Reimagining Food Systems for People and Planet: Highlights from UNDP at the UNFSS+4

Reflections and outcomes from UNDP’s participation at the UN Food Systems Summit +4 in Ethiopia

August 28, 2025

The UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake, co-hosted by the governments of Ethiopia and Italy in collaboration with UN agencies, took place from 27 to 29 July 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The global summit convened over 3,500 participants, including 145+ national delegations and more than 700 non-state actors. The summit was an important moment for the global community to come together and take stock of progress countries have made on food systems transformation since the first summit in 2021.

UNDP at the forefront of collaborative action for food systems

UNDP co-led with FAO the high-level session "Listening to Practitioners: Barriers and Enablers of Food Systems Transformation". The session explored how to move from ambition to action, and how real change happens when diverse actors come together around inclusive governance, policy coherence, and collective learning. The discussion brought together ministers, parliamentarians, civil society, and researchers sharing grounded experiences from different countries and regions including the Solomon Islands, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Switzerland and Brazil, emphasizing the importance of trust-building, inclusion and joint planning.

The session explored potential obstacles to food systems transformation, underscoring governance as a central lever for change. Speakers consistently pointed out the need for inclusive governance mechanisms that bring the voices of local communities, women and youth into decision-making, ensuring food systems agendas are jointly shaped and power asymmetries addressed.

On behalf of UNDP, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa and leader of the UNDP delegation to the UNFSS+4 summit, closed the session. In her remarks, she highlighted the importance of South-South cooperation platforms and global solidarity. She also reinforced key messages from the UNDP White Paper on Food Systems Transformation, particularly the need to address structural power imbalances and embed food systems within broader governance and development agendas.

Attendees seated at a conference, engaging with laptops and notes in a formal setting.

Conference attendees seated in a large hall, listening to speakers at a panel discussion.

A large conference room filled with people seated in rows, facing a presentation screen.

The UNFSS process has put food systems transformation more firmly on the global agenda. Countries have taken action by putting in place national food systems pathways and better coordination mechanisms, reflecting a growing understanding that transforming food systems is essential to achieving climate, biodiversity, and development goals. However, the UNFSS+4 stocktake also demonstrated that much remains to be done, as food insecurity remains high, healthy diets remain out of reach for many, and unsustainable practices in food production and processing continue.

The summit was characterised by strong participation from African governments and a growing recognition of agroecology, which was spotlighted by the UN Secretary-General in his opening statement

A highlight came with the announcement by Bhutan’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho, who shared that his country will host the first Global Conscious Food Systems Summit in 2026. UNDP-convened Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA) will proudly co-host with the Government of Bhutan this visionary Summit.

“Bhutan is taking a mindfulness approach to food systems transformation (…) Inviting the world to imagine not just about how we farm and eat, but how we think about food and make mindfulness investments,” said Bhutan’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Lyonpo Younten Phuntsho.

What’s next

By working at the nexus of policy, governance and finance, UNDP drives collective action for food systems transformation by realigning food, climate and biodiversity priorities, tackling root causes, not just symptoms. Moving forward, UNDP will continue supporting countries to strengthen integrated governance, support inclusive policy processes and align financial incentives, through instruments such as NBSAPs and NDCs. With its innovative collaborative efforts such as COFSA and FPI, UNDP stands ready to provide systemic support to its government partners in the years to come.