Knowledge products for Food System Transformation

The benefits
In short- Empowering stakeholders
- Five knowledge domains
- Diverse products & expertise
Wageningen University & Research offers a collection of publications and products within the context of Food System Transformation (FST). These guides and reports aim to support food system actors on the regional, national, and international level to transform food sytems.
Our way of producing and consuming food is under pressure. How can we simultaneously ensure healthy diets, living incomes for everyone involved in food value chains, and a thriving planet? Food system transformation helps organisations, policymakers, and professionals address these complex challenges.
Wageningen University & Research brings together knowledge and practical experience in a series of free guides and publications. They offer insights into how to redesign food systems – from policy and collaboration to innovation and governance – to enable lasting change.
Explore five knowledge domains that show how you can contribute to future-proof food systems. Download the guides for practical tools and real-world examples.
Lifelong learning for Food System Professionals
Publications
Multi Stakeholder Partnership Guide & Tools
The Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP) guide and tools support stakeholders in designing and facilitating effective multi-stakeholder partnerships. We work with farmers and NGOs, businesses and entrepreneurs, and governments and international organisations in many different countries to support processes of innovation and change.
Reflection Guide
The Reflection Methods handbook summarises methods that can be used to facilitate the process of reflection on the knowledge and experiences people acquire during a capacity development trajectory or training event.
Food System Governance Self-Assessment Tool
This report describes the process and experiences of four City Working Groups (CWGs) in the Dhaka Metropolitan area in Bangladesh in developing and using a Food systems governance self-assessment tool.
Multi Stakeholder Partnership Guide & Tools
The Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP) guide and tools support stakeholders in designing and facilitating effective multi-stakeholder partnerships. We work with farmers and NGOs, businesses and entrepreneurs, and governments and international organisations in many different countries to support processes of innovation and change.
Reflection Guide
The Reflection Methods handbook summarises methods that can be used to facilitate the process of reflection on the knowledge and experiences people acquire during a capacity development trajectory or training event.
Food System Governance Self-Assessment Tool
This report describes the process and experiences of four City Working Groups (CWGs) in the Dhaka Metropolitan area in Bangladesh in developing and using a Food systems governance self-assessment tool.
Sector Transformation for Food System Transformation
Publications
Guide for designing a national seed road map
This guide brings together and structures diverse methods and tools for implementing a seed sector assessment (SSA) and designing a national seed road map (NSRM). A seed sector assessment (SSA) provides the answer to the primary seed sector performance question: Where are we now? A national seed road map (NSRM) addresses two additional questions: Where do we want to go, and how will we get there?
Transforming sectors: how to improve direction and practice
In this book, we share critical choices that can be made when transforming food systems, and reflect on knowledge co-creation in sector programmes, so that the process inspires future strategy and practice, and contributes to planetary health.
Guide for designing a national seed road map
This guide brings together and structures diverse methods and tools for implementing a seed sector assessment (SSA) and designing a national seed road map (NSRM). A seed sector assessment (SSA) provides the answer to the primary seed sector performance question: Where are we now? A national seed road map (NSRM) addresses two additional questions: Where do we want to go, and how will we get there?
Transforming sectors: how to improve direction and practice
In this book, we share critical choices that can be made when transforming food systems, and reflect on knowledge co-creation in sector programmes, so that the process inspires future strategy and practice, and contributes to planetary health.
Food System Transformation for Planetary Health
Publications
Current Developments in Seed Laws Harmonising in Africa (DeSIRA-LIFT)
This report reviews the current status of seed laws internationally, at the continental level in Africa, in the EU, in the US as well as international programs of relevance to seed laws in Africa.
Enhancing the Wise Use of Wetlands
This guide takes the position that managing our natural resources requires social and political change. What this really means is that we want various ‘institutions’ - laws, people’s attitudes, decision-making processes - to be altered.
Current Developments in Seed Laws Harmonising in Africa (DeSIRA-LIFT)
This report reviews the current status of seed laws internationally, at the continental level in Africa, in the EU, in the US as well as international programs of relevance to seed laws in Africa.
Enhancing the Wise Use of Wetlands
This guide takes the position that managing our natural resources requires social and political change. What this really means is that we want various ‘institutions’ - laws, people’s attitudes, decision-making processes - to be altered.
