Report on Transforming Global Food Systems through Innovation and Sustainable Development

1.0 Introduction: The Critical State of Global Food Systems

Global food systems are facing unprecedented stress, primarily driven by climate change, which threatens both lives and livelihoods. This situation directly jeopardizes the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 1 (No Poverty). The urgency is compounded by a challenging global funding environment, impacting progress towards SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

2.0 Core Challenges to Food System Sustainability

2.1 Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, creating significant agricultural challenges. This directly impedes progress on SDG 13 (Climate Action).

• Unprecedented heatwaves are affecting agricultural productivity in Europe and the United States.
• Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, who produce up to 70 percent of the region’s food, are confronting the highest temperatures recorded since the dawn of agriculture. This vulnerability undermines food security and progress towards SDG 2.
• Meeting the projected tripling of demand for cereals in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050 without sustainable yield increases would require massive cropland expansion, threatening biodiversity and exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions, in conflict with SDG 15 (Life on Land).

2.2 Shifting Financial and Geopolitical Landscapes

The financial context for development is undergoing significant change, creating obstacles for food system transformation.

• Official Development Assistance (ODA) is under strain.
• Geopolitical tensions are diverting donor priorities towards defense spending, reducing the available resources for development and climate action, which is critical for SDG 17.

3.0 Innovation as a Catalyst for Sustainable Transformation

Accelerating access to innovation for smallholder farmers is a primary lever for progress. Strategic investment in technology is essential to enable farmers to increase productivity, improve incomes, and protect the environment, thereby advancing multiple SDGs simultaneously.

3.1 Strategic Areas for Technological Investment

A holistic, food-systems approach requires rapid investment in a new generation of technologies and practices that support SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

1. Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Fast-tracking the development of improved crop varieties and livestock that are resistant to drought, heat, and pests, alongside a shift to naturally resilient crops like millet and sorghum.
2. Digital Advisory Services: Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deploy advanced, mobile-based advisory tools and weather forecasting to optimize planting decisions.
3. Sustainable Inputs: Accelerating the adoption of green fertilizers to restore soil health and reduce the environmental impact of farming.

4.0 Case Study: Climate-Smart Innovation in Ethiopia

Ethiopia provides a compelling example of how innovation can drive progress at the field level. The Farmer.Chat application, an AI-powered tool, demonstrates the potential to achieve significant gains in agricultural sustainability and efficiency.

4.1 Application Features and Inclusivity

• The application provides extension agents with the ability to share highly personalized advice with farmers on fertilizer use, water management, and pest control.
• It operates in local languages and incorporates the specific preferences of women farmers, directly contributing to SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

4.2 Measured Impacts

• Increased Yields: Fertilizer advice alone increased crop yields by 38%, directly supporting SDG 2.
• Resource Efficiency: The yield increase was achieved without increasing the amount of fertilizer used, aligning with the principles of SDG 12.
• Cost Reduction: The cost of agricultural extension services was reduced tenfold, demonstrating a scalable and efficient model.

5.0 The Financial and Political Landscape for Scaling Innovation

5.1 Growing Political Will and Commitments

There is an alignment of global political will to prioritize innovation as a solution for food security and economic growth, a key component of SDG 17.

• The Kampala Declaration saw African agriculture ministers commit to mobilizing US$100 billion in public and private investment for African agriculture by 2035.
• This includes a commitment to fund agricultural research and development at a level of 1 percent of agricultural GDP.
• The IMF has highlighted technology adoption and innovation as central to its prescription for economic growth.

5.2 The Critical Climate Finance Gap

Despite political momentum, a significant financing gap remains a primary barrier to scaling up innovations for climate adaptation in agriculture.

• Food systems currently receive only 4 percent of total climate finance.
• Smallholder farmers, who are on the front lines of climate change, receive a mere 1 percent of total climate finance.
• High debt-servicing costs in many African nations limit the fiscal space for public investment in agriculture, even where political will is strong.

6.0 Conclusion and Path Forward

The current moment represents a critical juncture for global food systems. While smallholder farmers face immense challenges, targeted investment in innovation offers a clear path toward transformation. The upcoming U.N. Food Systems Summit (UNFSS+4) presents a vital opportunity to translate momentum into concrete action.

