Strengthening multilateralism, climate action, and sustainable food systems through agricultural technology transfer

Research and development are engines of economic growth in the current environment of Industry 4.0. As such, the effective use and commercialization of intellectual assets can fuel value creation while addressing complex societal, national, and regional challenges. Fostering technology transfer is crucial to ensure that regions most vulnerable to climate change are equipped with the capacity to develop and gain access to agricultural technologies that empower climate action and sustainable food systems. The journey from innovation to impact, especially in the Global South, is often hindered by a critical bottleneck—inadequate technology transfer mechanisms. G20 countries must urgently forge multilateral initiatives that: i) incentivize innovation and technology transfer through market pull approaches, aligning innovation with market demands, thereby accelerating the journey from lab to market; and ii) incentivize localized innovation and technology transfer in a globalized system, advocating for solutions rooted in the needs of specific geographic and cultural contexts. G20 countries should lead international cooperation and partnerships ensuring equitable access to innovations and technologies. The recommendations align with the priorities of the Brazil G20 Presidency by linking climate action, the green transition, and innovation and technology to trilateral cooperation.