The global food and agriculture landscape looks very different than it did this time last year.

In January, the Trump-Vance Administration acted quickly to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, cancelling life-saving food aid and health programs around the world.

In the following months, I have spent time during my travels to meet with farmers, researchers, and community leaders, beginning to understand what this all means for agricultural communities. What I’m hearing is alarming.

In Ethiopia, I spoke with an NGO leader called the impact “immediate and disastrous.” Their organization laid off nearly two dozen staff, canceled two major projects focused on women’s nutrition and healthy behaviors, and lost about US$1 million in funding.

In Guatemala, the organization CARE has had to lay off more than 20 staff and cut programs that helped women impacted by domestic violence. CARE staff members have also had to reduce the number of women’s farmers groups they were working with—and staff told me that the news hit the farmers very hard and they had a difficult time understanding why the U.S. would pull funding so abruptly.

The disruptions like these will cost human lives—they already are. Modeling from Boston University shows that funding cuts are already contributing to the deaths of close to 700,000 people, including more than 450,000 children, due to malnutrition and infectious diseases. By 2030, we may see as many as 14 million people die whose lives could have otherwise been saved, a study published in The Lancet reveals.

The cruelty doesn’t stop when you get to the U.S. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, an estimated 15 million will lose health coverage by 2034 following the passage of the tax and spending bill this summer. And more than 3 million people are at risk of losing some or all of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Crystal FitzSimons, President of the Food Research & Action Center calls these cuts “bad for families, bad for businesses, and bad for the economy as a whole.”

The ripple effects are likely to be as significant as FitzSimons suggests. One study from the George Washington University estimates that we may see 1 million jobs lost and a reduction totaling US$113 billion in states’ GDPs next year.

What’s happening now is only the beginning. We will not know the full consequences of these changes for years, even generations, to come.

What I do know is that we need new solutions, new ways of thinking and doing. Some friends and allies in this space have called this moment an opportunity. But I don’t see it that way. I want to be clear that we are adapting because we’re forced to.

Food Tank and the Global Food Institute at GW launched our “Growing Forward” series at the start of the year to spotlight the innovative solutions that will help us tackle the most pressing challenges in our food and agriculture systems. I always understood that they would be needed—I just couldn’t have predicted how urgent they would become.

The World Bank is demonstrating the power of new tools that will help us monitor and better respond to global hunger crises. The University of the District of Columbia is showing us how we can equip community leaders with the knowledge they need to scale urban agroecology to feed cities and build climate resilience. And medical professionals like Kofi Essel are illuminating the benefits we can unlock if we fully integrate food into our healthcare systems.

I’m also excited by organizations like the Food Security Leadership Council, launched this year to align American policy, science, and action to solve global hunger. “I don’t want this government to lose the partnerships that we’ve developed with other countries,” Fowler told me during a recent conversation. Protecting those relationships will be essential. 

And just last month at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Brazil, we saw several new initiatives announced, like the Food Waste Breakthrough. Led by the U.N. Environment Programme, new funds are being invested to unite governments, cities, and civil society to halve food waste by 2030. 

The uncertainty we have faced in the last 12 months is not going away, and if we’re going to be prepared for the future, these are the types of solutions we need. If we can lean into them, we can collectively forge a future that is built on care, solidarity, and shared responsibility. Now we need the will to act. 

Photo courtesy of German Fon Brox, Unsplash

The post The Path Forward for Food and Farming Is Clear. Now Is the Time to Act! appeared first on Food Tank.

2025 was a year marked by immense uncertainty. Cuts to nutrition assistance and climate smart agriculture programs in the United States, the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and declining Official Development Assistance from countries including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have raised hard questions about what the future holds.

But around the world there is so much resilience and excitement as organizations prove food and agriculture systems can be a solution to our most pressing social and environmental challenges. They are establishing models that nourish children and support local farmers. They are creating more opportunities for women and young farmers to become leaders in their communities. And they are cultivating new and innovative partnerships to fund and scale the solutions already working on the ground.

As we enter 2026, here are 126 organizations and initiatives to learn about, engage with, and support as they work to build a more equitable, regenerative, and delicious future.

1. African Population & Health Research Centre, Kenya

APHRC is an African-founded, African-led research-to-policy institution driving evidence-informed decisions on health and development. Headquartered in Nairobi, they work across 35+ countries to strengthen African research leadership and advance sustainable progress across the continent. They are also behind the award-winning initiative Restoring Nairobi to “A Place of Cool Waters,” to transform Kenya’s capital into a greener, food secure city.

2. Agroecology Fund, International

Since 2011, the Agroecology Fund has pooled resources to strengthen grassroots agroecology movements advancing fair, biodiverse, climate-resilient food systems. Guided by civil society advisors, it supports community-led organizing, learning, and policy advocacy. With US$41 million granted in 100+ countries, the Fund helps build food systems where producers and consumers govern locally—and where agroecology, not industrial agriculture, shapes a just future for people and planet.

3. AKADEMIYA2063, Africa

AKADEMIYA2063 equips African governments with the data, analysis, and technical capacity needed to achieve Agenda 2063’s vision of prosperity and sustainability. Based in Rwanda with a regional office in Senegal, it leads core initiatives to strengthen knowledge systems, empower African experts, and accelerate evidence-based agricultural transformation across the continent. Together with GAIN, they recently launched a toolkit to help governments align policies across sectors to accelerate food systems transformation.

4. Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), Africa

AFSA unites a powerful network of 48 member alliances across 50 countries working to secure food sovereignty rooted in agroecology, traditional knowledge, and community rights. Representing small-scale food producers, Indigenous Peoples, and environmental defenders, AFSA amplifies African-driven solutions and resists industrial agriculture that threatens land, culture, and biodiversity—mobilizing a strong, unified voice for just and resilient food systems.

5. American Farmland Trust (AFT), United States

American Farmland Trust is safeguarding the future of U.S. agriculture by protecting farmland, restoring soil health, and keeping farmers on the land. From advancing smart land-use policies to supporting new generations of producers, AFT links food, climate resilience, and rural prosperity. Amid rapid land loss, AFT’s No Farms No Food message continues to spotlight farmland as the foundation of our food system.

6. Annie’s Project, United States

Annie’s Project empowers women farmers, ranchers, and growers with the business skills and confidence needed to lead thriving agricultural operations. Through peer networks, practical training, and locally tailored learning environments, participants strengthen decision-making across financial, legal, and risk-management challenges. Honoring a legacy of women as equal partners on the land, Annie’s Project is helping shape stronger farms, families, and communities.

7. Aragón Agri-Food Institute, Europe

Based at the Aula Dei research campus in Spain, CITA drives scientific innovation to strengthen sustainable agriculture, forestry, and rural economies. Its teams advance agroecology, climate resilience, and the bio- and circular economy through collaborative research and living labs. From conserving genetic resources to improving livestock and plant systems, CITA helps shape a more competitive and sustainable agrifood sector across Europe.

8. Arrell Food Institute, Canada

Based at the University of Guelph, the Arrell Food Institute connects scientists, policymakers, industry, and communities to advance sustainable, equitable food systems. Its work spans reducing waste in supply chains, supporting climate-smart production, and improving nutrition access. Through initiatives like ag-tech innovation and net-zero food system challenges, AFI helps Canada lead in resilient food futures.

9. Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), Asia

AFA unites small-scale farmers, fishers, Indigenous Peoples, and pastoralists across Asia to advance food sovereignty and resilient rural livelihoods. Through advocacy, cooperative development, youth engagement, and farmer-to-farmer learning, AFA strengthens secure land rights and agroecological production. With members in 20+ countries, the alliance amplifies community voices in policies that shape a just farming future for the region.

10. Australian Conservation Foundation, Australia

For nearly 60 years, the Australian Conservation Foundation has mobilized people across the country to protect wildlife, forests, rivers, and reefs. From securing World Heritage protection for the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu to advancing clean energy and stronger nature laws, ACF challenges harmful industries and empowers communities—driving bold action so nature and people can thrive together in Australia’s future.

11. Agroecology & Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA), Australia

AFSA is a farmer-led alliance working to democratize Australia’s food system through agroecology, land justice, and First Peoples’ sovereignty. From legal support for smallholders to campaigning for scale-appropriate regulation and local processing infrastructure, AFSA empowers producers and communities to reclaim control of food and land. Connected to La Via Campesina, the Alliance drives policy reform and grassroots solutions for just, local, climate-resilient food systems.

12. Better Food Future, International

Better Food Future brings industry, government, and civil society together to build resilient, transparent, and climate-smart food systems. By aligning sustainability goals with global data standards, the initiative strengthens traceability in seafood and cattle, expands fair market access for small-scale producers, and eliminates deforestation from supply chains—driving measurable progress and shared prosperity from source to shelf.

13. Black Feminist Project, United States

The Black Feminist Project advances food and reproductive justice for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people in the South Bronx. Through Black Joy Farm, sliding-scale community meals, and youth programs like Guerrilla Girls and Sis, Do You!, the organization combats food apartheid, builds leadership, and cultivates joy and autonomy—placing MaGes and mother-led families at the center of community power.

