Food systems are central to economic growth, livelihoods, health and environmental outcomes, yet transformation is not keeping pace with growing pressures.
4Bn
People depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, providing 40% of all jobs worldwide¹
5%
Of total agricultural output is lost each year due to extreme weather events²
70%
Of freshwater use ³; 80% of biodiversity loss⁴; 30% of total global greenhouse gas emissions; are driven by agriculture.⁵
3Bn
People, roughly 35.4% of the global population, could not afford a healthy diet in 2022⁶
(1) FAOSTAT (2) The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security, 2023 FAO (3) 2024 UN World Water Development Report (4) Food system impacts on biodiversity loss, 2021 Chatham House (5) Greenhouse gas emissions from agrifood systems, 2022 FAO (6) The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World , 2024 FAO
There is significant momentum in demonstration models, with a need to rapidly shift focus to scaling.
Cross-industry pathways encompassing new farming practices and high-tech solutions for achieving resilient, sustainable production are well known. However, there are several hurdles to achieving large-scale adoption:
- Lack of farmer access to relevant innovations (e.g. production technologies, practices, etc.) and financing
- High transition costs due to lack of scale and temporary losses
- Gaps in financing and asymmetrical risk for farmers and businesses.
There continues to be a familiar market gap with supply-side innovation advancing, but demand signals remain too weak for affordable, resilient and sustainable agri-commodities to scale at the speed required.
Introducing the First Movers Coalition for Food
The Forum brings together the First Movers Coalition for Food, over 60 partners to unlock credible demand signals and build market confidence for regenerative, sustainable and resilient agri-commodities at scale.
The FMC for Food convenes an impartial and trusted platform bringing together industry and finance, governments, farmer organizations, and experts to enable dialogue, insights and advance action.
The First Movers Coalition Model
FMC for Food learns from the First Movers Coalition, a global coalition of companies using their purchasing power to decarbonize the world's heavy-emitting industrial sectors responsible for 25% of global emissions.
Our agri-commodity working groups
After announcing FMC for Food at COP28 in 2023, the coalition has grown to over 60 partners across four commodity-focused working groups: beef cattle, dairy, rice, and row crops (wheat, soy, and corn).
Up to 70% of the global agri-food system’s impacts are caused by six commodities: beef cattle, dairy, rice, row crops, soy and palm oil.
These efforts are complemented by a global coalition platform that supports demand signals, shares procurement insights, and aligns partners around scalable pathways for resilient, sustainable food systems.
First Movers Coalition for Food
A World Economic Forum Initiative