On 13 September 2019, the Institute for Environmental Management at VU University Amsterdam hosted an international symposium on paths for sustainable food systems transformation. Food4Cities coordinator Jac Davis presented the Environmental Geography group’s approach to food systems research: involve diverse stakeholders early, take a holistic view, and iterate fast. The symposium sparked hot debates over controversial topics such as GMOs, trade, vegan diets, farm size, organic agriculture, subsidies… and highlighted persistent action and knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to build a better and more sustainable food system.