cb2344en

Effective advocacy involves crafting messages that resonate with the political landscape, merge seamlessly with national development plans, and underscore the mutual benefits of food systems transformation for the nation and its people. It is about framing the narrative in a way that not only addresses the current challenges but also inspires political will and commitment to a sustainable and resilient future.

Effective advocacy processes inherently demand continuous flexibility and adaptability. It is essential to consistently refine messages to exert the maximum impact on relevant audiences.

Let us look at some examples for consideration when framing key messages for advocating for food systems transformation.

1) WHY do we need to transform food systems?

Considerations for key messages [examples]:

Transforming food systems is pivotal for a sustainable future, directly contributing to national priorities such as poverty reduction, improved health and nutrition, and economic growth, propelling progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. Food systems transformation has the potential to eradicate hunger, enhance nutrition, and ensure food security. In addition, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and protects the environment, builds resilience, and supports decent work and gender equality, all in an economically sustainable way.
It is estimated that 1.23 billion people are employed in food systems and that 3.83 billion people worldwide live in households linked to food systems-based livelihoods. ⁸ Therefore, the transformation of food systems holds immense potential for job creation and poverty reduction, particularly in rural areas where most of the poor live. By embracing innovation and sustainable practices, this shift can generate employment opportunities across the entire food value chain, from production to distribution, ultimately fostering inclusive economic growth. You may use global data as per above, or national data when available.
Food systems transformation holds the potential for significant catalytic and multiplier effects across all SDGs (you may bring examples from your country’s SDG or national targets). Efforts to transform global food production are closely intertwined with the imperative to boost the productivity and incomes of farmers, particularly considering that a significant portion of the world's extremely poor reside in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.
By enhancing the productivity and economic well-being of farmers, we can simultaneously address the restoration of degraded land and curb further deforestation for food production, thereby contributing to the mitigation of climate change effects. When integrated with shifts happening beyond the realm of food, particularly towards adopting low-emission energy sources, food systems transformation can play a crucial role in ensuring that global warming remains well below 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. Transforming food systems within planetary boundaries, considering their significant interaction with the planet, holds the potential to enhance environmental sustainability and advance environmental targets in countries, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation of natural resource degradation, and preservation of biodiversity.
Transforming food systems would also provide economic benefits, estimated to be at least "USD 5 to 10 trillion" a year globally, equivalent to 4 to 8 percent of global GDP in 2020.⁹ Channelling investments towards multiple outcomes can help foster a more integrated approach rather than a siloed one. By aligning efforts across sectors such as agriculture, health, and environmental conservation, investments can yield synergistic benefits, addressing interconnected challenges like hunger, malnutrition, and climate change simultaneously. This holistic approach maximizes the impact of investments and the achievement of the SDGs.

2) WHAT needs to be done to transform food systems?

Considerations for key messages [examples]:

Transforming food systems requires a multilayered approach involving everyone. It needs collaboration among diverse stakeholders, coherent and holistic policies, inclusive and participatory governance, transparent and accountable monitoring, and investment from various sources. This includes unity between science, technology and local knowledge. We need to increase funding for research, infrastructure development, and programmes that support sustainable food production and consumption. By enacting bold economic measures that incentivize sustainable practices and working together on these fronts, we can build a future where food systems nourish people and the planet. Food systems need to transform in a more sustainable manner to generate food security in the present, not compromising the well-being of future generations.
Governments must integrate food systems strategies into national policies, establish inclusive food systems governance, invest in research, data, innovation, and technology capabilities, encourage business involvement, and ensure accountability for sustainability. This involves ensuring the full participation of marginalized groups and securing long-term, concessional finance to facilitate the transformation of food systems.
Evidence shows that if women had the same access to agricultural inputs as men, that alone could reduce the number of hungry people by 150 million¹⁰. Governments must tackle the prevailing inequalities within food systems, which prioritize urban markets over rural producers and favour large-scale operations over small-scale ones, to ensure that the transition is a "just" process for both rural and urban populations, aiming to reduce inequality and all forms of inequity rather than exacerbating them, leaving no one behind.
These disparities pose threats to land tenure for women and Indigenous communities and create barriers that hinder small-scale farmers.

3) HOW can the UN help?