14. Broadway Green Alliance, United States

The Broadway Green Alliance mobilizes theatre-makers and audiences to shrink the industry’s environmental footprint—from switching 100,000 marquee bulbs to efficient LEDs to diverting tons of textiles and electronics from landfills. With 1,600+ Green Captains on Broadway and campuses nationwide, BGA equips artists with practical sustainability tools and uses the power of storytelling to inspire climate-positive action.

15. Buğday Association, Turkey

Born from a grassroots ecological movement in the 1990s, Buğday Association works to build a culture of ecological living in Turkey. Through projects spanning seed exchange, pesticide-free farming, composting, agroecology education, and Turkey’s 100 percent Ecological Markets, Buğday strengthens links between rural producers and urban consumers while championing nature-friendly production and traditional knowledge.

16. C40 Food Systems, International

Part of a global network of 97 cities, C40 Food Systems helps mayors transform urban food into a powerful climate solution. The program supports cities to cut emissions from production to waste, improve food access and nutrition, and build resilience through circular, plant-forward, and equitable food policies—advancing a fair, green transition that protects people and the planet.

17. CARE International, International and CARE USA, United States

For 80 years, CARE has worked alongside communities to confront crises, defeat poverty, and advance dignity. Centering women and girls, CARE delivers lifesaving assistance, strengthens local leadership, and drives long-term change—from emergency response and food security to health, education, and economic opportunity. In 2024, CARE and partners reached 58.7 million people across 121 countries, proving that hope and equality can thrive even in the hardest places.

18. CGIAR, International

CGIAR is a global research partnership transforming food, land, and water systems through science and innovation. Its network includes the Africa Rice Center, CIFOR, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICRISAT, IFPRI, IITA, ILRI, CIP, IRRI, IWMI, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, ICRAF, and WorldFish. Together, these centers advance climate-resilient crops, equitable food policies, regenerative land management, and sustainable aquatic and livestock systems—delivering research and partnerships that strengthen nutrition, farmer livelihoods, and environmental stewardship worldwide.

19. CORAF, West and Central Africa

CORAF unites the agricultural research systems of 23 countries to drive innovation, boost productivity, and strengthen food and nutrition security across West and Central Africa. Through regional centers of excellence, technology scaling, market access initiatives, and policy support, CORAF helps family farmers adopt climate-smart solutions and fosters a future where communities prosper through resilient, competitive, and sustainable agriculture.

20. Charlie Cart Project, United States

With its mobile kitchen classrooms, the Charlie Cart Project brings hands-on food education directly into schools, libraries, and community centers. Their integrated curriculum helps children and adults learn cooking skills, nutrition basics, and the origins of their food. In the last decade, they have reached over 500,000 children and families through our 500 community partners across the country.

21. City Harvest, United States

For more than 40 years, City Harvest has led the food-rescue movement in New York City—recovering over 86 million pounds of surplus food each year and delivering it, free of charge, to 400 pantries, soup kitchens, and Mobile Markets® across all five boroughs. With a focus on fresh produce, culturally responsive foods, nutrition education, and community partnerships, City Harvest fights hunger, reduces waste, and strengthens local food systems so every New Yorker can thrive.

22. Climate Group, International

Climate Group accelerates urgent climate action by mobilizing powerful networks of 500+ multinational companies and 180+ state and regional governments. Working across high-emitting systems—energy, transport, heavy industry, and food—it drives commitments, enforces accountability, and turns ambition into measurable progress. Its global collaborations push organizations to act now and help steer the world toward net-zero by 2050.

23. Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), United States

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a worker-led human rights organization transforming U.S. agriculture through organizing, enforcement, and consumer power. Since 1993, CIW has exposed and helped prosecute major forced-labor rings, liberated over 1,200 workers, and pioneered the Fair Food Program—a worker-driven model that raises wages, prevents abuse, and sets enforceable standards across farms in multiple states and crops.

24. Conflict Cuisine Project, International 

The Conflict Cuisine Project explores the deep links between food and war, using culinary traditions as a lens to understand conflict, diaspora, and peacebuilding. Through gastrodiplomacy, education programs, and collaborations with chefs and policymakers, the project shows how recipes, foodways, and shared meals can foster dialogue, integration, and a more nuanced understanding of global insecurity.

25. Community Kitchen, United States

Community Kitchen is a pilot sliding-scale restaurant at the Lower Eastside Girls Club, where chef Mavis-Jay Sanders serves multi-course, locally sourced, plant-forward dinners priced at US$15, US$45, or US$125 based on income and wealth—no questions asked. Co-founded with Mark Bittman, the project aims to prove that dignified, high-quality dining can be accessible, community-centered, and a model for policy change.

26. Crop Trust, International

The Crop Trust safeguards the world’s crop diversity by funding and strengthening genebanks and backing global seed reserves like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Its Food Forever strategy aims to permanently secure key collections and make them more accessible to researchers and farmers. Through long-term partnerships, technical support, and capacity building, the organization helps ensure agriculture can adapt to climate, conflict, and biodiversity loss.

27. Culinary Institute of America, United States

The Culinary Institute of America prepares future food leaders through its longstanding commitment to excellence, research, and innovation. CIA co-founded and leads the  Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, a worldwide partnership of universities leveraging campus dining to study behavior change and bring plant-forward, climate-smart menu innovation into practice. 

28. Cultivemos Network, United States

Cultivemos—meaning “we cultivate”—links Northeast farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers to mental-health resources, culturally relevant support, and community-driven education. Through partnerships with Farm Aid and others, the network provides bilingual materials, resilience trainings, and a growing service-provider community designed to reduce stress, strengthen well-being, and ensure agricultural families can access the care they need.

29. Dion’s Chicago Dream, United States

Dion’s Chicago Dream advances health equity by redesigning food access through last-mile logistics. Founded in Englewood, the nonprofit delivers fresh, pre-measured produce directly to households through Dream Deliveries, community Dream Fridges, and networked Dream Vaults—collectively providing millions of pounds of healthy food. By pairing nutritional philanthropy with workforce development and neighborhood partnerships, the Dream builds community, stability, and hope across Chicago.

30. Edible Schoolyard Project, United States

The Edible Schoolyard Project, founded by Alice Waters in 1995, transforms public education by integrating organic gardens, kitchens, and cafeterias into academic learning. Its Berkeley demonstration site anchors a national movement where students cook, garden, and study food systems as part of their core curriculum. Through free classroom resources and the Alice Waters Institute, the organization advances edible education, climate action, and community well-being.

31. EAT, International

EAT works at the intersection of science, policy, business, and civil society to accelerate the shift toward healthy, fair, and sustainable food systems. Through science-based initiatives like the EAT–Lancet Commission report, global convenings such as the Stockholm Food Forum, and city-level efforts advancing the Planetary Health Diet, EAT works to transform evidence into collective action and partnerships that support people and the planet.

32. EiT Food, Europe 

EIT Food brings together innovators across Europe to accelerate the shift toward a healthier, more sustainable, and consumer-centered food system. Backed by the EU, it invests in research, education, entrepreneurship, and public engagement to advance three core missions—healthier diets, resilient and transparent supply chains, and a net-zero food system—linking startups, industry, and communities to drive system-wide change.

33. European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA), Europe

The European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA) is a farmer-led coalition advancing ecological, economic, and social regeneration across Europe’s agrifood system. Rooted in diverse farming contexts, EARA elevates farmer expertise in EU policy and builds broad alliances through its Regenerating Europe Tour—a series of strategic dialogues, farm visits, and workshops across Member States designed to accelerate a soil-centered, regenerative agricultural transition.

34. FAIRR Initiative, International

FAIRR is an investor network mobilizing more than US$90 trillion in assets to address the financial and systemic risks tied to intensive animal agriculture. Through rigorous research, company benchmarking, and coordinated investor engagement, FAIRR equips members to navigate climate, biodiversity, labor, and antimicrobial resistance risks while identifying opportunities across the protein value chain to accelerate a more sustainable and resilient global food system.

35. Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO (FLOC), United States

The Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO (FLOC) is a union and social movement advancing farmworkers’ rights across the Midwest and South. Founded in the 1960s by Baldemar Velásquez, FLOC pioneered tri-party bargaining—bringing corporations, growers, and workers to the same table—to secure fair wages, safer housing, and grievance protections, while mobilizing broad public support to shift power toward those who labor in the fields.

36. Feeding Change, United States

The Milken Institute’s Feeding Change program works to build a more nutritious, sustainable, equitable, and resilient food system by activating the necessary social and financial capital needed to drive this transformation. Some of their recent policy briefs and reports have called for employer-led nutrition strategies, expanded access to pharmacy-based care, and natural capital solutions. 

37. First Nations Development Institute, United States

First Nations Development Institute strengthens the economic, cultural, and ecological well-being of Native communities by supporting Tribal sovereignty and investing in Native-led solutions. Since 1980, its national grantmaking program has directed thousands of awards to projects advancing land stewardship, food systems, economic justice, and Native arts—reinforcing community assets, uplifting Indigenous knowledge, and sustaining self-determined futures across Tribal nations.

