None of the world’s megacities can feed themselves. Food chain risks pose imminent threat of starvation. Solutions to urban food risk. Climate-proof food supplies. Examples of novel urban food production systems. The importancve of ‘urban permaculture’. Rewilding and farmers as ‘Stewards of the Earth’. Developing wise consumers.

Chapter 6 – Transformation Narratives – discusses narratives of transformations that recur throughout our data sets. We discuss five major ways of conceptualising transformation: as a journey, a building process, a war, co-creation and recuperation. The chapter argues that it is important to unravel core narratives, as they signal different overarching structures in sense-making, connoting different insights into how to address societal challenges.

2500 conflicts, 40 wars, in first two decades of C21st. Role of hunger in conflict. Eco-wars and their prevention. The global cost of war. A better use for world arms budgets. Food spending as defence spending. A plan for peace through food.

The human existential emergency: describes the 10 intersecting threats to the human future and the role/impact of food in each. Calls for cross-cutting solutions for all ten issues. Learning to think as a species.Women ‘must lead’ in all spheres of human activity.

Overview of the 21st Century global food revolution leading to the Age of Food. Ecofarms, aquaculture, urban farms and biocultures. 29,000 ‘undiscovered’ edible plants.

Chapter 1 – How do we change the world? – presents the rationale of the book, its aim, and scope, introduces key concepts and outlines the state of research on and for transformations toward sustainability. The chapter highlights different calls for sustainability transformations in the United Nations 2030 Agenda, countries’ contributions to the Paris Agreement and subsequent negotiations within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The chapter further discusses the difference between the concepts of transformation and transition. The chapter argues that greater conceptual clarity on sustainability transformations across societies in the world facilitates decision-making and planning in form of democratization, organizational effectiveness and international cooperation.

Key recommendations of the book. Develop a sustainable, nourishing and resilient global food system founded on ecological or regenerative farming, aquaculture, and urban food production. Replan all of the Earth’s cities so that they recycle all their nutrients and water back into food production and fertile soil, have a sustainable, climate-proof local source of food year-round, and are based on permaculture principles. Re-allocate 20 per cent of world military spending to ‘peace through food’. Understand that sustainable food investment is defence spending, can reduce tensions and so prevent many wars from starting in the first place, and avoid vast movements of refugees which may otherwise overwhelm other regions, countries and cultures. Rewild half the planet through a global movement led by small farmers, former farmers and indigenous peoples, known as Stewards of the Earth, to end the Sixth Extinction of life on Earth. Raise a new generation of food-aware children, who understand how to eat healthily and sustainably, through a Year of Food in every junior school on the planet. Put women in charge of business, politics, government, religion and society for the sake of human civilisation and its survival in the century of its greatest peril.

Chapter 7 – Governing Transformations – outlines ideas and approaches for governing various kinds of transformations, ranging from the transformational leverage of technology, market incentives, strengthening state actions, civil society initiatives, enhanced public education and efforts to shift mindsets to restructuring the economic world order. We present key concepts in governance of transformation and discuss the various governance implications of aspirations for sudden, rapid and profound changes versus proposals for incremental or niche developments. Such policies and measures range from stand-alone unparalleled efforts, intended to activate a tipping point towards transformation, to a series of incremental efforts to gradually accomplish transformation. Moreover, we suggest an analytical framework for transformation governance processes that focuses on scrutinising goals, governance mechanisms, outcomes, target populations, outputs, leverage mechanisms, interventions and institutional frameworks.

Chapter 8 – Our Transforming World – discusses the general conclusions from the book's exploration of stories of societal transformation across the world. In particular, it focuses on the governability of transformations, the system boundaries, the tempo of transformations and the drivers of change, such as technology, political economy, learning, narratives and perspective change. Finally, the chapter points at the interconnectedness of personal, political and practical transformations.

Are conventional farming systems sustainable? Their impact on climate, global chemical pollution, human health, wildlife extinction and collapse of agro-ecosystems. Novel approaches to farming and food production.