Editorial: Let us redraw the global food systems map – TOGETHER

Welcome to Global Smart Food Systems (GSFS), a pioneering gold open access journal born out of urgency and aspiration urgency in addressing the accelerating challenges facing global food systems and aspiration to catalyze innovation, equity and sustainability through rigorous and transdisciplinary research. The story of food is no longer simply about agriculture or nutrition; it is a system story, a social justice story and increasingly a story of survival in the face of ecological, geopolitical and climate instability.The architecture of global food systems today is a paradox tested like never before. While scientific and technological advances have made it possible to produce more food, we remain entangled in crises of food insecurity, ecological degradation and socio-economic inequality. From climate change and geopolitical instability to corporate consolidation and inequitable access to innovation, the pressures on food systems are not only numerous but also deeply interconnected. Certainly, at the heart of this high-tech era, we stand at a pivotal moment: will our food systems in the global north and/or the global south be vehicles of resilience and equity, or instruments of extraction and exclusion shaped by powerful socioeconomic forces and corporate profit-driven motives?At GSFS, we understand that food is never just about food. It is about culture, power, economics, health, governance and the planet itself. That's why our journal spans a wide array of thematic areas, which makes GSFS unique is its comprehensive distinctive contemporary food systems approach. We are committed to advancing knowledge and solutions that reimagine the entire food systems ecosystem: from the plate to the consumer to the planet. Our scope spans every node and nuance of the food chain: from precision agriculture, robotics and AI-driven supply chains to culturally responsive nutrition practices and technologies, circular food economies, marketing, food governance and justice and regenerative food policy among others. We welcome contributions that bridge the local and the global and that address both hard science and the often-invisible power dynamics shaping who eats what, how and at what cost.This journal is a timely and much-needed scientific platform for interdisciplinary engagement and transdisciplinary dialog. We invite contributions from academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs, advocates and practitioners. It is for anyone who recognizes that food systems are at the heart of some of the world's most urgent challenges and that the solutions require integration, intelligence and imagination. By bringing together diverse voices, GSFS aims to surface innovations that are not only smart but also impartial technologies and models that are rooted in communities and driven by sustainability, equity, ethics and inclusive governance.Our editorial lens is grounded in systems thinking. We recognize that true progress in food systems requires an understanding of the complex interplay between technological advancement, socio-political structures, environmental boundaries and human rights. We are especially interested in work that interrogates power, dismantles inequities and uplifts historically marginalized perspectives by using modern approaches and broad-based methodologies that transcend the boundaries of conventional food systems approaches such as integration of digital mapping platforms, Google Earth, participatory sketch mapping and audiovisual storytelling into food systems research and policy advocacy. These innovative tools serve as a democratizing force, reclaiming food systems from ivory towers and embedding them in the geographies of real lives. As we map this terrain together, let us not just analyze but redraw the new real food systems cartography!In alignment with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), Global Smart Food Systems is committed to accelerating the transition to food systems that nourish both people and planet-systems that are resilient, climate-smart and economically inclusive. Our goal is not just to document change but to drive it by fostering knowledge exchange, spotlighting innovation and elevating underrepresented voices in food systems research and practice.We launched this journal with the conviction that food is more than sustenance. It is culture, identity, economy, environment and justice. And it is time to design a smarter, fairer and more sustainable food world. Together, with a clear eye, ethical compass and innovative tools, we aim to shift paradigms from siloed “farm-to-fork” thinking to a holistic “plate-to-consumer-to-planet” vision, where innovation meets justice, and technology serves humanity and the Earth.We welcome you to join us on this journey. Contribute. Collaborate. Challenge. And most importantly, help us build better a future for our food, for our health, for our planet.Onward,Prof. Sima A. HamadehEditor-in-ChiefGlobal Smart Food Systems (GSFS)