By examining and agreeing upon the key drivers of change a vision was developed for global food security by 2030. The key challenges to actually reaching this vision were then defined. This, in turn, led to the identification of priority areas that could guide policy-makers in the design and implementation of appropriate policy changes. In a foresight process, agreeing on a vision (i.e. where we will/ want to be) is often a useful way to identify key needs, milestones or a structured roadmap to achieve that vision. Although a vision has to be plausible and therefore based on statistical trends and sound facts, its aspirational nature is essential to engaging stakeholders in a visionary approach to successfully achieving and shaping a specific future. Based on experts’ knowledge and understanding of future developments, setting out the best future ahead of us (i.e. a rosy vision) will be instrumental in exploring the path we have to take, testing its feasibility, identifying any constraints and fine-tuning a roadmap.