Abstract The aim of this introduction chapter is twofold. First it will set the scene, frame the overarching problem and present the central question of this volume: How does the concept of resilience help in improving our general understanding of the development process, in particular around the issue of food (in)security, and how does it influence the way development interventions around this question of food security are now programmed and implemented? To address this ambitious question, the entire series of chapters will adopt a food system approach. The second part of the introduction chapter will then ‘kick-start’ the discussion, first by providing some initial element of definition for the three concepts under consideration and then by highlighting some of the main discussions, debates or even contradictions that emerge in the literature around the definition, interpretations and application of those concepts.