LocationsThe Food and Power Initiative makes major advances at Wilton Park
August 28, 2025
UNDP initiated an innovative collaboration, the Food and Power Initiative (FPI), in 2024 to explore how food systems are shaped by deeply entrenched and often invisible power structures. After almost a year of incubation and co-creation with global experts, FPI concluded its first phase of analysis, exploration and partnership-building, culminating in a major global dialogue held from 23–25 June at Wilton Park, UK. The event brought together 50 experts from government, civil society, academia, UN agencies, and other sectors, creating space for honest and open dialogue on how power dynamics shape food systems, and how partnerships and action can help shift them toward resilience, equity, and sustainability.
Building fairer food systems requires examining where decision-making power lies—who determines what is produced, how it is grown, and how benefits are distributed. These decisions are shaped by invisible power structures—and they’re at the heart of why our food systems are failing people and the planet. From unequal access to resources to corporate concentration and global disparities in trade and governance, these dynamics are among the most critical levers for systemic change. Making them visible opens the door to deeper conversations, stronger collaboration, and more effective technical assistance.
By working at the intersection of food and power, UNDP aims to accelerate transformation—for nature, for farmers, and for future generations. The Food and Power Initiative aims to better understand how these power dynamics work and help stakeholders and communities to better navigate them to drive change. It will serve as a platform to incubate, support, and coordinate strategic interventions, establish communities of practice (CoPs), and act as a knowledge and strategy hub.
Reflections from the Wilton Park event
The Wilton Park dialogue, served as a milestone in the development of FPI providing a unique space for participants to bring their expertise to the table around food and power and build collection action to help accelerate food systems. Wilton Park, an Executive Agency of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, is known for its expertise in convening global leaders and facilitating constructive dialogue on some of the world’s most complex and sensitive issues.
Building on their knowledge, food systems professionals—from government representatives to experts and practitioners across the globe—explored real-world experiences and reflected on what it takes to reduce power imbalances in food systems and how we can work together to build collective action that achieves meaningful food systems transformation. The diversity of perspectives and experiences was essential for understanding the complexity of this issue and will be central to how this initiative moves forward.
“Power dynamics are among the most important levers of change, while also often left unaddressed because they are invisible and hard to tackle. Therefore, the concept of making this invisible power more visible so it can be discussed, addressed, and supported through mainstream technical assistance has huge potential to accelerate transformation.”Andrew Bovarnick, UNDP Food Systems Global Head.
What’s next
UNDP, as host of FPI, will now work with partners to expand the evidence base, expand the partnership, facilitate national dialogues, and co-create tools to help countries better understand, navigate and address power dynamics at both country and global level.
This global dialogue was only the beginning of a bold new phase—a collaborative effort to pilot approaches that make power visible—and re-balance it to support fairer, more sustainable food systems that truly work for people and the planet. The Food and Power Initiative is a call to rethink not only what can change in food systems—but who can be empowered to lead that change.
Learn more about the Food and Power Initiative and how to get involved.