In June 2020, Nature Food published an editorial article (Public-private roles beyond crop yields) on the division of roles between the public and private sectors in agricultural research and development (R&D) for sustainable food production. Funding for breeding programs in the public sector in recent years has threatened public-private sector collaboration aimed at improving agricultural productivity to support a population of around 10 billion by 2050. The private sector tends to focus on applied crop technology from a business perspective of focusing on the market and profit, while the public sector tends to concentrate on research with low profit margins despite high social returns. Decreasing public funding in food and agriculture R&D can affect the sustainability of agricultural systems. The public and private sectors must work together and tackle the food system from a long-term and social perspective.

On June 17, 2020, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) released a new UN Climate Change assessment showing that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of 18% compared to the 1990 goal levels under the Kyoto Protocol’s second phase can be fully achieved. However, this assessment applies only to 37 countries, and the continuous global increase in emissions indicates the need for more ambitious action. The year 2020 is critical because the Kyoto Protocol Parties will submit new targets or update efforts to reduce GHG emissions. If the current trend continues, the global average temperature could rise by more than 3 oC. Based on the Paris Agreement, the temperature rise should be kept as much as possible to 1.5 degrees C or below 2 degrees C.

The United Nations has designated June 17th each year as “Desertification and Drought Day”. To meet the demand of about 10 billion people by 2050, people need to change their lifestyles and change their consciousness. One of the biggest causes of soil degradation is the expansion of farmland to feed a rapidly growing population. Also, trees are cut down for charcoal production, which leads to land degradation. In Africa, the growing demand for food and fuel due to urbanization is causing the loss of the rural ecosystem and land degradation, and there is no alternative but to seek sustainable management methods.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has published the Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin monthly report on the latest price trends at the global, regional, and national levels and provided detailed information about the situation. According to the May 2020 preliminary report, international prices of wheat declined in May after the increase in the previous month, following a good supply outlook for the 2020/21 season. The maize export prices continued to decline due to large export availabilities and good supply prospects, with no sign of price increase for some time. On the other hand, rice prices recorded a fifth consecutive monthly increase.

On June 8, 2020, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization published the 2020 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA). The "Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries" was adopted in 1995, and the importance of responsible and effective use of fisheries and aquaculture resources as well as the need to implement operational policies based on science are now widely recognized and prioritized. Global fisheries production reached 179 million tons in 2018 with sale value estimated at US$ 401 billion, of which 82 million tons and US$ 250 billion were from aquaculture.

A research article published in the scientific journal Earth’s Future in May 2020 warned that many transboundary river basins would face increased water stress in the near future. According to a scenario analysis by the authors (Munia et al.), water stress will worsen in already stressed areas for most transboundary river basins, and management of local demand will be an important strategy as a countermeasure.

Like the Great Depression of 1929-1939 and the Great Recession of 2008-2010, the global economic crisis associated with COVID-19 is called the Great Lockdown. Now is the time to think of what history would say about this crisis, either “The Great Reversal” or “The Great Reset”. In a speech at the World Economic Forum, Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), appealed the need for investments in a greener, smarter, and fairer world in the future.

On June 1, 2020, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the Johns Hopkins Alliance for a Healthier World launched the Food Systems Dashboard, a new online tool designed to help decision makers in understanding food systems for good policymaking. The dashboard presents over 170 indicators from 35 data sources for food systems in more than 230 countries and territories, which can be used to compare and analyze the data to identify priority areas for dietary and nutritional improvement.

On April 24, 2020, Nature Communications published a comment article on the role of big data in environmental conservation and promoting sustainable development. Big data reveals the harsh environment facing the environment, while at the same time revealing "bright spots". Big data analysis enables the collection of detailed evidence of rapid environmental changes, from recording the greening process of the earth to detecting illegal resource exploitation. Big data analysis needs to work in conjunction with environmental decision making to meet sustainable development challenges.