Foresight: Anticipating trends, shaping futures 

Foresight, one of the six UN 2.0 capabilities, is a vital methodology to navigate the novelty, complexity and uncertainty of present and future agrifood systems. It empowers stakeholders and decision makers to move from simply reacting to events, to proactively shaping the future,  making it central to anticipatory governance and transformative policy-making. 

The FAO Office of Innovation, through its FutureFOOD-I Lab, is harnessing foresight to transform agrifood systems through four interlinked components: (i) a Foresight Observatory to explore emerging trends and innovations; (ii) a Foresight Academy to build capacities; (iii) Innovation Policy Labs (IPLs) to translate foresight and innovation outcomes into national decision-making; and a multistakeholder and multinational (iv) Foresight Partnership to connect and amplify efforts globally. 

 Foresight Observatory

 With partners, FAO develops thematic participatory foresight studies, such as on reimagining extension and advisory services and on pre-emerging and emerging technologies and innovations (in collaboration with CIRAD). Ongoing work includes a foresight study on gender and innovation, exploring how to make technologies and innovations gender-transformative, and empower women in future agrifood innovation systems.

 Foresight Academy

The studies provide key insights about possible futures, and, even more importantly, also provide actionable guidance and tools for decision-makers to harness technologies and innovations for better futures and to translate foresight into lasting impact. Compiling and categorizing effective foresight methodologies for a specific mission, FAO builds foresight capacities at egional and country level in real-world strategic and policy processes, such as related to extension, education and multistakeholder governance in Latin America and Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia and several countries in Africa through Innovation Policy Labs

 Foresight Partnership

FAO partners with governments, organisations and foresight and diverse agrifood experts in elaborating the foresight studies, develop foresight capacities and make a change in the field

Furthermore, FAO – co-leads the FAO Strategic Foresight  Network, which works to strengthen FAO capacities and support the FAO Strategic Framework  by creating preparedness for the 2030 Agenda and making agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.