Advancing the Agri-Food System Transformation Through Enhanced Public–Private Research Partnerships: Evidence, Insights and a Strategic Framework

Reforming the global food system is urgent and will require substantial investment to address the true cost of feeding the world sustainably, inclusively, and nutritiously. Recent estimates suggest that the true cost of food systems reaches nearly USD 20 trillion, almost double the total value of global food consumption. At the same time, investment in climate action in food systems remains far below what is needed: current levels are estimated at around USD 28.5 billion, while requirements may range from USD 212 billion to USD 1.3 trillion. Food systems also face multiple and overlapping pressures, including climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, malnutrition, persistent rural poverty, and widening inequality. Agricultural research and development has generated major long-term benefits through yield gains, lower food prices, reduced hunger and poverty, and a smaller land footprint for agriculture, yet investment remains well below the level needed for the scale of transformation now required, especially in low- and middle-income countries.Agricultural research and development remain one of the highest-return areas of investment, with evidence from international agricultural research suggesting benefit-cost ratios as high as 10:1 over the long term. However, many of these benefits accrue slowly and require persistence, long-term commitment, and patient financing. This “slow magic” is difficult to sustain in current political and market conditions, where public budgets are constrained and private investment often favors shorter time horizons and clearer commercial returns. Public-private partnerships, and more specifically public-private research partnerships, are increasingly seen as a way to bridge this gap by combining public purpose with private capabilities, resources, and market connections. Yet important knowledge gaps remain. These partnerships vary widely across regions, commodities, institutional settings, and development contexts, and there is no single model that works across all circumstances. Many partnerships also struggle to move beyond pilot or proof-of-concept stages into sustained and scalable co-investment, while concerns remain around accountability, inclusiveness, equitable value capture, and the long-term distribution of risks and benefits.This Research Topic has a threefold focus. First, it aims to map the current global landscape of public-private research partnerships, with particular attention to agricultural research and development in developing economies. Second, it seeks to examine the different partnership modalities, governance arrangements, and financing approaches that shape the functioning, inclusiveness, and impact of these partnerships across contexts, drawing on conceptual, empirical, and case study-based contributions. Third, it aims to synthesize lessons from the literature and from comparative country and regional experiences to inform a practical framework, or principles for a framework, that can guide policymakers, practitioners, and investors seeking to strengthen future partnerships for food systems transformation.This Research Topic welcomes manuscripts that critically assess the role and performance of public-private research partnerships and explore pathways to improve their effectiveness and long-term impacts. We encourage Original Research, Review, Systematic Review, Perspective, Policy and Practice Reviews, and comparative case studies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• The evolving role of the private sector in food systems transformation• Public-private research partnerships in agricultural research and development• Comparative analyses of partnership models across countries, regions, commodities, and value chains• Governance, trust, incentives, accountability, and benefit-sharing in partnerships• Barriers and enablers in moving from pilots to scale• Co-investment models, blended finance, and value chain finance for innovation• Partnerships in crop breeding, seed systems, mechanization, irrigation, livestock, horticulture, and agri-food value chains• Systems thinking and conceptual approaches to partnership design and performance• Cross-cultural, institutional, and regional dimensions of partnership management• Lessons from country and regional case studies that can inform future frameworks for practice and investment Topic editors: David Shearer, Risti Permani, Craig Michael Johns Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82297/advancing-the-agri-food-system-transformation-through-enhanced-public-private-research-partnerships-evidence-insights-and-a-strategic-framework