Research priorities for global food security under extreme events

Extreme events, such as those caused by climate change, economic or geopolitical shocks, and pest or disease epidemics, threaten global food security. The complexity of causation, as well as the myriad ways that an event, or a sequence of events, creates cascading and systemic impacts, poses significant challenges to food systems research and policy alike. To identify priority food security risks and research opportunities, we asked experts from a range of fields and geographies to describe key threats to global food security over the next two decades, and to suggest key research questions and gaps on this topic. Here we present a prioritization of the major threats to global food security from extreme events, as well as emerging research questions that highlight the conceptual and practical challenges which exist in designing, adopting, and governing resilient food systems. We hope these findings help in directing research funding and resources towards the food system transformations needed to help society tackle major food system risks and food insecurity under extreme events.