Inhaltspezifische Aktionen

15/07/2026 | Shenggen Fan, a professor at China Agricultural University and former IFPRI Director General, gave a lecture at the ZEU Colloquium

Food Systems Transformation: International Efforts and Chinese Practice

The global agrifood system is currently facing a convergence of critical crises, including environmental degradation driven by climate change and biodiversity loss, severe social inequalities, and persistent hunger. These challenges are intensified by a volatile geopolitical landscape marked by shrinking foreign aid and disrupted trade routes.

(C) M. Hoeher

  

Prof. Fan had accepted an invitation from  Prof. Martin Petrick and Prof. Min Liu, who is currently a visiting professor at the ZEU.

To address these complexities, Prof. Fan provided us with very interesting insights into several aspects:

Fan emphasized the indispensable role of economics when analyzing resource scarcity, uncovering the hidden costs of production, and managing the intricate trade-offs between efficiency, sustainability, and social inclusion.

He also discussed the crucial role of the international community in facing these challenges. While the UN system is undergoing a crisis on its own, especially after the retreat of the USA in many of its agencies, there are significant international efforts, such as the UN Food Systems Stocktaking (UNFSS). The UNFSS is successfully catalyzing national commitments through "national pathways," however, progress remains hampered by severe fiscal constraints in the Global South and a lack of integration within core climate agendas. A notable positive global trend is the growing scientific consensus on the necessity of healthy, sustainable diets that align with planetary boundaries.

In response to these global pressures, China has developed an integrated agrifood system transformation vision, according to Fan. It includes technological innovation to ensure grain self-sufficiency, strict protection of arable land, and the promotion of the "Big Food Concept" to diversify and improve nutrition. Furthermore, China is actively addressing food waste and fostering South-South cooperation through agricultural technology exchange and investment in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Looking ahead, Fan stressed that the transformation of food systems must move toward a systems-wide perspective. This requires rebuilding local production-consumption loops to enhance resilience, promoting circular economies through nutrient recycling, deployment of artificial intelligence and innovations in data collection. Finally, achieving a resilient and sustainable food systems demands strengthened global governance, increased climate finance for agriculture, and deep interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure that food systems can meet the needs of both people and the planet.