38. Food is Medicine Institute, United States

The Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts advances the integration of nutritious food into healthcare by generating evidence, training clinicians, and supporting patient care models such as medically tailored meals, groceries, and produce prescriptions. Through interdisciplinary research, policy analysis, and community partnerships, the Institute works to embed FIM into clinical systems, reduce health disparities, and strengthen a more equitable, prevention-focused healthcare system.

39. Food Recovery Network (FRN), United States

Food Recovery Network mobilizes thousands of student leaders, food businesses, and farms to keep surplus food out of landfills and redirect it to community organizations fighting hunger. Launched in 2011 at the University of Maryland, FRN now operates nearly 200 campus and community programs, recovering millions of pounds of fresh food and expanding local food access while reducing waste and emissions nationwide.

40. Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), United States

The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) advances policies that ensure every person in the U.S. can access nutritious food. Through research, advocacy, and support for a nationwide network of anti-hunger partners, FRAC strengthens federal nutrition programs, expands benefits, addresses racial inequities, and tackles the root causes of poverty-related hunger to build a healthier, more food-secure nation.

41. Food Security Leadership Council, International

The Food Security Leadership Council unites leaders from science, agriculture, industry, and global development to reimagine U.S. engagement in global food security. Guided by evidence and nonpartisan analysis, the Council elevates the impacts of U.S. policy, advances a strategic blueprint for international action, and convenes emerging leaders to address rising hunger driven by climate change, land degradation, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.

42. Food Systems for the Future (FSF), International

Food Systems for the Future advances market-based, nutrition-focused solutions to build equitable and sustainable food systems. Led by Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, the organization works across the U.S. and Africa to expand access to affordable, diverse, and nourishing foods through policy engagement, research, coalition-building, and partnerships that strengthen local capacity and drive systemwide change toward a malnutrition-free world.

43. FreshRx Oklahoma, United States

FreshRx Oklahoma partners with local growers and clinicians to help North Tulsa residents manage Type II diabetes with nutrient-dense, regeneratively grown produce and yearlong support. Launched in 2021 after evidence showed food access was undermining diabetes care, the USDA-funded program provides biweekly produce, cooking and nutrition classes, and regular health screenings—advancing health equity through a Food is Medicine model rooted in community.

44. Friends of the Earth, International

Friends of the Earth mobilizes a nationwide network to advance bold, justice-centered environmental action. Since 1969, the organization has pushed for transformative policies that confront the climate and biodiversity crises head-on—rejecting half-measures, challenging corporate power, and championing systemic solutions. Through advocacy, coalition-building, and movement organizing, they work to protect people and the planet while building durable political power for long-term change.

45. Full Plates Full Potential, United States

Full Plates Full Potential works to end childhood food insecurity in Maine by strengthening and expanding the child nutrition programs that reach students every day. The organization helped lead the passage of School Meals for All and continues partnering with schools and communities to ensure every child has reliable access to nutritious meals that support learning, equity, and long-term well-being.

46. Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), International

GAIN works to improve access to nutritious, safe, and affordable food by transforming food systems alongside governments, businesses, and civil society. They focus on availability, affordability, desirability, and sustainability of healthy diets—especially for women, children, and other vulnerable groups—through programs that strengthen markets, advance fortification, shape policy, and expand nutrition-focused innovation worldwide.

47. Global Alliance for Latinos in Agriculture (GALA), International

GALA strengthens Latino farmers and ranchers worldwide through regenerative agriculture, conscious capitalism, and alignment with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. The organization advances youth leadership, digital and carbon-literacy training, and cross-cultural knowledge exchange to revitalize rural communities, foster family-farm prosperity, and build resilient, sustainability-driven agricultural livelihoods across generations.

48. Global Alliance for the Future of Food, International

The Global Alliance for the Future of Food is a coalition of philanthropic foundations working with partners worldwide to accelerate the transition to equitable, climate-resilient food systems. The Alliance advances systems-level solutions by convening diverse actors, generating evidence, and driving collaborative action toward food systems that uphold health, sustainability, and human rights for present and future generations.

49. Global Food Institute (GFI) at GW, United States

The Global Food Institute at George Washington University advances evidence-based solutions across policy, innovation, and community well-being to transform food systems. Through interdisciplinary research, teaching, and convenings, GFI links science to real-world action, shaping how food is grown, distributed, and experienced to improve human and planetary health.

50. Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, United States

Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming advances a resilient regional food system by training the next generation of farmers, promoting regenerative practices, and strengthening fair, community-based markets. Working from the Hudson Valley and sharing lessons nationally, Glynwood aligns ecological stewardship with thriving local economies and equitable access to nutritious food. 

51. Gönül Mutfağı, Turkey

Launched by chefs Türev Uludağ and Ebru Baybara Demir, Gönül Mutfağı served over 17 million meals to earthquake survivors in 2023 through the work of 4,000 volunteers. The initiative strengthens long-term recovery by employing local residents through the From Soil to Plate cooperative and supplying 10,000 breakfasts each day to Hatay students.

52. GrowNYC, United States

Since 1970, GrowNYC has helped New Yorkers access fresh food, vibrant green spaces, and environmental education. Through producer-only Greenmarkets, community garden support, and education programs, the organization uplifts regional farmers and empowers residents—particularly frontline communities—to shape a healthier, more resilient city.

53. Guyra Paraguay, Paraguay

Focused on protecting Paraguay’s natural wealth, Guyra Paraguay brings together civil society, Indigenous communities, farmers, and scientists to conserve species, restore forests, and promote sustainable livelihoods. Through projects in the Atlantic Forest, agroforestry initiatives, and innovative monitoring and climate-finance programs—such as their shade-grown yerba mate program—the organization works to build a resilient landscape for people and wildlife. 

54. Green Bronx Machine, United States

Green Bronx Machine transforms classrooms and communities through a K–12+ model that weaves urban agriculture into core academics. Students grow and distribute thousands of pounds of fresh produce while improving attendance, engagement, and achievement. Through food education, workforce development, and community partnerships, the organization builds healthier schools and stronger, more resilient Bronx neighborhoods—proving that healthy students help grow healthy communities.

55. Good Food Fund, China

Good Food Fund drives China’s transition toward healthier, more sustainable, and more humane food systems. Through chef training, youth programs, policy-aligned partnerships, and the Good Food Summit, GFF advances plant-based innovation and elevates animal welfare. Its Good Food Academy and incubator programs build knowledge and support emerging leaders working to shift production, consumption, and public awareness toward a better food future.

56. Harlem Grown, United States

Harlem Grown cultivates healthy kids and resilient communities by engaging Harlem youth in hands-on urban farming, nutrition, and sustainability education. Since 2011, the organization has expanded access to fresh food and learning opportunities by operating 14 urban agriculture sites, from soil-based farms to hydroponic greenhouses, while mentoring elementary-aged students to become advocates for their health, community, and environment.

57. Helen’s Daughters, Caribbean

Helen’s Daughters strengthens rural women across the Caribbean by using agriculture as a pathway to broader economic and social opportunity. Working at the grassroots level, the organization provides training, mentorship, micro-investment, and market access while advancing gender equity through public advocacy. Their programs—from an all-female agri-apprenticeship to FarmHers Markets—position women farmers as leaders of sustainable development across the region.

58. High Atlas Foundation, Morocco

The High Atlas Foundation advances community-led development across Morocco by helping rural families build sustainable livelihoods rooted in fruit-tree agriculture, clean water access, and women’s empowerment. Through 15 nurseries producing millions of saplings, carbon-offset programs, and post-earthquake recovery, HAF supports communities to restore land, preserve cultural heritage, and create long-term, locally driven pathways to economic resilience.

59. IndigeHub, United States

IndigeHub strengthens Indigenous self-determination by creating shared resource hubs that fuel entrepreneurship, food sovereignty, and community resilience. Through coworking spaces, commercial kitchens, and emerging food hubs, the organization expands access to tools, training, and local markets. Their culturally grounded model reduces barriers on tribal lands, supports small businesses, and equips communities to build sustainable, long-term prosperity.

60. Instituto Regenera, Brazil

Instituto Regenera works to advance regenerative food systems by co-creating applied knowledge that drives transparent, fair, inclusive, and sustainable practices. Rooted in the idea that food is climate, biodiversity, and culture, the organization partners across sectors to strengthen emerging models that restore ecosystems, uplift communities, and embed regeneration at every stage of the food system. During COP30, the organization helped secure a commitment from the Brazilian government to source at least one third of food served at the conference from local family farmers.

61. Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Americas

IICA is the Inter-American System’s specialized agency for agriculture, working with 34 Member States to strengthen rural well-being and agricultural development. Through technical cooperation spanning innovation, family farming, trade, digitalization, and agricultural health, IICA supports countries in building competitive, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems resilient to climate shocks and aligned with long-term regional development goals.

62. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Africa

icipe advances insect science for sustainable development across Africa, pioneering environmentally safe tools to manage pests and disease vectors while conserving biodiversity. Through its 4Hs approach—Human Health, Animal Health, Plant Health and Environmental Health—the Centre strengthens food security, rural livelihoods, and ecosystem resilience. As the continent’s only international arthropod research institution, it also builds scientific capacity through extensive training and partnerships.

63. International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International

IFAD works to end rural poverty by investing in small-scale farmers and strengthening food systems. A U.N. agency and international financial institution, it provides grants and low-interest loans that expand market access, boost production, and build climate resilience. IFAD’s people-centered approach ensures women, youth, and Indigenous communities shape and benefit from rural transformation.

64. International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), International

IPES-Food unites 25 leading researchers and practitioners to accelerate food system transformation. From analyzing power dynamics to proposing concrete policy reforms, the panel produces influential reports and builds alliances that center equity, sustainability, and health. Rooted in science and informed by frontline realities, IPES-Food provides a clear roadmap for fixing failing food and agriculture systems.

65. International Potato Center, International

Headquartered in Lima, Peru, the International Potato Center (CIP) supports science-based solutions to improve root and tuber agri-food systems. They do this to ultimately enhance nutrition security, support sustainable business, and improve communities’ livelihoods. CIP leads the project Lima 2035, which aims to make the city of Lima’s food and agriculture systems regenerative and human-centered.

66. James Beard Foundation (JBF), United States

The James Beard Foundation strengthens the independent restaurant sector by recognizing excellence and equipping chefs and culinary leaders to drive a more equitable, sustainable food system. Through its awards, training programs, and national initiatives, JBF champions Good Food for Good—supporting an industry that enriches American culture and empowers the people who shape our food future.

67. John Hopkins University Center for Health Security and Center for a Livable Future, United States

At Johns Hopkins University, the Centers for Health Security and a Livable Future are working to reshape our systems in support of human and planetary health. The Center for Health Security works to protect communities from epidemics, biological threats, and public health emergencies while the Center for a Livable Future (CLF) advances alternatives to industrial food systems. CLF also recently launched a program to support the next generation of food and agriculture journalists. 

68. Kiss the Ground, United States

Kiss the Ground advances the regenerative movement by elevating healthy soil as a solution for human and planetary well-being. Through films, digital storytelling, education, and direct farmer support, the organization has inspired millions and helped transition more than two million acres toward regenerative agriculture—mobilizing public awareness toward a tipping point for systems-scale change.

69. La Via Campesina, International

Formed in 1993, La Via Campesina brings together 200 million small-scale food producers in 81 countries to defend land, water, seeds, and territory. The movement centers food sovereignty—healthy, culturally rooted food produced sustainably—and trains members in agroecology and peasant feminism. Its sustained mobilization shaped major global governance spaces, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants.

70. Local2030 Islands Network (L2030IN), International

This global network amplifies the leadership of island communities working toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Members share knowledge, strengthen public-private partnerships, and implement initiatives in support of a circular economy to create solutions that are locally driven and culturally informed.

71. McKnight Foundation, United States

The McKnight Foundation is working toward a more just and creative future through investments that celebrate culture bearers, strengthen farmer-centered agroecological research, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and more. Taking a silo-breaking approach, they also blend their program areas to bring food and the arts together. 

72. Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, International

Launched in 2015, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact unites over 250 cities in a mayor-led commitment to build sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban food systems. As the leading global framework for municipal food policy, the Pact drives action through a shared 37-point agenda, peer learning, capacity building, and annual Milan Pact Awards showcasing innovative city solutions.

73. Naandi Foundation, India

The Naandi Foundation works across 438 districts in 21 states of India to create a better future for farmers and girls. In support of farmers, the organization encourages knowledge-sharing and the use of sustainable agricultural inputs, finding innovative ways to bring a regenerative and profitable agriculture system. Their goal in the coming years is to support 10 million girls with schooling and employment and 100 million farmers by planting 1 billion trees.

74. National Farm to School Network, United States

The National Farm to School Network builds equitable farm to school systems that support children, farmers, and communities. Through policy leadership, hands-on training, and a nationwide coalition spanning all 50 states, NFSN helps schools serve local food, integrate gardens and food education, and strengthen regional economies—advancing a vision of a racially just and community-driven food system.

75. National Farm Worker Ministry, United States

The National Farm Worker Ministry brings together denominations, congregations, and advocates to back campaigns led by farm workers seeking fair pay, safe conditions, and basic rights. Grounded in faith and racial justice, NFWM organizes actions, educates supporters, and builds solidarity networks that help transform the systems shaping life and labor in U.S. agriculture.

76. National Farmers Union, United States

The National Farmers Union (NFU) represents more than 220,000 family farmers and ranchers, advancing policies rooted in grassroots decision-making. NFU works to strengthen rural economies through farmer-driven advocacy, cooperative solutions, and education, promoting fair markets, resilient communities, and a future where family agriculture can thrive. In response to the increase in political and economic uncertainty farmers are facing in the last year, NFU has continued fighting to put growers first. 

77. National Young Farmers Coalition, United States

The National Young Farmers Coalition is a farmer-led network shifting power and transforming federal policy to equitably resource a new generation of growers. The Coalition centers BIPOC leadership and organizes young farmers nationwide to secure land access, climate resilience, and structural change so farming can remain viable, just, and community-rooted.

78. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), International

Since 1970, NRDC has paired legal action, scientific expertise, and grassroots advocacy to safeguard people and the planet. With offices across the U.S. and in Beijing, its attorneys, scientists, and policy experts tackle climate pollution, toxic exposures, biodiversity loss, and environmental inequity while advancing durable protections for communities and ecosystems.

79. New York Botanical Garden, United States

Each year the New York Botanical Garden reaches tens of thousands of families through exhibitions, botanical experiences, art, music, and events. Their scientists work around the world to find actionable, nature-based solutions to the climate and biodiversity loss crises, striving to create a green future for all. 

80. Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation, United States

Rooted in Niman Ranch’s commitment to smaller-scale, humane farming, the Next Generation Foundation supports young producers through scholarships and targeted grants. With over US$2 million distributed since 2006, the Foundation helps new farmers pursue education, adopt regenerative methods, expand their operations, and build resilient rural livelihoods.

81. North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS), North America

Founded by Chef Sean Sherman, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) is rebuilding a regional Indigenous food system through education, enterprise, and access. From its Minneapolis-based Indigenous Food Lab—combining a professional kitchen, market, and training center—NATIFS supports tribal communities in restoring Native foodways, expanding Indigenous culinary businesses, and advancing Indigenous food sovereignty across North America.

82. NOW Partners Foundation, International

For over three decades, NOW Partners Foundation has collaborated with businesses, investors, and institutions to advance regenerative land use, equitable leadership, and new industry logics. Their global partnership guides companies through transitions that integrate profitability with positive impact, demonstrating how Regenerative Value Creation can scale solutions that restore ecosystems, strengthen communities, and build resilient economies.

83. ONE Campaign, International

The ONE Campaign unites activists, data experts, and trusted messengers to influence global decision-makers and secure investments that strengthen opportunity and health across Africa. Strictly nonpartisan and independently funded, ONE pairs hard evidence with public pressure to drive lasting policy change—amplifying millions of voices for a world where dignity and equity are shared by all.

84. One Fair Wage, United States

One Fair Wage unites service workers, employers, and allies to confront the legacy of subminimum pay and win lasting wage justice. By driving research, mobilizing voters, and advancing bold state and local reforms, the organization works to guarantee every worker—tipped, gig, youth, disabled, or incarcerated—a full, fair minimum wage with tips as a true supplement.

85. OzHarvest, Australia

Australia’s largest food-rescue network, OzHarvest saves quality surplus food from thousands of donors and delivers it free to charities nationwide—over 300 million meals so far. Alongside rescue, they run national education programs, innovate with projects like OzHarvest Market and Refettorio, and push for systemic change to halve food waste and strengthen food security.

86. Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM), East, Central, and Southern Africa

PELUM unites civil society organizations from 12 African countries to scale ecological land-use management with smallholder farmers. Founded in 1995, the network drives agroecology training, collaborative learning, and farmer-centered advocacy, expanding sustainable practices and strengthening food sovereignty. Its regional chapters support programs that improve livelihoods while regenerating ecosystems and boosting community resilience.

87. Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN), International

PAN is a global medical nonprofit working to reduce diet-related deaths by making nutrition central to clinical practice. Through medical education, hospital partnerships, and national branches across four continents, PAN equips health professionals to champion healthy, sustainable diets and drive food-system changes that address chronic disease, climate impacts, and pandemic risk.

88. Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), United States

PFI is a farmer-led network advancing resilient agriculture in Iowa. Members—conventional and organic, large and small—share knowledge through field days, research trials, and peer learning to strengthen stewardship, profitability, and community well-being. United by a land ethic and a commitment to welcoming all, PFI helps farmers build operations grounded in sustainability and shared experience.

89. Project Dandelion, International

Project Dandelion is a women-led global campaign uniting movements, leaders, and communities to demand a climate-safe world. Rooted in climate justice, it mobilizes millions to act, elevates women’s leadership, and advances seven core demands—from ending fossil fuel subsidies to scaling fair, renewable energy—building a powerful, shared symbol for urgent, collective action.