Considerations for key messages [examples]:

As the United Nations, we recognize the critical importance of transforming our food systems to ensure sustainable and equitable access to nutritious food for all. Food systems are at the heart of achieving multiple SDGs including Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Climate Action, and Sustainable Cities and Communities. This is also backed by science, as reflected in the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023,developed by an independent group of scientists.
The UN's convening power and global influence uniquely position the UN system to catalyse action and drive transformative change in food systems worldwide. For instance, in 2021, the UN Secretary-General convened world leaders, civil society, and private sector partners at the UN Food Systems Summit in Rome. This significant event was followed by a Stocktaking Moment in 2023, aimed at sharing commitment and progress towards goals that were made during the 2021 UNFSS and identify successes, enduring bottlenecks and priorities, to close the implementation gap by effectively and efficiently utilizing means of implementation for food systems transformation. Summit provided a platform for countries to share their food systems journeys, and led to the launch of the Secretary-General's Call to Action for accelerated food systems transformation.
Our network of specialized agencies possesses the expertise necessary to support countries and stakeholders in addressing the complexities of food systems.
By leveraging our convening power, the UN can support national and global dialogues and convene multistakeholder platforms and knowledge-sharing among governments, civil society, academia and the private sector. Through these dialogues, we can identify context-specific challenges and opportunities, co-create innovative solutions, and build consensus on policy priorities for food systems transformation.
The UN system can provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to governments to strengthen their institutional frameworks, policies and multistakeholder platforms, foster collaboration and ensure contribution to multiple outcomes across the food systems. The UN supports policy reform and strategic planning to mainstream the food systems approach, and gathers evidence, case studies and best practices that support the transformation of food systems to enhance sustainability and resilience. Additionally, we can support the inclusion of a vision for sustainable food systems through the development and revision of CCAs and UNSDCFs.
The UN can help mobilize financial resources and partnerships to support countries in implementing their food system strategies and action plans. This includes facilitating access to funding mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund and the SDG Fund, as well as forging partnerships with philanthropic organizations, development banks, and the private sector to leverage additional resources for food systems transformation.

Linking food systems transformation to the key transitions: examples of key messages

Transition	Key message
Jobs and Social Protection	A significant portion of the global workforce (nearly 1.23 billion people) is directly employed in the agrifood systems sector. By directing investments into sustainable agricultural practices, developing local food value chains, and fostering innovation within the food industry, opportunities for new employment can be generated. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) an investment of USD 1 million in sustainable agriculture could potentially create approximately 17 million new jobs. Therefore, transforming food systems presents a significant opportunity to create decent jobs, particularly in rural areas, while also promoting social protection. These efforts contribute to poverty reduction and improved livelihoods.
Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss	The current food systems are a major contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss. Food systems are responsible for an estimated 21–37 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions which are a major driver of climate change. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) reports that human activities, including agriculture, have led to the loss of around 1 million species threatened with extinction. The global food system is the primary driver of this trend. Agriculture alone is an identified threat to 24 000 of the 28 000 (86 percent) species at risk of extinction.¹¹ The transformation of food systems is crucial in mitigating these threats. This includes promoting climate-smart agricultural practices, advocating for sustainable farming practices that protect habitats and reduce reliance on land conversion, allowing wildlife to thrive alongside food production, reducing food waste, and conserving of natural resources. Adopting these approaches can help build a food system that nourishes people while protecting the planet.
Education	Education plays a vital role in food systems transformation. By integrating knowledge about sustainable food production, healthy eating habits, and responsible consumption into education systems, we can empower future generations to be informed participants in building a more sustainable and equitable food system. For example, educational programmes can raise awareness about the environmental and social impacts of food choices. This empowers consumers to support sustainable practices through their buying habits, driving demand for food produced responsibly.
Energy access and affordability	The shift towards sustainable food systems can contribute to improved energy access and affordability. Promoting practices that require less energy-intensive inputs and supporting the development of renewable energy sources within the food chain can create a more energy-efficient food system, reducing costs and improving energy security for all. Improving access to affordable energy can play a crucial role in addressing food loss and waste, which both undermine the sustainability of our food systems. When food is lost or wasted, all the resources used to produce this food, including water, land, energy, labour and capital, go to waste. Food loss and waste can also negatively impact food security and food availability, contributing to higher food prices. In turn, all of the above exacerbate access for vulnerable populations.
Digital connectivity	Digital connectivity enhances food systems transformation by enabling data-driven decision-making, improved information sharing, and efficient resource management across the entire food chain. Better use of data and digital technology can help connect the world’s 570 million farms to 8 billion consumers, help improve crop yields, reduce waste, lower costs, and decrease pollution, all of which go a long way in reducing inequality and global hunger.¹²

Below are additional resources from which you can extract key points for structuring messages for advocating food systems transformation. Tailor the messages to your specific country contexts in terms of hunger statistics and priority areas for transformation.

