Putting food systems pathways into practice: Lessons from 20 countries

Countries around the world are entering a new phase of food systems transformation. After developing national pathways, the focus is shifting to putting those commitments into practice: strengthening governance, mobilizing investment, and delivering tangible results.

To help countries navigate this next phase, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub has published Implementing National Food Systems Pathways: Emerging Practices, bringing together emerging lessons from 20 countries. Those lessons became the starting point for a recent Global Touchpoint held on 15 July 2026, where National Convenors, Resident Coordinators, government representatives, and partners reflected on what is working, what remains challenging, and what other countries can learn from their experiences.

An overarching message quickly emerged: there is no single pathway to success, but strong national leadership is essential.

Reflecting on Fiji's experience during the discussion, Fiasili Lam of FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific highlighted the role of the Scalable Success Model (SSM), a European Union-funded initiative that supports countries in strengthening and advancing their national food systems pathways. She described its value as "bringing people together, bringing the policies and partners behind one nationally led implementation agenda." By aligning initiatives behind government leadership, she explained, countries can reduce duplication, strengthen coordination and turn policy commitments into action.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of coordinated support behind nationally led priorities. Reflecting on the Dominican Republic's experience, UN Resident Coordinator Julia Sánchez emphasized that "our greatest added value does not lie in each agency's individual mandate. It lies in our ability to act as one country team around the priorities defined by the government." Her remarks reinforced one of the publication's central messages: successful food systems transformation depends on coordinated institutions and partnerships working behind national leadership.

Another recurring lesson was the importance of turning policy commitments into coordinated action across sectors. Sharing Cameroon's experience, Anne Magne of the Ministry of Agriculture said the country's ambition is to achieve convergence "not only in strategic documents, but also in the implementation of actions," bringing government institutions, UN agencies and partners behind a common agenda.

Sierra Leone's experience highlighted the importance of high-level political leadership in driving food systems transformation. Reflecting on the country's Feed Salone initiative, National Food Systems Convener and Minister of State Manti Tarawalie described how an agriculture strategy evolved into the country's food systems architecture, bringing stakeholders together through a whole-of-nation approach. She emphasized that having the President chair the Multi-Sectoral Feed Salone Council "was a game changer" that strengthened commitment across government and partners and helped move the agenda forward. 

Together, these exchanges brought the publication to life. While the experiences shared were rooted in different national contexts, they highlighted common challenges around governance, financing, coordination and accountability, and demonstrated the value of learning directly from peers facing similar questions.

Whether reviewing an existing pathway, strengthening governance arrangements or identifying new approaches to financing and coordination, Implementing National Food Systems Pathways: Emerging Practices offers practical examples to help countries adapt, strengthen and advance their own nationally led food systems transformation.