2025  AGRIFOOD SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIONS OUTLOOK  

Driving innovation towards an equitable transformation of agrifood systems 

The world’s agrifood systems face mounting pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss, rising inequalities and an accelerating shortfall in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. Addressing these pressures demands a paradigm shift in how agrifood innovation is generated, governedand prioritized.  

This 2025 edition of Agrifood Systems Technologies and Innovations Outlook (ATIO) draws on decades of evidence and examines global patterns in agrifood science, technology and innovation, and their implications for small-scale producers – actors who remain highly relevant to global food production yet rarely hold centrality in steering innovation agendas. The report highlights structural imbalances in funding, global research, development, technology and innovation priority areas that constrain the capacity of agrifood innovation systems to respond and deliver on the scale and urgency of the transformation required. ATIO calls for a shift towards Mission-Oriented Agrifood Innovation Systems that align investments, policy mixes and innovation portfolios with societal goals, while strengthening democratic governance and ensuring inclusive, equitable participation.  

By drawing attention to both gaps and opportunities, the report demonstrates that the equitable transformation of agrifood systems will hinge on transforming the innovation systems that underpin them. With coherent long-term policies, stronger capacities and inclusive partnerships that value diverse forms of knowledge, countries can steer innovation pathways toward agrifood systems that are efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, leaving no one behind.

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