90. Project Drawdown, United States

Project Drawdown is an independent nonprofit advancing bold, science-based climate solutions. Through cutting-edge research, strategic engagement with policymakers, investors, and industry leaders, and powerful storytelling, it shifts resources and public narratives toward effective action. Its work guides climate strategies worldwide, elevating solutions that cut emissions, protect ecosystems, and expand human well-being.

91. ProVeg International, International

ProVeg International accelerates food-system transformation by replacing animal products with plant-based and cultivated alternatives. Active across five continents and holding consultative and observer status with key UN agencies, ProVeg works with companies, investors, and communities to tackle climate, health, and hunger challenges through diet change—aiming to halve global animal-product consumption by 2040.

92. Rainforest Alliance, International

Working across over 60 countries, the Rainforest Alliance mobilizes market power and community leadership to protect forests, restore biodiversity, and improve rural livelihoods. Its global alliance advances regenerative production, responsible sourcing, and climate action, ensuring that farmers, companies, and consumers all contribute to—and benefit from—a future where people and nature thrive in balance.

93. ReFED, United States

ReFED uses data, research, and cross-sector partnerships to drive measurable impact on food loss and waste. In collaboration with the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC), they are working with foodservice operators to repurpose surplus food and reduce food waste across college campuses. Their recent toolkit is now helping more chefs implement solutions in their own dining halls. 

94. Regen Places Network, Australia

Across Australia, the Regen Places Network brings communities together to combat people’s disconnection from the environment and one another by developing climate-smart, place-based food and land use strategies. By 2030, they aim to develop 2,030 leaders committed to restoring ecosystems and building resilient food systems, who will make up a far-reaching network of conveners and communities.

95. Regen10, International

Designed as a global multi-stakeholder platform, Regen10 is working to mobilize farmers, companies, researchers, and governments to scale regenerative agriculture. The initiative works to transform how food is produced by improving soil health, strengthening livelihoods, and advancing climate-resilient systems. 

96. Resilient Cities Network, International

Resilient Cities Network works with nearly 100 cities in over 40 countries around the world to future-proof urban centers. Their work is organized around three pillars—climate resilience, circularity, and equity—as they bring together global knowledge, practice, partnerships, and funding to support member cities.

97. Rodale Institute, United States

For decades, the Rodale Institute has pioneered research in organic agriculture research, education, and farmer training. Their long-term field trials provide some of the world’s most influential data on soil health and climate impacts. The organization continues to expand knowledge and support farmers transitioning to regenerative organic methods.

98. Rooted East, United States

Rooted East, a Black-led food collective is fighting food apartheid and working to advance food justice in East Knoxville, Tennessee. Their recent documentary “Roots of Resilience” tells the story of the organization and how they’re using garden education and land partnerships to create a self-sustaining food system.

99. Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), India

In the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Ryss is working alongside farmers to scale the adoption of chemical-free, climate-resilient farming practices. After demonstrating success in India, Ryss collaborated with NOW Partners to bring the model to communities in Zambia. Projects are also underway in Sri Lanka, and Brazil, with nine additional countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have been identified for future implementation as funding is secured.

100. Salesian Sisters’ Valponasca Learning Farm, Zambia

The Salesian Sisters’ Valponasca Learning Farm provides hands-on agricultural education to promote regenerative practices while empowering women and youth. Together with Rythu Sadhikara Samstha and NOW Partners, they are working to facilitate a pilot project that adapts the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming model to the local environment.

101. Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, International

Active in more than 60 countries, the SUN Movement works with governments to prioritize nutrition in national policies and investments. It unites civil society, donors, and the private sector to strengthen systems that support maternal and child health. The movement accelerates coordinated action to end malnutrition in all its forms.

102. SDG2 Advocacy Hub, International

The SDG2 Advocacy Hub drives coordinated global action to achieve SDG2—ending hunger, advancing food security and nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture by 2030. Bringing together NGOs, civil society, UN agencies, and private-sector partners, the Hub strengthens campaigns, supports country-level efforts, and equips advocates with shared tools to maximize collective influence across the Global Goals.

103. Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), India

Founded by Elaben Bhatt in 1972, SEWA represents 3.2 million self-employed women across India’s informal economy. As the country’s largest women-led trade union, SEWA advances full employment and self-reliance by organizing workers, strengthening cooperatives, expanding social protections, and building women-owned enterprises that enhance economic security and collective bargaining power.

104. Senegalese Association for the Promotion of Development at the Base (Asprodeb), Africa

Established in 1995, Asprodeb advances sustainable rural development in Senegal by equipping farmer organizations with technical support, professional training, and financial management tools. Born from collaboration between government and peasant movements, it helps family farms strengthen their services, implement development programs, and build productive partnerships across the agricultural sector.

105. Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative, United States

Based on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, this initiative works to restore traditional food systems and strengthen community health. Programs include seed saving, gardening, and educational workshops that reconnect youth and families to cultural food practices. Their work centers Indigenous knowledge as a foundation for food sovereignty and resilience.

106. Slow Food International, International and Slow Food USA, United States

Slow Food promotes local, sustainable, and culturally meaningful food systems around the globe. From grassroots chapters in the U.S. to international networks, the organization supports farmers, chefs, and communities in preserving biodiversity and culinary traditions in an effort to champion good, clean, and fair food for all.

107. Solid’Africa, Rwanda

Solid’Africa aims to empower smallholder farmers in Rwanda to access markets, improve yields, and adopt more sustainable practices. The organization offers free medically tailored meals to patients in public hospitals and delivers affordable, nutritious meals to students in public schools. Their approach prioritizes local sourcing from smallholder farmers, and they operate clean cooking kitchens to create a healthier food ecosystem. 

108. Soul Fire Farm, United States

Located in Upstate New York, Soul Fire Farm is an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm and training center working to end racism and advance food sovereignty. Their programs include farm tours, multi-day immersive programs for growers of Black, Indigenous, and Latine heritage, and youth-focused workshops. 

109. Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, United States

The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation works with young eaters to encourage healthy habits that will stay with them throughout their lifetimes. By partnering and investing in nutrition education and hands-on gardening programming, they support efforts that teach children how to grow and prepare nutritious food while making connections between what they eat and the natural environment. 

110. Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, United States

Stone Barns Center is a nonprofit farm and educational hub dedicated to regenerative agriculture and local food systems. Visitors and participants learn sustainable farming practices, nutrition, and culinary skills through hands-on experiences. The center serves as a model for farming that nourishes people and the planet.

111. Sustainable Food Trust, United Kingdom

Sustainable Food Trust works to accelerate the transition to sustainable food and farming systems for the benefit of climate, nature and health. Their focus areas include sustainable livestock, a food secure Britain, measuring sustainability, true cost accounting, supporting local abattoirs. 

112. Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, United States

The Swette Center takes a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to facilitate research, education, public engagement, community-strengthening and policy reform in support of sustainable food systems. Their strategic priorities include cultivating the next generation of leaders, advancing organic research and policy, enabling true cost accounting of food, empowering Indigenous foodways, and engaging the private sector.  

113. Terepeza Development Association, Ethiopia

Working across rural Ethiopia, Terepeza Development Association supports smallholder farmers through programs in climate-smart agriculture, livelihoods, and community development. Their initiatives help families build resilience to drought and food insecurity while improving soil and water management. The organization also invests in youth and women’s empowerment to strengthen long-term sustainability.

114. The Common Market, United States

By connecting regional farmers with institutions like schools and hospitals, The Common Market strengthens local economies and expands access to nutritious, sustainably grown food. By advancing forward purchasing commitments for small and mid-scale farms, the organization hopes to rebuild regional food systems in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, and Great Lakes region of the U.S.

115. The Land Institute, International

The Land Institute is reimagining how grains can be grown in harmony with ecosystems. Their work on crops like Kernza aims to reduce soil erosion, improve biodiversity, and cut carbon emissions. Through science, partnerships, and global advocacy, they hope to advance a regenerative future for agriculture systems.

116. The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, International

Focused on the intersection of data, technology, and social impact, the Patrick J. McGovern foundation supports initiatives that strengthen climate resilience, food security, and community well-being. Their investments help organizations scale digital tools that improve agricultural forecasting, resource management, and humanitarian response. 

117. The Rockefeller Foundation, United States

For more than a century, The Rockefeller Foundation has worked to advance global health and food and nutrition security. Through investments in regenerative school meals, they are working to scale regenerative agriculture, connect students to healthy food, and improve educational outcomes. And with their Food is Medicine work, they are supporting programs and research to better understand the potential of produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals, or healthy grocery programs.

118. UJAMAA Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA), United States

UCFA works to bring greater diversity and equity to the seed supply by supporting BIPOC growers and connecting them with buyers seeking culturally significant crops. The Alliance strengthens markets for heritage varieties while investing in farmer training and cooperative development. Their efforts help preserve biodiversity and uplift historically marginalized growers.

