Food systems are a formidable lever for moving towards the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, but this requires their urgent and profound transformation. Food systems are very diverse, depending on the context and culture, they are part of a world that is itself extremely complex and increasingly uncertain. Their transformation depends on decisions and practices emanating from a wide spectrum of actors, with different visions, strategies and interests, as well as asymmetric power relations, which often limit the impact of governance instruments. put in place.

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In such a configuration involving society, politics and science, knowledge is recognized as essential and science-policy interfaces have a key role to play so that its production effectively contributes to change, as has been emphasized on occasion. of the event organized in February 2021 by the University of Montpellier in preparation for the United Nations Summit on Food Systems .

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Research and education are indeed necessary to inform the paths to be taken in order to ensure food and nutritional security for all and at all times, in a context of worsening inequalities; and to fully mobilize the capacity of food systems to contribute to a sustainable, inclusive and desirable future.

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In Africa, food systems are undergoing particularly rapid changes, which generate specific imbalances depending on the context - be they demographic, socio-cultural, political, infrastructural, technological or environmental. But it also generates opportunities. As underlined by the Malabo Montpellier Panel (2021) , “the fact of developing, among food systems actors, a shared understanding based on science, is essential to promote inclusive, agile and transparent political processes, for the benefit of populations. urban and rural Africa and generate much needed employment opportunities for young people ”.

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On October 4 and 5, during the “Montpellier Global Days - Africa 2021” organized by the University of Montpellier and its academic partners ahead of the New Africa-France Summit, the challenges relating to African food systems will be discussed, as will the how research and higher education can best capture it. Scientists, decision-makers and civil society actors from the African and European continents will participate in these exchanges.

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During days of interactive dialogue, discussions will revolve around five challenges: feeding cities; mobilize the potential of youth; food, health and well-being; environmental impacts of food systems; market issue. In addition, issues raised by multilateral scientific collaboration and partnerships will be addressed; and prospects for such collaborations for sustainable food systems will be outlined.

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