The challenge of feeding an additional 2 billion people by 2050 is one of the most pressing issues of our generation. The required changes in the current food system must be achieved while reducing the negative environmental impacts of current farming practices on our climate and biodiversity and avoiding deforestation. This formidable challenge must be overcome in a projected climate that is more variable and where extreme weather events are increasingly common. While the green revolution, agricultural land expansion and agrotechnological innovations have significantly increased crop productivity over the last 50 years, the gains in the yields of most major crops have reached a plateau. Moreover, global hunger remains at a record high. Climate change-associated changes in weather patterns have decreased the yields of major crops. Further land expansion is impossible without severe trade-offs with biodiversity and climate change mitigation. Wars and pandemics are currently severely disrupting the global agri-food system, increasing prices and exacerbating food insecurity, with the world's poorest suffering the most. The climate change–social instability nexus will continue to cause additional stress to the agri-food system. Here, we consider the inequities in the current food system, highlighting the weak interconnection among research, policy and societal action that is hindering mitigation and adaptation efforts. We argue that improved interconnections among research, policy, governance and societal action will unlock the potential to achieve food security while supporting climate change mitigation targets. Our analysis includes specific strategies such as strengthening small-scale farmers, promoting fair trade practices and reducing food waste to achieve these goals.