Stefanos Fotiou: Leading the Way to Sustainable Food for All

NATIONWIDE - SEPTEMBER 2025 - (USAnews.com) The global conversation on sustainability has long circled around energy, climate, and finance. But for Dr. Stefanos Fotiou, Director of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, food is not a side issue. It is central to everything.

“Food connects people, cultures, and economies,” he reflects. “It shapes our health, our environment, and our prospects for peace and stability. If we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to put food systems at the very heart of our efforts.”

Over the past three and a half years, Fotiou has led the Hub, a platform created to support countries in translating the momentum of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit into lasting transformation. The task is not small: food systems cut across climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, and inequality. But the Hub has quickly become a trusted partner for governments, civil society, youth groups, and the private sector. Today, it works with over 60 countries, has mobilized more than $50 million, and has created a global network of young leaders from over 50 countries.

Building a hub for transformation

Asked why the Hub was established, Fotiou is clear: “The UN needed a dedicated mechanism to make sure food systems transformation didn’t become another one-off conference exercise. The Hub exists to accompany countries, to connect stakeholders, and to make sure that food systems remain high on the global agenda.”

He describes the Hub’s model as both pragmatic and ambitious. “We combine local delivery with global oversight. That means we respect context and ownership, but also ensure that efforts are aligned with the broader goals of sustainability. This way, countries are not alone in their journey, but neither are they being told what to do from the outside.”

This approach has proven effective in diverse and often difficult contexts. “We work across very different political and economic landscapes, and food systems are deeply embedded in culture,” he says. “The only way to succeed is to build solutions together with those most directly involved – farmers, communities, and young people.”

Navigating complexity

Transforming food systems is not a linear path. Fotiou does not shy away from acknowledging the complexity.

“We are dealing with enormous pressures: rising food costs, degraded ecosystems, conflicts that disrupt supply chains, and the mounting impacts of climate change,” he explains. “There are also deep inequalities in access to healthy diets and resources. Leading in this space often feels like walking a tightrope.”

At the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake in Addis Ababa earlier this year, Fotiou and his team convened governments and stakeholders to take stock of progress and gaps. “The Stocktake was important because it forced us to pause and reflect,” he notes. “We celebrated what has been achieved, but we also asked hard questions about what isn’t working. Accountability is essential. It keeps us honest and ensures we remain focused on the results we promise.”

Local delivery, global oversight

When asked about the Hub’s breakthrough, Fotiou points to its business model. “We flipped the usual model of technical assistance. Instead of prescribing solutions, we listen and co-create. Countries define their pathways, and the Hub helps to connect them with resources, partners, and knowledge. That’s how you build ownership and sustainability.”

The Addis Stocktake highlighted examples: efforts to reduce food loss and waste, integrate climate-smart agriculture, and strengthen sustainable supply chains. “What we are seeing is that these initiatives are not isolated projects,” Fotiou says. “They are becoming part of national strategies, part of how governments think about their development priorities.”

This shift, he argues, is key to lasting impact. “Food systems transformation cannot be a series of pilot projects. It has to be structural, embedded in policies, and supported by coalitions that bring governments, civil society, and the private sector together.”

Youth at the center

A theme that excites Fotiou most is youth leadership. “Young people are already leading change,” he says. “They are shaping decisions now, and their influence will only grow.”

The Hub has invested in a global youth network, now active in dozens of countries. These young leaders are shaping national dialogues, holding decision-makers accountable, and innovating new solutions. “They bring urgency, creativity, and a sense of possibility,” Fotiou notes. “Frankly, without them, we would not have the momentum we see now.”

He sees parallels with his own career. “When I started working on environmental issues two decades ago, youth voices were rarely in the room. Today, they are shaping agendas, from climate negotiations to food policy. That gives me hope.”

Beyond agriculture: connecting the dots

Fotiou’s professional path – spanning the UN Environment Programme, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and now the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub – has given him a systems-wide perspective.

“I have always argued that food systems go far beyond agriculture,” he says. “They are about justice, resilience, and opportunity. When you look at them through this lens, you see connections everywhere – with energy, water, education, trade, and human rights. That is why I believe food belongs at the center of our priorities.”

This thinking is also what drives his insistence on multilateral cooperation. “No single actor can transform food systems alone,” he explains. “We need multilateralism not as an abstract principle, but as a practical tool to build trust, pool resources, and deliver change at scale.”

Looking ahead

As the conversation turns to the future, Fotiou acknowledges both the urgency and the opportunity. “The next five years will be decisive. We are approaching 2030, and food insecurity is rising in many parts of the world. But we also have unprecedented knowledge, networks, and innovation at our disposal.”

He points to the work emerging from Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America as evidence of what is possible. “Countries are experimenting with new models, private sector actors are beginning to take responsibility for supply chains, and young people are pushing for accountability. The challenge is to scale and connect these efforts.”

Despite the magnitude of the task, his tone remains optimistic. “I am not naïve about the challenges,” he says. “But I have seen what can happen when diverse actors come together around a shared vision. Food systems transformation is possible, and it is already underway.” Our job at the Hub is to make sure it happens faster, fairly, and in a way that leaves no one behind.”

In listening to Dr. Stefanos Fotiou, what stands out is not only his expertise, but his insistence that food is the entry point to wider change. Food systems touch every community and every country. They are shaped by local realities yet tied to global trends, vulnerable to crises yet full of solutions. For Dr. Fotiou, the message is simple: if we get food systems right, we open the door to a more just, sustainable, and resilient world.