This opinion brief shares two personal reflections—from Rosalia Kaluki Muia at the start of her food systems career and Steve Godfrey nearing the end of his decades-long journey in international development—on why transforming food systems matters so deeply. Both authors emphasize that food is more than fuel: it carries culture, identity, dignity, and opportunity.
The brief highlights the urgency behind food systems transformation: more than 3 billion people cannot afford healthy diets, widening inequalities and trapping vulnerable populations in cycles of poor health. Food systems touch every sector—agriculture, trade, health, environment, education, and finance—making collaboration essential.
Rosalia reflects on her upbringing in rural Kenya, the resilience of communities during drought, and how inclusive food governance can drive locally grounded solutions. She discusses Kenya’s progress on Nutrition for Growth commitments, the value of monitoring tools like the Food Systems Dashboard, and why bridging divides among government, civil society, and private-sector actors is vital. Steve reflects on 50 years of work across NGOs, government, multilateral institutions, and business, describing food systems as both “Jekyll and Hyde”—full of harmful trends yet remarkable innovation.
The brief includes Figure 1 (p.3) on the cost and affordability of healthy diets across 12 GAIN countries and Figure 2 (p.3) showing county-level food poverty rates in Kenya. Both illustrate deep inequalities and the urgency of policy action.
The authors conclude with a message of solidarity, optimism, and shared responsibility: transforming food systems requires collective action across societies, with global commitments aligned to local realities, to ensure healthier diets and a fairer future for all.
Resource type:
Peer review