In 2015, the world made a promise — to end hunger, reduce inequality, and restore balance with nature through the Sustainable Development Goals. Ten years later, we are far off course. Hunger is rising. Emissions are accelerating. Inequality is deepening. In too many parts of the world, the act of eating — what food is available, how it’s produced, who can afford it — is both a daily challenge and a symptom of systemic failure.
But 2025 can be a turning point. It must be.
This month, the world will gather in Addis Ababa for the U.N. Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake, or UNFSS+4. Four years after the first Food Systems Summit, and just five years before the 2030 agenda deadline, this is a decisive moment to take stock of what’s working, acknowledge what isn’t, and chart a path forward with greater urgency.
About the authors
Stefanos Fotiou
Stefanos Fotiou is an international expert in sustainable development. He currently serves as director of the Office of Sustainable Development Goals at the Food and Agriculture Organization, and as director of the U.N. Food Systems Coordination Hub.
Francine Picard
Francine Picard is co-founder and director of partnerships at the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate. She is also coordinator of the Zero Hunger Coalition, a global initiative that catalyses coordinated action to achieve zero hunger in the world by 2030.