Resources and tools

TITLE AND CITATION	DESCRIPTION
Key policy advocacy messages of the One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme. 2022. Key advocacy messages (‘Message House’). One Planet Network. https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/sites/ default/files/from-crm/OPN%2520SFS% 2520Programme_Key%2520adv ocacy%2520messages_v28OC T2022_final.pdf	Provides the Sustainable Food System (SFS) programme’s key messages across six key areas relevant to the current policy debate on the transformation of our food systems.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World – Key messages FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2023. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023. Urbanization, agrifood systems transformation and healthy diets across the rural–urban continuum. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc3017en	Provides key messages of the analysis of global food and nutrition security, highlighting challenges, trends, and recommended actions for achieving sustainable solutions and the need for transformation. The statistics provided are useful in anchoring your key messages. Highlights core messages that provide rationale for transforming food systems.
Sixteen key messages that united the countries of the Americas on the road to the UN Food Systems Summit Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). 2021. Sixteen key messages that united the countries of the Americas on the road to the UN Food Systems Summit. In: IICA. San José. https://iica.int/en/press/news /sixteen-key-messages-united- countries-americas-road-un -food-systems-summit	Contains 16 key messages from the countries of the Americas about the critical role of agriculture, stressing that farmers and food systems’ workers are an essential and central chain in food systems. The messages define agriculture as a fundamental activity in eradicating poverty, driving rural development and protecting the natural environment. These ideas could be useful in devising key messages.
Food Systems Dashboard FSD–GAIN (Food Systems Dashboard – Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition). 2023. Food Systems Dashboard. Geneva, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.36072/db	Gives a complete view of food systems by bringing together data from multiple sources. This resource provides useful statistics and data that you can use in structuring your key messages.
A framework for advocating Resilient Food Systems in Africa Dumont, E.S., Neely, C., Chesterman, S., Gosling, A. & Chevallier, R. 2022. A framework for advocating Resilient Food Systems in Africa. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0541en	Reports on the Advocacy Learning Event facilitated by the Stakeholder Approach to Risk Informed and Evidence-based Decision-making (SHARED) Decision Hub and provides key elements of the SHARED Advocacy Framework, along with relevant case studies from RFS countries and others. All these offer essential guidance and principles of advocacy, which are useful for structuring and delivering impactful messages.

Previous section

Resources and tools

TITLE AND CITATION	DESCRIPTION
Key policy advocacy messages of the One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme. 2022. Key advocacy messages (‘Message House’). One Planet Network. https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/sites/ default/files/from-crm/OPN%2520SFS% 2520Programme_Key%2520adv ocacy%2520messages_v28OC T2022_final.pdf	Provides the Sustainable Food System (SFS) programme’s key messages across six key areas relevant to the current policy debate on the transformation of our food systems.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World – Key messages FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2023. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023. Urbanization, agrifood systems transformation and healthy diets across the rural–urban continuum. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc3017en	Provides key messages of the analysis of global food and nutrition security, highlighting challenges, trends, and recommended actions for achieving sustainable solutions and the need for transformation. The statistics provided are useful in anchoring your key messages. Highlights core messages that provide rationale for transforming food systems.
Sixteen key messages that united the countries of the Americas on the road to the UN Food Systems Summit Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). 2021. Sixteen key messages that united the countries of the Americas on the road to the UN Food Systems Summit. In: IICA. San José. https://iica.int/en/press/news /sixteen-key-messages-united- countries-americas-road-un -food-systems-summit	Contains 16 key messages from the countries of the Americas about the critical role of agriculture, stressing that farmers and food systems’ workers are an essential and central chain in food systems. The messages define agriculture as a fundamental activity in eradicating poverty, driving rural development and protecting the natural environment. These ideas could be useful in devising key messages.
Food Systems Dashboard FSD–GAIN (Food Systems Dashboard – Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition). 2023. Food Systems Dashboard. Geneva, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.36072/db	Gives a complete view of food systems by bringing together data from multiple sources. This resource provides useful statistics and data that you can use in structuring your key messages.
A framework for advocating Resilient Food Systems in Africa Dumont, E.S., Neely, C., Chesterman, S., Gosling, A. & Chevallier, R. 2022. A framework for advocating Resilient Food Systems in Africa. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0541en	Reports on the Advocacy Learning Event facilitated by the Stakeholder Approach to Risk Informed and Evidence-based Decision-making (SHARED) Decision Hub and provides key elements of the SHARED Advocacy Framework, along with relevant case studies from RFS countries and others. All these offer essential guidance and principles of advocacy, which are useful for structuring and delivering impactful messages.

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8 Davis, B., Mane, E., Gurbuzer, L.Y., Caivano, G., Piedrahita, N., Schneider, K., Azhar, N. et al. 2023. Estimating global and country-level employment in agrifood systems. FAO Statistics Working Paper Series, No. 23-34. Rome, FAO
10 FAO. 2011. 2010-2011. The State of Food and Agriculture. Women in Agriculture: Closing the gender gap for development.
11 Benton, T.G., Bieg, C., Harwatt, H., Pudasaini, R. & Wellesley. 2021. Food system impacts on biodiversity loss – Three levers for food system transformation in support of nature. London, Chatham House.
12 Schroeder, K., Lampietti, J. & Elabed, G. 2021. What’s Cooking: Digital Transformation of the Agrifood System. Agriculture and Food Series. Washington, DC, World Bank Group.

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UN Food Systems Task Force. 2025. Food Systems Thinking Guide for UN Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams – Working collectively towards food systems transformation.. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd0497en

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