119. United Nations System, International

The U.N. System includes principal bodies, specialized agencies, funds, and programs working to improve food and agriculture systems, protect the environment, better health outcomes, and promote gender equity. These institutions include U.N. Development Programme, U.N. Environment Programme, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and FAO North America, U.N. Global Compact, UN Women, the U.N. World Food Programme and World Food Program USA, and the World Health Organization.

120. Urban Growers Collective, United States

Urban Growers Collective operates sustainable urban farms across Chicago, using food production as a vehicle for community empowerment. Centering racial equity, they provide job training, youth leadership programs, and food access initiatives that center. Their work helps strengthen local food systems while supporting health and economic opportunity.

121. Wellness in the Schools, United States

Wellness in the Schools partners works to improve students’ health. By partnering with public schools, chefs, and coaches, they aim to shift the culture of schools to prioritize well-being. Over the last year, the organization has gathered leaders in the food and agriculture policy sphere to develop recommendations to guide the Trump-Vance administration’s overhaul of school meals.  

122. Wholesome Wave, United States

Wholesome Wave works to make fruits and vegetables more affordable for families experiencing food insecurity. Through nutrition incentive programs and produce prescriptions, they help households access healthier food while supporting local farmers. 

123. Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA), United States

Through training, education, and advocacy, WANDA is cultivating a thriving community of Black women leaders across food and agriculture systems. They hope to see more women and girls gain the skills they need to improve their lives and transform their communities from farm to health.

124. World Central Kitchen (WCK), International

In moments of disaster and crisis, WCK, founded by Chef José Andrés, delivers fresh, culturally relevant meals to those who need them most. In the last year, WCK has provided food to communities affected by war and natural disaster, including in Palestine, Ukraine, Haiti, and the Philippines.

125. World Resources Institute (WRI), International

The World Resources Institute works to advance sustainable development through rigorous research and partnerships across government, business, and civil society. They serve as the Secretariat, founding member, and core partner of the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), which works to rewire food systems to solve the climate crisis. 

126. World Wildlife Fund (WWF), International

WWF is dedicated to conserving biodiversity, addressing the climate crisis, and ensuring sustainable use of natural resources. Recognizing the impact that industrialized food and agriculture systems have on the environment, they work to create more regenerative and efficient production systems while encouraging dietary shifts among eaters. 

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

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Whether I’m traveling or at home, I usually have a book open. Somehow, my stack of books I want to read still seems never-ending—but that’s exactly how I like it!

Every season, Food Tank loves highlighting personal stories, cultural analyses, social histories, and more books that not only illuminate the food system as we know it today but also help us imagine what we can build tomorrow.

In All Consuming: Why We Eat The Way We Eat Now, baker and cookbook author Ruby Tandoh unpacks the social forces that shape our relationship with food in ways we might not realize. Looking at Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s quest to reinvest his fortune into climate resiliency in the book Dirtbag Billionaire, New York Times reporter David Gelles asks how we can reconcile the contradictions of creating a mission-driven business in a capitalist society. Author Nancy Matsumoto argues in Reaping What She Sows: How Women are Rebuilding a Broken Food System that community self-reliance is crucial—and women trailblazers have been and will continue to be indispensable to saving and rebuilding regional food systems.

In cookbooks and other guides—like Recipes From The American South by Michael Twitty, Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America by Sean Sherman, and What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters by Marion Nestle—we’re reminded how changing the world can begin on our plates.

And we learn how to chart a path forward by digging into success stories. From Sam Kass’ The Last Supper, we learn from the chef and former Obama Administration food policy advisor about how we can invest in maximizing nutrition while protecting the climate. In The Accidental Seed Heroes, Adam Alexander celebrates the power of traditional seeds, and in Sea Change, authors Amanda Leland and James Workman share stories of the unlikely partnerships that are revolutionizing the fishing industry for the better.

I hope you’ll dive deeper into our most recent book list of 26 titles that, I think, can help us all plant and water the seeds of change in our own communities! CLICK HERE for the full list, including information on how you can find these books for yourself or as gifts.

Every one of us is intertwined in the food system, no matter our age—so we need to include young folks in our food system storytelling, too!

We’re also highlighting 20 additional books to spark curiosity in young readers about the food on their plates and the plants growing around them. What I love about these books is that they center the joyfulness of discovering where food comes from and how delicious it can be.

I also deeply respect the way that books on this list like A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen by Erin Frankel, Lucas and Emily’s Food Bank Adventure by Dave Grunenwald, Saturdays at Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery and other books don’t avoid complex topics but rather find creative, appropriate ways to help young readers understand how food changes lives.

Young folks can be citizen eaters, too, so let’s give them the tools to advocate for sustainability and help shape the world they’ll inherit. Check out our list of 20 books to help kids in your life connect with food systems by CLICKING HERE.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Muaawiyah Dadabhay, Unsplash

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The kind of systemic transformation we need to see is made possible by meaningful relationships between people, where we make decisions with other people’s well-being in mind. It’s made possible by broad societal collaboration between individuals, where we can break down silos and share knowledge.

This is certainly true here at Food Tank! As an organization powered by grassroots support from members around the globe, everything we do is made possible by you.

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, to the community of members who have helped us uplift food system solutions all year long. If you’re not yet a member, I hope you’ll consider joining us by going to foodtank.com/join. Here’s a taste of what we’ve been able to do over the past year thanks to our global family of members:

In 2025, Food Tank has celebrated the intersection of food and the arts in major ways. During Summits at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT, and SXSW in Austin, TX, creative folks like chefs, filmmakers, farmers, advocates, and more convened to shine a spotlight on the power of environmental storytelling.

And at Climate Week NYC, each of our unprecedented 15 packed-house Summits began with a performance from Broadway stars—which injected much-needed beauty and hope into urgent discussions of climate action! We also staged a workshop reading of “Catalyst Coffee,” an original musical about labor organizing in the food service industry.

We were honored to bring success stories both to food-focused events—including Stop Food Waste Day, the annual National Food is Medicine Summit, and by hosting the official North America World Food Day celebration—and to discussions across disciplines. At symposiums around the world focusing on wellness, social justice, legal studies, and more, we showcased how food systems can connect the dots between unexpected and complex topics.

We also continued bringing food policy conversations directly to the places they matter most. In May, we headed to Washington, D.C., for a Capitol Hill luncheon event on how Food is Medicine can transform healthcare, convened the inaugural Food and Agriculture Policy Summit in October, and returned just yesterday ago for a luncheon exploring ultra-processed foods.

On the global scale, Food Tank brought nuanced discussions of food systems and policy to the U.K. for London Climate Action Week, to Ethiopia for the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake, and to Brazil for COP30, the landmark UN Climate Change Conference. There, we organized a robust lineup of programming to engage agricultural ministers, negotiators, farmers, climate journalists, civil society and business leaders, funders, and more to ensure that these decision-makers recognize the importance of food and agriculture action.

In addition, we have also continued to publish daily articles, deliver this newsletter straight to your inbox, and release weekly episodes of our podcast “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg.”

There is no food system without the individual farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, food processors, factory workers, packagers, truck drivers, seed savers, chefs, business owners, food justice advocates, and countless other hardworking, passionate folks up and down the food chain. It’s also no exaggeration to say that Food Tank wouldn’t be Food Tank without each and every Food Tanker like you!

Food Tank members receive exclusive access to Food Tank Summits, even when they are sold out to the public; invitations to special virtual members-only discussions with food system luminaries; and other tokens of our appreciation throughout the year. Your support also means that we can continue to make most of our programming completely free to attend and livestream these events for our global audience. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out our accessible membership options HERE to launch or boost your support.

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Over the past several weeks, from Food Tank’s programming at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Brazil to my time ground-truthing in Guatemala, I’ve been thinking deeply about how the food we eat impacts our well-being. And in the coming months, I’ll continue to share reflections on how communities in Guatemala and elsewhere are building climate resilience, food sovereignty, and nutritious diets.

Next week, Food Tank is heading to Capitol Hill for a bipartisan Summit exploring a major public health challenge within the food system: ultra-processed foods.

I hope you’ll join us at 12PM ET on Dec. 10, either via livestream or in person in Washington, D.C.! Please click HERE to reserve your spot, or you can also bookmark THIS LINK to join the livestream directly.

Ultra-processed foods are industrial products created and packaged to prioritize convenience over real nutrients. As Marion Nestle puts it, “They’re designed to be irresistibly delicious, if not addictive. They have lots and lots of added sugar, salts, and different kinds of additives, and you can’t make them in your own kitchen.”

And it’s not an exaggeration to say ultra-processed foods are virtually unavoidable in American diets—and that they could wreak havoc on our health. By some measurements, more than 73 percent of the U.S. food supply is ultra-processed, and a study in the medical journal The BMJ notes direct associations between ultra-processed foods and worse outcomes across cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, metabolic, and mental health and rates of cancer, diet-related diseases and mortality.

At what point does this become a public health crisis—and how should policymakers respond to help keep us nourished and healthy?