System Governance of Food System Transformation
Publications
Transforming food systems
Food systems governance remains a challenge. New structures are needed to better connect food systems actors. This paper argues that existing multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) have the potential to contribute to food systems governance by facilitating linkages between actors and scales.
National processes shaping food systems transformation
This appraisal focuses on the necessary collaborative work for achieving food systems transformation. It builds on the experiences of Costa Rica, Ireland and Rwanda, each of which has made progress towards sustainability goals over recent decades.
The Food Systems Decision-support toolbox
This toolbox has been developed to collate different tools and methods that can be used for food system analysis. It is specifically based on systems thinking for food system analysis, to formulate actionable recommendations that can bring about systemic change.
Operationalising Food System Governance
Transforming the current food system into one which delivers healthy, sustainable diets will require some form of governance. Due to the complex nature of the food system, multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs), which bring together actors from multiple sectors into a shared space for joint decision making, have been proposed as one potential governance structure.
Transforming food systems
Food systems governance remains a challenge. New structures are needed to better connect food systems actors. This paper argues that existing multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) have the potential to contribute to food systems governance by facilitating linkages between actors and scales.
National processes shaping food systems transformation
This appraisal focuses on the necessary collaborative work for achieving food systems transformation. It builds on the experiences of Costa Rica, Ireland and Rwanda, each of which has made progress towards sustainability goals over recent decades.
The Food Systems Decision-support toolbox
This toolbox has been developed to collate different tools and methods that can be used for food system analysis. It is specifically based on systems thinking for food system analysis, to formulate actionable recommendations that can bring about systemic change.
Operationalising Food System Governance
Transforming the current food system into one which delivers healthy, sustainable diets will require some form of governance. Due to the complex nature of the food system, multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs), which bring together actors from multiple sectors into a shared space for joint decision making, have been proposed as one potential governance structure.
Tracking and Assessing Food System Transformation
Publications
From Insight to foresight: using data to improve food and nutrition
This position paper gives an overview of methods and resources for assessing and addressing food and nutrition security (FNS) with a focus on the Horn of Africa (HoA). The authors reflect on the potential use of data science, focusing on moving from reactive interventions (often humanitarian) to anticipatory actions, and on using a food systems approach to build more resilience for improved FNS outcomes in protracted food crisis situations.
Nurturing Food Systems Research: Lessons from the Food Systems
The present study aimed to systematically and methodically document, analyze, and synthesize the Food Systems for Healthier Diets program’s key learnings that emerged over the course of its implementation (2017-2022).
Food System Resilience Assessment: A practical approach to capture
This paper provides a summary of the ‘Food System Resilience Assessment (FoSRA)’ approach, which is designed for analysis and planning of interventions aimed at addressing food insecurity in protracted crisis contexts.
Building Food System Resilience in protracted crisis situations
This document presents the seed system resilience assessment and facilitation tool (SSRA-FT). This will contribute to developing good practice and policy recommendations in two important domains: building seed system resilience in protracted crises, and seed distribution in emergencies.
From Insight to foresight: using data to improve food and nutrition
This position paper gives an overview of methods and resources for assessing and addressing food and nutrition security (FNS) with a focus on the Horn of Africa (HoA). The authors reflect on the potential use of data science, focusing on moving from reactive interventions (often humanitarian) to anticipatory actions, and on using a food systems approach to build more resilience for improved FNS outcomes in protracted food crisis situations.
Nurturing Food Systems Research: Lessons from the Food Systems
The present study aimed to systematically and methodically document, analyze, and synthesize the Food Systems for Healthier Diets program’s key learnings that emerged over the course of its implementation (2017-2022).
Food System Resilience Assessment: A practical approach to capture
This paper provides a summary of the ‘Food System Resilience Assessment (FoSRA)’ approach, which is designed for analysis and planning of interventions aimed at addressing food insecurity in protracted crisis contexts.
Building Food System Resilience in protracted crisis situations
This document presents the seed system resilience assessment and facilitation tool (SSRA-FT). This will contribute to developing good practice and policy recommendations in two important domains: building seed system resilience in protracted crises, and seed distribution in emergencies.
Get in touch with our expert?
Are you interested in food system transformation or collaborating with us? Reach out to our expert.
ir. M (Marianne) van Dorp
Coordinator Business Development







