Feeding Futures: Why Food Systems Transformation Matters

Ask any parent what a hot school lunch means for their child and you won’t hear policy lingo or development frameworks. You will hear words like hope, health and a chance to learn. Yet behind that simple life-changing meal is an entire food system at work—from the farmer who grew the food to the trader who supplied it to the cooks who prepared it to the driver that delivered it. That is why transforming our food systems matters. When food systems work well, health, education and everything else work better too. 

Food systems are not just about what we grow or eat. They are the interconnected web of how food is produced, stored, processed, distributed, accessed and consumed. 

Food systems are not just about what we grow or eat. They are the interconnected web of how food is produced, stored, processed, distributed, accessed and consumed. They touch nearly every part of life - essentially all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And when one part of the system breaks down, the ripple effects are wide. A drought affects crops which impacts prices and affects what families can afford, which in turn influences children’s nutrition, concentration in class and ultimately their future. 

Kenya has been a leader in recognising that food systems transformation is not a theoretical agenda—it is a practical necessity. Kenya’s national home-grown school feeding programme not only keeps over 1.5 million children (including children with disabilities) in school.  It gives market opportunities to local farmers.  It incentivizes the introduction of drought-resistant crop varieties and procurement systems that favour women and youth-led supply chains. The programme works with county governments on aggregating food from a variety of smallholder farmers for distribution to schools and with the private sector on providing cold storage, transportation, traceability and financing solutions. 

This systems-thinking is what gives children like ten-year-old Kamila Madey in Mandera County, who might otherwise have dropped out during Kenya’s prolonged drought, a real chance to stay in school and thrive. School do not only protect the vulnerable from climate shocks—they also offer a powerful lever to shape broader systems. Kitchens that feed millions daily are becoming testing grounds for cleaner cooking technologies such as the high-capacity steam cookers used in Nairobi’s Dishi na County, a programme where the county has partnered with Food for Education, an amazing social enterprise fast transforming school feeding in Africa.  

As these programmes scale up toward universal coverage in Kenya by 2030, they present an opportunity to reshape how food is sourced, cooked and consumed. Shifting to locally grown drought-tolerant crops like sorghum and millet nourishes children, strengthens local economies and reduces Kenya’s reliance on food imports. When schools become predictable markets for smallholder produce, they trigger demand for sustainable and climate-friendly agricultural practices—from regenerative farming to agroforestry. 

These are some of the ways in which school meals—often seen as a social safety net—are becoming a fulcrum of food systems transformation. They are creating jobs, advancing food sovereignty and helping tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. 

The conclusion to be drawn from such efforts is that no single ministry, agency or organisation can transform food systems alone. It requires coordination across sectors and strong national leadership. United Nations Kenya is proud to support this journey—through joint programmes anchored on evidence generation, technical support and convening spaces that bring government, civil society, private sector and development partners together. 

Later this year, the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+4) offers a critical opportunity for Kenya and its neighbours to take stock of what has worked, what needs to be scaled up and where deeper investment is needed. And on Monday, Kenya proudly hosts the Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Stocktaking. This is the moment to shift from intent to impact. 

Because the truth is simple: when we transform food systems we fix much more than hunger. We improve education, health, gender equality, rural incomes and climate resilience. Food systems transformation is a foundation. And it begins with how we think, plan and act across the entire food journey—from soil to plate and from policy to people. 

Commentary by Dr Stephen Jackson, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya, ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake (UNFSS+4) Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting hosted in Nairobi.