At this Summit—”Eating Ourselves Sick?: Ultra-Processed Foods and U.S. Health Policy“—presented alongside the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, we’ll be joined by speakers including: U.S. Member of Congress Vern Buchanan, Anuraag Chigurupati, Devoted Medical; U.S. Member of Congress Maxine Dexter, M.D.; Kyle Diamantas, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall; Dariush Mozaffarian, Food is Medicine Institute; Radha Muthiah, Capital Area Food Bank; Robert Paarlberg, Harvard Kennedy School; Jennifer Pomeranz, New York University; Secretary Arvin Singh, West Virginia Department of Health; U.S. Member of Congress Shri Thanedar; and more to be announced!

This is an opportunity to engage directly with leaders shaping the future of food and health in the United States. As Dariush Mozaffarian, Director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, reminds us, Americans’ poor metabolic health is a systemic problem that needs systemic solutions.

“When you have three out of four adults with overweight or obesity and half of adults with diabetes and pre-diabetes, you know the system is broken,” he told Food Tank recently. “This isn’t any longer a problem of individual behavior.”

Across the food system, we’re seeing a variety of approaches that remind us what a more health-forward food system might look like. Just this week, the city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit against ultra-processed food manufacturers, alleging they are knowingly producing products that are addictive and linked to serious health issues.

In Pennsylvania, farmer Christa Barfield’s CornerJawn stores aim to flip the script on the kinds of foods offered in corner stores. The organization Dion’s Chicago Dream is putting fresh crops, not ultra-processed foods, at the core of food assistance. Leaders in both Michigan and Maine are imagining what better school meals look like. And there are so many more solutions being developed on the ground, as I’ll discuss at Bold Fork Books in D.C. later this month with Nancy Matsumoto, author of “Reaping What She Sows: How Women Are Rebuilding Our Broken Food System.”

Ultra-processed foods are deeply ingrained within the modern food system—but they don’t have to be. I hope you’ll join us next week on Capitol Hill as we explore how to build food policy that does more than just fill us up, but that truly nourishes us and keeps us healthy!

HERE is the link one more time to find more info about making your voice heard at this Summit.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

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Today is, officially, the last day of COP30 in Belém, Brazil—but plenty of key negotiating points are still on the table.

Let’s put numbers on the situation: Of the 121 items on the official agenda, countries have so far reached agreement on only 52 of them, per Carbon Brief. Another 41 agenda items either have draft text or informal language at this point, which still leaves several completely untouched or postponed entirely. All this, of course, follows fierce debate over whether some key points—including topics surrounding global finance and a fossil fuel phase-out—should be on the agenda at all.

We might see a final COP30 deal unveiled today, but if previous years’ U.N. Climate Change Conferences are any indication, discussions will likely last through the night and into the weekend. Discussions were also derailed when a terrifying fire broke out yesterday in the diplomatic Blue Zone, which shut down the venue for much of the evening—and fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

During a speech in Belém yesterday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres gave an impassioned plea for negotiators.

“We are down to the wire and the world is watching Belém,” he said. “Communities on the front lines are watching, too—counting flooded homes, failed harvests, lost livelihoods—and asking, ‘How much more must we suffer?’”

“Please engage in good faith to reach ambitious compromise,” Guterres continued. “This is the hour for leadership. Be bold. Follow the science. Put people before profit.”

Here’s the truth: Climate change is happening, everywhere, every day. Either we take action, or we don’t. Either we try to stop the climate crisis from getting worse, or we let the devastation cascade. Either we help communities adapt, or we turn our backs on our vulnerable neighbors. Either we be good stewards of the earth and one another—or we choose not to.

Some global leaders realize what needs to happen. All throughout COP30, Food Tank has been using this newsletter to highlight success stories, steps in the right direction. Yesterday, for example, Germany agreed to invest €1 billion (US$1.1 billion) into Brazil’s global rainforest-preservation fund, Tropical Forest Forever Facility, adding to the US$5.5 billion already committed by nations including Brazil, Indonesia, Norway, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

But some global leaders seem unwilling to make difficult but necessary choices. The Guardian reported yesterday that, despite 82 countries—about half of those here at COP30—calling for a roadmap toward phasing out fossil fuels, the major fossil fuel-producing countries appear to be blocking that language from being included in the final draft deal.

As I’ve said from the beginning, the official dealmaking that results from global conferences like COP are important. Powerful countries have the ability to move the needle in significant, meaningful ways. But if they fall short, the work still remains to be done—and we’ll need to do it ourselves.

The Atlantic Council and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) announced a new collaborative effort here that connects more than 100 organizations—development banks, investors, insurers, philanthropies, and more—to strengthen collaboration between public and private financial sectors. The initiative is called the Fostering Investable National Planning and Implementation (FINI) for Adaptation and Resilience.

“FINI allows us to collaborate across sectors and geographies. We need to ensure that we’re all around a shared table—because we’re sharing the same future,” said Jorge Gastelumendi, the Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Climate Resilience Center.

Also here at COP30, 62 faith-based institutions announced a divestment from fossil fuel companies—one of the largest such actions to date.

Scientists are raising their voices, too.

In a public statement, a group of the world’s leading authorities on planetary science, forests and oceans write: “The global curve of GHG emissions needs to bend next year, 2026, not sometime in the future…This must happen in order to have a chance to avoid unmanageable and extremely costly climate impacts affecting all people in the world.”

The final results of COP30 negotiations have yet to be seen. But the work of combatting the climate crisis does not end when COP30 comes to a close. Climate action is not a once-a-year discussion topic—it’s an everyday mission.

This is my last daily dispatch newsletter to you from COP30 in Belém. But before I head home, I’m spending time ground-truthing in Guatemala, meeting and learning with folks on the front lines of resilient food and agriculture systems. I look forward to sharing more in the weeks ahead!

News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:

• At COP30 in Brazil, Countries Plan to Armor Themselves Against a Warming World — At Grist, writer (and Food Tank alum!) Zoya Teirstein breaks down discussions around global financing for climate mitigation vs. adaptation.
• Brazil and Food Imports — Using the case of food imports to the U.K. from Brazil, a report from the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit examines how vulnerable our diets are to climate change.
• The 2035 Climate Ambition Gap — Ten years out from the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, Greenpeace International researchers analyze the extent to which countries’ COP30 action plans fall short of achieving the next decade’s goals.
• Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Accelerator Pathways Report — In this report, the ENACT Partnership (Enhancing Nature-based Solutions for an Accelerated Climate Transformation) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature outline a strategic framework to help countries quickly scale up inclusive, system-wide transformations anchored in nature.
• India Delays Climate Pledge, Pressures Rich Nations on Funding at UN Climate Talks — India’s stature as a global climate leader is on the rise—so, the Washington Post asks, why is the country one of few major players to not yet have submitted an updated climate action plan, or NCD, at COP30?
• COP30: Cities Prove What’s Possible When Action Meets Implementation — Fascinating analysis from from the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) and C40 Cities reveals how local-level climate action has the potential to outpace national- and even global-level action.

Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:

• “The gender issue can no longer be an annex to the decisions made here at COP. Let this be a moment that moves us — a moment that awakens hope, but also responsibility.” — Rosângela “Janja” Lula da Silva, Sociologist and Brazil’s First Lady
• “For millions, adaptation is not an abstract goal. It is the difference between rebuilding and being swept away. Between replanting and starving. Between staying on ancestral land or losing it forever.” — António Guterres, U.N. Secretary-General 

Ways to Take Action:

Share Info On ‘Species That Save Us’

• via @PostClimate on Instagram — Check out the Washington Post’s list of 50 examples of plants and animals that protect and enrich human health—and the extent to which climate change, habitat destruction and other human interference are threatening their existence.

Let Youth Voices Lead The Way

• via Youth4Climate Initiative — “Generation Trust: A Climate Story in the Making,” a youth-led climate documentary produced by Youth4Climate, tells the stories of five youth climate leaders transforming food, mobility, energy. Read more about the five changemakers here and watch the trailer for the upcoming film here.

Travel On-The-Ground Virtually

• via U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization — Take an interactive journey with FAO to explore traditional agricultural systems around the world and how they are shaping a better food future.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here. 

Photo courtesy of Carlo Poblado, Unsplash

The post Dispatch from COP30: Friday, Nov. 21 appeared first on Food Tank.

When you’re a kid, books have pretty straightforward messages: Care for other people. Do the right thing, even if it’s unpopular. Take responsibility for your actions. Keep your promises.

Those takeaways are universal. Or at least I thought they were—but maybe we could use a reminder here at COP30.

If global leaders simply kept the promises they’ve already made on topics like renewable energy and emissions, for example, we could massively reduce the severity of climate change that we’re facing, according to new analysis from the Climate Action Tracker coalition.

If governments followed through on 2035 targets they’ve already negotiated and agreed upon, says Bill Hare, Founder and CEO of Climate Analytics, “it would be a gamechanger, quickly slowing the rate of warming in the next decade and lowering global warming this century from 2.6C to about 1.7C.”

What I’m saying is this: To address the climate crisis, we already know what works. Now it’s time for government leaders to take responsibility and actually follow through on implementation.

