Tropentag is the largest interdisciplinary conference in Europe focusing on development-oriented research in the fields of tropical and subtropical agriculture, food security, natural resource management and rural development. It is clear that a just and sustainable transformation of our food systems is urgently needed: climate change, conflicts, rising food and fuel prices, and growing social and income inequalities are exacerbating the vulnerabilities of our food systems. The theme invites diverse contributions that explore different pathways for transforming food systems and the trade-offs and synergies involved, ranging from more technical solutions, such as climate-smart agriculture and biofortified crops, to more systematic solutions for changing the underlying relationships of our food systems, such as agroecology and alternative food networks.