A technical brief on the sustainable food systems concept and framework, this document reflects the three first-day modules of the FAO food systems/value chains training program. Colleagues and trainees using the training materials to explore the implementation of trainings wish to refer to the training materials (e.g., the food system wheel), but as these have yet no published documents related to them, they cannot do so. Also, various trainees are using the training materials to explore the implementation of trainings of a similar format in their countries/projects, and are looking for some publication to share with partners. Finally, the course is developed by ESA under SP4 and as such can play a key role in facilitating food systems thinking within FAO.