Food systems research and science to ensure that food is accessible, sustainable, safe, healthy, and equitable is critical and must be quickly translated into policy and action. COVID-19 further highlights the importance of governance, efficiency, resilience, functionality of food systems, and the strong interconnections between food and health. Research should focus on price volatility, ethics, governance, biofuels, biodiversity and ecosystem services, drivers of dietary choice, high-tech agriculture, zoonotic diseases, and social protection.