The fifth edition of the FAO Science and Innovation Forum (SIF 2026) will be held from 12 to 16 October 2026 under the umbrella of the World Food Forum (WFF), together with the Global Youth Forum and the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum. While scientific evidence that can drives progress for agrifood systems and food security is being continually generated, there is an ongoing need for ongoing evidence-synthesis on a wide range of topics to better inform decisions, investments, actions and impacts. To support accelerated progress on food security and agrifood systems transformation, different types of evidence synthesis to meet needs are required across topics and stakeholder groups. In particular, evidence needs differ by format, timescale and scale, from rapid responses to in-depth technical reports. Unlike climate change and biodiversity, agrifood systems have very few dedicated “on demand” and responsive agrifood systems evidence synthesis platforms.

About the session

This session will consider why that gap persists, and what future evidence synthesis systems for food security and agrifood systems should consist of. It will examine why existing agrifood-specific mechanisms remain narrow, under-resourced or precarious to meet the need, and how evidence is balanced along with political priorities, values and institutional constraints. The session will confront gaps and bias in the evidence base, including whose research and knowledge counts, and how grey literature, private-sector data and Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge can be better included. Looking to the future, leading experts from across the evidence-synthesis supply and demand spheres will explore what artificial intelligence, new financing models and stronger knowledge brokering could offer.  

The session will set the scene considering more powerful and democratic evidence synthesis platforms. Leading voices from research institutions, international bodies and national systems will consider in this interactive session what it will take to make evidence work harder for food security.

Act 1 | The challenge and the opportunity (9.00-9.17 am)

  • Dr Preet Lidder, Technical Advisor, Office of the Chief Scientist, FAO (Moderator)Dr QU
  • Dongyu, Director-General, FAO
  • Prof. Charles Spillane, Chief Scientist, FAO (Keynote)

Act 2 | What works: what are we learning about evidence synthesis (9.17-9.26 am)

  • Dr Karla Soares-Weiser, Chief Executive Officer, Cochrane, London, UK
  • Dr Aditi Mukherji, Principal Scientist – Climate Action; Lead, Livestock and Climate Solutions Hub, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
  • Birte Snilstveit, Director – Synthesis and Reviews; Head of London Office, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), London, UK
  • Dr Tanja Kuchenmüller, Unit Head, Evidence to Policy and Impact, Research for Health Department, Science Division, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva

Act 3 | What’s new: innovations for speed, honesty and inclusion at scale (9.36-9.52)

  • Dr Jan C. Minx, Head, Evidence for Climate Solutions Working Group, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Berlin
  • Dr Arnald Puy, Associate Professor in Social and Environmental Uncertainties, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK
  • Dr Biljana Macura, Senior Research Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Stockholm
  • Dr Racine Ly, Director of Data Intelligence & Governance and National Representative, AKADEMIYA2063, Senegal

ACT 4 | From evidence to decisions and investment (09:52–10:14)

  • Dr Preet Lidder (Moderator)
  • Ms Arianna Legovini, Director, Development Impact (DIME), Development Economics, World Bank Group, Washington DC
  • Mr Ammad Bahalim, Senior Program Officer, Global Policy & Multilateral Engagement, Agricultural Development, Gates Foundation, Seattle
  • CABI representative (TBC)
  • Dr Racine Ly, AKADEMIYA2063 (national and regional demand voice)

ACT 5 | Bringing it together (10:14–10:30)

  • Dr Preet Lidder
  • Prof. Charles Spillane, Chief Scientist, FAO

Watch the session live on FAO Webcast: https://www.fao.org/webcast/detail/st04---drowning-in-data--starving-for-evidence-informed-decisions--what-futures-for-scientific-evidence-synthesis/en

Watch it on UN WebTV: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1u/k1ugahq1hu