Organisational empowerment is a critical pathway to support the sustainable transformation of food systems, mediated through different types of organisations. Collective action can be an effective strategy to include marginalised groups who may otherwise be excluded from agricultural development, extension, financing, or other aspects of climate-resilient food security. Key empowerment actions by farmer and producer organisations include building capacity, supporting greater access to inputs and information, facilitating the formation of agricultural enterprises, connecting to policy and markets, and encouraging youth membership and leadership. A focus on livelihoods, production, and poverty reduction can be a basis for increased agency and influence in decision-making. Women’s collective action is a platform to access information, technology, and a share of finances, which can lead to agency and leadership in local decision-making. For youth organisations, it is important to mobilise finance, provide support to post-production activities, support rural youth networks and recognise the role of young women in food systems.

There have been several calls for transformation in food systems to address the challenges of climate change, hunger, continuing population pressure, and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although complicated, working across scales and actors is critical for food-system transformation, alongside understanding the entry points. As agricultural research for development (AR4D) is ultimately about farming practices and farmer livelihoods, a focus on the local scale is essential, as in most cases, farms and districts are where the most action is required. Through effective cross-scale work, lessons from local levels can shape the thinking of regional and national governments, as well as the private sector. Involving multiple and ideally nested scales, designing sets of solutions, and developing actionable, fundable, and implementable solutions is likely to provide rich food-system outcomes. Partners need to provide the tools, signals, and resources so that local people, communities, and policy planners are empowered to drive transformation.

Well-designed markets and public-sector actions can promote climate-resilient agriculture and improve livelihood opportunities for farmers. To enable small-scale farmers to access appropriate technologies, agronomic services, and markets while fostering rural industrialisation, countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa have created geographically focused, transformative commodity value-chain clusters. In addition, novel initiatives to incentivise the adoption of sustainable practices have demonstrated potential to contribute to food-system transformation. For example, private-sector co-investments with small and medium-sized enterprises and farmer cooperatives aim to accelerate financial inclusion and scale climate-resilient agriculture. National policy adoption of low-emissions practices, such as alternate wetting and drying, supports innovations in rice systems. Together, the public sector and privately driven initiatives can build markets that are advantageous for small-scale farmers and lessen their risks.