Rigorous anticipatory governance is needed for responsible food system transformation.

Food system transformation will require the expansion of new ideas and solutions while phasing out old and obsolete ones, potentially leading to unintended and undesirable consequences. This Perspective argues that anticipatory governance approaches can shape technological visions while informing and prioritizing actions to support sustainable transformation. We present a framework to engage systematically with uncertainty and complexity, and to identify potential positive and negative outcomes. We argue for the adoption of mission-oriented innovation systems to better align innovation efforts with environmental, social and health objectives while mitigating negative consequences-and create a culture of more inclusive and responsible innovation.