How can research help transform food systems beyond incremental improvements in agricultural production? A Matter of Principles: Leveraging Research for Food Systems Transformation, published in 2026 by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), examines how research priorities and funding approaches can better support systemic change towards more sustainable, equitable and resilient food systems.

The report synthesizes evidence from 23 studies across Latin America, Africa and Asia, including ten scoping studies, five projects under the Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems in West Africa (ASADAO) initiative, and eight projects in Latin America. Drawing on the 13 principles of agroecology developed by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition, the analysis identifies common research gaps and opportunities. Across the reviewed material, priorities related to participation, co-creation of knowledge, social values and diets, connectivity, economic diversification, fairness, and governance feature prominently. The report emphasizes that food systems transformation requires attention not only to ecological processes and agricultural practices, but also to the social, economic and institutional conditions shaping food production and access.

Six interconnected leverage points are proposed for future research investment: dismantling structural barriers to change; strengthening collaboration and knowledge co-creation; supporting territorial and landscape approaches; prioritizing equity, inclusion and rights; developing participatory governance and innovation models; and improving monitoring, learning and evidence building. The report also calls for increased and reoriented research funding to support small-scale producers, Indigenous Peoples and community-led initiatives. Its findings offer a framework for research funders, policymakers and practitioners, while acknowledging the geographical and thematic limitations of the evidence base.