Foresight is a key tool that governments, private sector and civil society can jointly use to better understand future risks and opportunities in food systems, explore possible futures and to adapt – before crises hit.
In consultation with key actors, the Foresight4Food Initiative is being established to support enhanced foresight and scenario analysis for global food systems. Foresight4Food aims to provide a mechanism for better analysis and synthesis of key trends and possible futures in global food systems and to support more informed and strategic dialogue between the private sector, government, science and civil society.
The initiative will
• improve coordination between existing research efforts,
• strengthen foresight capabilities,
• assist in information synthesis and science communication and
• support better linkages between science and processes of policy dialogue and societal learning.
Development of the Initiative was encouraged by key international organisations, leading research institutes, development agencies and business representatives who participated in a scoping meeting in Oxford in March 20171.
It will support, and not duplicate, the work of existing institutions and platforms dealing with food and agriculture issues by coordinated efforts providing foresight services and analysis to serve multiple purposes and groups.