The Foresight4Food ‘Power of Foresight’ workshop report is now available for public access. The report captures the momentum behind using strategic foresight to drive the transformation of global food systems. The publication follows a landmark workshop, The Power of Foresight: Supporting the Implementation of Food Systems Transformation Pathways, co-hosted by the Foresight4Food Initiative and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
Held on 30–31 January 2025, the event brought together 48 experts from 28 countries, representing governments, UN bodies, academia, civil society, and research institutions. The workshop focused on how foresight methods—such as scenario planning, visioning, and systems mapping—can support national pathways to food systems transformation, a central objective of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.
With less than five years until the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), participants emphasized the urgency of integrating future-oriented thinking into policy and implementation.
Key Themes and Takeaways
The report highlights several cross-cutting messages:
Institutionalization and Capacity Building: Participants stressed the need to embed foresight into policymaking institutions and to grow a global community of trained facilitators who can drive the work forward.
Foresight as a Catalyst: Far from being a single methodology, foresight represents a diverse set of tools that can build shared understanding, challenge assumptions, and create momentum for change.
Systemic Thinking: Effective foresight processes engage with complexity—across sectors, scales, and perspectives—to uncover root causes and enable coordinated action.
Inclusivity and Co-Ownership: From the Pacific to Africa and beyond, the workshop showcased how foresight can empower communities by embedding future generations, indigenous perspectives, and local values into transformation pathways.
