Opinion Brief: Why we work on Food, Nutrition and Development: Two Perspectives

- 15/10/2025

Hear from a professional at the start of her career in food systems transformation, and one near the end with decades of experience Key Messages • We choose to work in food systems because food is, at its core, a way to drive a fairer and safer future for the world. Food is not just fuel. It carries our culture, our traditions, our dignity, and our sense of belonging. To fix food is to unlock society’s potential. Over 3 billion people globally can’t afford to eat healthily right now. This widens inequities and keeps the vulnerable trapped in cycles of poor health. • Food systems transformation touches every aspect of our lives and cannot be achieved in isolation. It spans agriculture, health, trade, finance, education, environment, and social protection, and it relies on people all along the supply chain, from farmers and traders to processors, retailers, policymakers, and consumers. Few other areas of work demand such breadth. That is why transforming food systems requires collaboration across sectors directly and indirectly linked to food, and why it offers opportunities for people with different skills, perspectives, and passions to contribute. • The 2025 World Food Day theme calls for greater collaboration across sectors and silos to transform agrifood systems for people and planet. This is a huge part of the work that must be done, and we remain hopeful that solidarity and compassion will win over more selfish politics. At GAIN we work hard to bring disparate voices across the food system together, for real transformation.

Ultra-Processed Foods: Time for a More Nuanced Conversation

‘Ultra-processed food’ (UPF) has been the nutrition buzzword of the past few years, making its way from scientific research into headlines and policy debates. These foods, commonly defined as industrial food formulations made with ingredients rarely used in home cooking, make up a shockingly large share of diets and have been associated with various negative health effects – but their role remains complicated and contested. At the recent Stockholm Food Forum, I joined this debate, participating on a panel discussion on the topic.