Food systems, important for food security, nutrition, prosperity, and environmental well-being, are integral to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Traditional food markets are strategic entry points for food systems transformation, since a diversity of stakeholders (including local producers, vendors, consumers, and government), interact routinely in these spaces. These markets connect millions of stakeholders within and across local food systems and levels of government mandates. As food-insecure regions like sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) rapidly urbanise, most urban, low-income, vulnerable communities are reliant on food purchased from markets. As such, markets are key spaces to guide vendor practices, influence consumer food choices, and strengthen inclusive governance. Despite their critical value, markets’ ‘hard’ (structures and equipment) and ‘soft’ (capacities and resources) infrastructure are significantly under-supported. Investment efforts have been challenged by a lack of understanding of how markets are embedded in the wider food system and markets’ wholesale and retail dynamics, inadequate financial models, insufficient public budgets and capacity, and limited empowerment of key stakeholders.
This paper introduces and illustrates GAIN’s Inclusive Food Systems Governance Model and supporting tools. The model is designed to strengthen investment and empower voices, alongside increased efforts to ensure sustainability and resilience in traditional food markets. It has been shown to support effective market infrastructure investments, to foster local agency and inclusive and equitable food systems transformation, and to be adaptable across different contexts. The case of Marikiti Market, Machakos County (Kenya) shows the model in action, including details of specific investment components and costs. As infrastructure investments are limited, the importance of making a sound business investment case for public and private (and philanthropic) partnerships and banks to invest in traditional markets is critical.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed calls for bold action to accelerate food system transformation.
She highlights two key priorities:
1. Helping governments craft high-impact, investible actions.
2. Leveraging aid to unlock concessional loans and mobilize private sector resources for nutrition, food security, climate, resilience, and jobs.
Watch the video to hear her full message
As cities around the world grapple with rising food insecurity, climate pressures, and deepening inequalities, food markets play a critical role in building healthier, more equitable, and climate-resilient urban food systems.
On March 26, 2025, the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the Paris Peace Forum presented The Paris Declaration on Business & Nutrition 2030 at a high-level event ahead of the Paris Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit.
This Declaration urgently calls for reshaping the nutrition economy through a multi-sectoral approach to address malnutrition in all its forms. Undernutrition (stunting, anemia, wasting), obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and food insecurity affect health, climate, and economies, underscoring the need for coordinated action.
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) joins world leaders and organisations at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit to press for smarter nutrition financing, stronger private sector engagement and swifter actions on nutrition commitments made.
In recent years, increasing climate challenges have highlighted how important it is to rethink food systems in order to create a just and more sustainable future. With 70% of the world’s food production consumed in cities, and 70% of food-insecure people living in urban or peri-urban areas, cities hold great potential in transitioning from hotspots of food-related challenges to powerful agents of food systems transformatio
Experts warn of the devastating toll of aid cuts on malnourished children and how it will impact generations to come—not just as huge human cost—but also a huge cost to development, economic growth, and future global prosperity.
The Private Service Provider (PSP) knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) assessment was done to see how well PSPs who were trained by the CASCADE project and worked with the National Home-Grown School Feeding Program (NHGSFP) remembered and used what they learnt about basic nutrition, food safety, hygiene, and handling raw materials.
The NHGSFP aims to provide daily nutritious meals to public primary school pupils using locally grown farm produce, thereby enhancing children's health, increasing school attendance, and supporting local farmers while contributing to the overall economic and social development of Nigeria. The program was suspended in January 2024 for nine weeks; however, since the suspension by the president, the program has yet to kick off, even with budgetary allocations in the 2024 and 2025 budgets. This suspension has hindered the effective application of the knowledge and skills gained during the training.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the largest global event for discussions and negotiations on climate change. In 2025, Brazil will have the honour of hosting the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30), which will take place in Belém, Pará.