6.1 Recommendations for Action

1. Unlock and Scale Financing: Mobilize private sector capital and direct a greater share of climate finance towards agricultural adaptation to close the funding gap, in line with SDG 13 and SDG 17.
2. Ensure Accessible Innovation: Support the development and deployment of innovations that are adapted to local contexts, accessible to all farmers, and reinforced by smart policy.
3. Centralize Food Systems in Global Dialogue: Position food systems transformation at the core of climate and development agendas, including the upcoming COP30.
4. Turn Commitments into Action: Leverage existing political commitments to ensure that financial resources are deployed effectively to support innovation at scale.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The article’s central theme is the transformation of food systems to ensure food security. It highlights that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa “grow up to 70 percent of the region’s food” and face challenges that threaten production. The goal is to enable them to “grow more food” through innovation.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• The article connects agricultural productivity with the economic well-being of farmers. It states that innovation will enable smallholder farmers to “earn more income,” directly addressing poverty reduction for a vulnerable population.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The article is framed around the impact of climate change on agriculture, mentioning “unprecedented heatwaves” and the need for farmers to adapt. It promotes “climate-smart farming” and solutions to build resilience against climate-related risks.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article acknowledges the role of women in agriculture by mentioning that the Farmer.Chat app “has the preferences of women farmers baked into its design,” indicating a focus on empowering women and ensuring they have access to new technologies and knowledge.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The core solution proposed in the article is innovation. It calls for investing in “a new generation of technologies and practices,” such as AI-powered advisory tools, improved crop varieties, and green fertilizers, which aligns with promoting technological progress and innovation in the agricultural sector.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article emphasizes the need for global cooperation and financing to achieve food system transformation. It discusses the strain on “official development assistance,” the need to unlock “private sector capital” and “climate finance,” and highlights international commitments like the “Kampala Declaration” and the “Baku to Belém Roadmap.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women… The article directly supports this by focusing on accelerating “access to innovation for smallholder farmers” to “grow more food, earn more income,” and specifically notes that new tools are designed with “women farmers” in mind.
• Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices… This is addressed through the call for “climate-smart farming,” shifting to “naturally resilient crops like millet and sorghum,” and using “green fertilizers to restore soil health” to protect the land and limit environmental impacts.
• Target 2.a: Increase investment… in agricultural research and extension services, technology development… The article explicitly calls for “smart investments” in innovation, highlighting the need to fast-track “improved crop varieties” and deploy “AI to deploy next-level mobile phone-based advisory tools.” The Kampala Declaration’s commitment to fund “agricultural research and development” is a direct example.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events… The article highlights that smallholder farmers are “battling temperatures higher than in any year since the dawn of agriculture” and proposes building their resilience through technologies that help them adapt to “drought, heat, and pests.”

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article’s focus on providing farmers with tools like “weather forecasting,” “drought” and “heat” resistant crops, and AI-powered advice directly aims to strengthen their adaptive capacity to climate change.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.3: Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources. The article points out the inadequacy of current funding and calls for mobilizing “Private sector capital” and “climate finance” to supplement strained official development assistance.
• Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation… The entire article is a plea to accelerate “access to innovation for smallholder farmers,” which involves technology transfer and international cooperation, as discussed in the context of the U.N. Food Systems Summit and COP30.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Volume of production per labour unit / Income of small-scale food producers (Target 2.3): The article provides a specific metric from an impact study in Ethiopia, where fertilizer advice from the Farmer.Chat app “increased crop yields by 38 percent.” This directly measures an increase in productivity. The goal to help farmers “earn more income” is another key indicator.
• Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture (Target 2.4): While not giving a current figure, progress could be measured by the “adoption of green fertilizers” and the shift to “naturally resilient crops like millet and sorghum,” as advocated in the article.
• Total official flows (official development assistance) for agriculture (Target 2.a): The article mentions that “official development assistance” is “under strain,” implying this is a tracked indicator. It also cites the “Kampala Declaration” commitment to mobilize “US$100 billion in public and private sector investment” and funding “agricultural research and development to the tune of 1 percent of AgGDP,” which are clear financial indicators.
• Adoption and implementation of national disaster risk reduction strategies (Target 1.5 & 13.1): The adoption of “climate-smart farming” practices and the scaling of tools like the “Farmer.Chat app” by the Ethiopian government through four states can be seen as an indicator of implementing strategies to reduce climate-related risks for farmers.
• Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships (Target 17.3): The article provides specific figures that serve as indicators for climate finance, noting that food systems receive only “4 percent of climate finance” and smallholder farmers receive just “1 percent of total climate finance.” Increasing these percentages would be a measure of progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: foodtank.com