In response to the need for stronger contributions of foresight to the transformation of sustainable food systems through agroecology, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH launched a global project in 2022: Foresight on challenges and opportunities for sustainable food systems and agro-ecological transition. One of its main outputs is this guidance document, which synthesizes findings from 16 foresight processes and related workshops, discussions, and literature.

The document examines the interplay between foresight methodologies, agroecological principles, and food system dynamics, offering a framework for integrating agroecology into foresight. It highlights key lessons across seven phases of foresight, from process design to communication of results, and identifies the need for greater stakeholder participation, improved links between qualitative and quantitative methods, and expanded foresight activities, particularly in the Global South.

Findings underscore that food system transformation through agroecology is inherently political, with both benefits and institutional barriers. Foresight provides an open arena for dialogue, strategic thinking, and envisioning multiple agroecological futures. The analysis reveals the diversity of foresight methodologies—ranging from narrative building to system dynamics modeling, including the use of integrated tools such as the iSDG (Integrated Sustainable Development Simulator)—and the potential of scenarios to expose drivers, trade-offs, and pathways of transformation. The document concludes with recommendations for practitioners and researchers to strengthen participatory, systemic, and evidence-based foresight approaches that support agroecological transitions and sustainable food systems.