There is no one-size-fits-all solution that can deliver the food systems transformations needed in all countries around the world. Given the urgent and high stakes race to solving global problems, a rigorous place-based approach is needed to identify the right innovation, with the right level of impact, in the right place.
The Right Innovation, Right Impact, Right Place framework outlined in this study provides guidance for all stakeholders working on innovation. It will help anyone designing or supporting innovations in food systems to build an innovation toolkit to maximize impact and achieve national-level health and environmental goals.
The framework helps in: choosing innovations that will best amplify the impact of 20 transformation levers that transcend boundaries and hold much promise for transforming food systems; anticipating the kind of change and impact any proposed innovation might have and using systems thinking to identify and treat root causes of the problems; and understanding the social and ecological context in which the innovation is to be implemented.