This is especially true when it comes to food and agriculture. When it comes to using food systems to drive climate action, we have a huge stable of evidence-backed solutions right at our fingertips. At COP30 in Belém, yesterday and today are both dedicated to themes of agriculture, food systems and food security, fisheries, and family farming—and so far, we’ve seen some countries step up!

Global policymakers and agriculture leaders launched the Farmers’ Initiative for Resilient and Sustainable Transformations (FIRST), a South-South platform that aims to connect countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia to facilitate solution-sharing around food security, emissions, and resilience. The initiative was launched alongside the Belém Declaration on Fertilizers, a call-to-action spearheaded by Brazil and the United Kingdom to elevate nutrient management and sustainable fertilizers as a strategic priority in climate discussions.

Also yesterday at COP30, nine countries announced support for a new finance accelerator called Resilient Agriculture Investment for net-Zero land degradation (RAIZ), a project led by Brazil to help governments unlock funds to scale up farmland restoration.

These are high-level steps, but they matter. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, reversing just 10 percent of cropland degradation could restore 44 million tonnes of annual food production—which would help nourish 154 million people. So imagine how impactful this project could be with public and private investment to scale it up globally!

I want to take a moment to highlight the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation, a small but mighty coalition of countries that recognize how central food system transformation is to making meaningful climate progress. The Alliance is co-chaired by Brazil, Norway and Sierra Leone, alongside founding members Cambodia and Rwanda, and yesterday announced Colombia, Vietnam and Italy as new members.

“(The Alliance) stands at the heart of what COP30 must achieve: turning ambition into action and food systems into climate solutions,” COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago said.

Doing the right thing isn’t always popular. Keeping the promises we make isn’t always easy. Taking responsibility for our actions—admitting where we went wrong and stepping up to get back on the right path—isn’t always within our comfort zone.

If these messages feel simplistic, like morals in books we might read our children at bedtime, it’s because they are! But these lessons still apply when our children grow up to be COP30 negotiators, or community leaders or local policymakers or farmers or researchers or parents and caretakers themselves. And here in Belém, these lessons might just help save the world.

News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:

• Brazil creates new Indigenous territories during protest-hit COP30 — The BBC reports that the creation of 10 new Indigenous territories, including one in part of the Amazon, is expected to allow for significant improvements in biodiversity and emissions levels.
• Climate-related Development Finance to Agrifood Systems: Global and Regional Trends — This U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report takes stock of progress and next steps.
• Africa Hosts its First G20 and Urges the Rich World to do More Against Climate Disasters — Leaders of economically influential nations are meeting in Johannesburg for the G20 Summit this weekend, and issues affecting poorer and developing countries are likely to be front-and-center, the AP reports.
• NDC Insights Series — Every month, the U.N. Development Programme shares fascinating analysis and best-practices from the climate action plans (NDCs) that countries are submitting this year under the Paris Agreement.
• Climate and Ecosystem Service Benefits of Forests and Trees for Agriculture — A new landmark report by FAO, SEI, The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International examines the role of forests and trees in climate and agriculture and outlines approaches to unlock the benefits they can provide.

Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:

• “The ocean is essential for the well-being of all people, as it sustains livelihoods, regulates our climate, and provides vital resources for future generations.” — Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway (via World Resources Institute)
• “Right now in COP30 in Belém, it’s our future that we’re seeing being played out. The decisions made right now on paper will in fact translate into the future that we’re going to experience one day.” — Dev Karan, a 17-year-old youth climate activist (via AP)
• “Addressing global food security while combating land degradation requires producing more with fewer resources. To achieve this, innovation must be at the heart of our response, and redirecting environmentally harmful subsidies toward research and development will be key to driving the transformation we need.” — Simon Watts, New Zealand Minister of Climate Change (via Food and Land Use Coalition)

Ways to Take Action:

Find The Food

• via WWF — Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are an essential part of countries’ action on climate. Check out WWF’s Food Forward NDCs, an interactive tool that lets you find tangible, evidence-backed policy options and measures to integrate food and ag into climate strategies.

Fill Up Your Toolbelt With Knowledge

• via FAO — Looking for more resources on climate change and its interconnections with agriculture, food systems, biodiversity, and the environment? FAO’s Climate Change Knowledge Hub provides over 800 materials including reports, technical briefs, research, and practical tools.
• via IFPRI — Interested in learning more about the role of gender in agriculture? IFPRI’s Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index is the first comprehensive and standardized measure to directly measure women’s empowerment and inclusion in the agricultural sector.

Travel On-The-Ground Virtually

• via WebsEdgeScience — Check out this episode of With Science We Can, covering CGIAR’s work to build climate-resilient food systems in the Global South.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here. 

Photo courtesy of Eriel Ezequiel Reyes Savinon, Unsplash

The post Dispatch from COP30: Thursday, Nov. 20 appeared first on Food Tank.

Every U.N. Climate Change Conference in recent years has run into overtime, as negotiators and leaders go past the official end—sometimes by hours, sometimes by a day or two—working to hammer out agreements.

We have yet to see how things shake out here at COP30, of course, but it seems that the Brazilian conference presidency is pushing countries to act quickly, with a two-package approach aimed at trying to avoid major last-minute political snags.

In a draft released by the COP30 Presidency yesterday morning (PDF link), we got a first glimpse into what outcomes we might expect to see from negotiations here in Belém. The draft is incomplete and contains several proposals and rough ideas that might not make it into a final deal, but there are several aspects that I think are worth pointing out at this early stage.

First, we see the return of language around the shift away from fossil fuels. At COP28 a few years ago, countries agreed to signal their openness to phasing out fossil fuels, but we have yet to see major implementation plans there, and there’s still plenty of resistance from oil-dependent nations. So the fact that a fossil fuel phase-out actually made it to the draft text and was not dead-on-arrival at COP30 like it was last year at COP29 is, to quote The Guardian journalist Fiona Harvey, “itself a minor miracle.” Of course, the draft text is far from final, but the fact that more than 80 countries have already joined a call for a roadmap toward phasing out fossil fuels does give me some hope.

Second, the draft language also suggests countries might agree to annual reviews of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), a.k.a. country-level action plans to meet the terms of the Paris Agreement. Currently, these action plans are only submitted and reviewed every 4–5 years, so an annual timeline might be effective at keeping national leaders accountable.

However, there’s no mention of food and agriculture just yet.

Given how foundational we know food systems are to climate solutions, I’m sad to see that we haven’t reached a point where negotiators use food as a day-one tool—but at the same time, since today and tomorrow are both themed around Agriculture, Food Systems and Food Security, Fisheries, and Family Farming, I’m hoping the food movement will be able to deliver a powerful reminder.

At UNFCCC Side Events yesterday hosted by Food Tank and our global partners, we discussed how resilient food systems are integral to a circular bioeconomy that can sustain equitable finance and long-term adaptation solutions on a global scale. This is something that some countries, like Cambodia, already recognize in their NDCs and negotiation strategies. Let’s continue to find ways to support and uplift farmers and value chains—like those around school meals—that are doing things right.

“We can talk about resilient food, climate-resistant food, but if farmers can’t sell their product, we’re not going to create the change we want,” Roy Steiner of The Rockefeller Foundation said during a discussion at the Peru-Resilience Hub. “School meals are not just feeding kids, which is important: It’s also a climate solution.”

It’s also worth pointing out that the absence of food systems in this draft text might not be entirely coincidental. Ahead of COP30, we were fully expecting agriculture, food systems, and climate justice to be priorities—but lobbyists have shown up in Belém in full force and have been particularly influential in pushing back.

If anything, this underscores how vital it is for the global food movement to deliver a strong counter-narrative: We need to highlight actionable and inspiring pathways for farmers, ranchers, producers, workers, principled business leaders, civil society advocates, scientists, and citizen eaters to all work together to build a more equitable, resilient, nourishing, climate-smart future.

That’s why we’re here at COP30. Our presence has an impact. Our voices have an impact.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” Joshua Gilbert, an Indigenous Consultant, Agriculturist & Innovator, told me onstage yesterday. “If you can’t see an Indigenous farmer proactively promoted…then you’re not likely to step in as an agricultural farmer.”

I hope—for the health of people and the planet—that COP negotiators step up and make food and agriculture systems central to the final deals made here in Belém over the next few days. But the idea that, by elevating authentic farmers’ voices on the world stage, we can inspire people to make a meaningful difference in their communities—that fills me with hope, too.

News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:

• At COP30, I’ll Speak for the Bees — Bees are “a way to shine a light on the interconnecting challenges in food production and nature, deforestation, monoculture, and agrochemicals,” writes Peruvian engineer, beekeeper and activist Ysabel A. Calderón Carlos at Common Dreams.
• Why Food and Agriculture Should Be at the Centre of COP30 Agenda — For IPS, Zimbabwe journalist Busani Bafana reports on how prioritizing food as part of global climate action can help improve material conditions for farmers on the ground.
• Agrifood Systems in National Adaptation Plans: An Analysis — Looking at national adaptation plans from 64 developing countries, this joint UN Food and Agriculture Organization/United Nations Development Programme report takes stock of the role of food in climate resilience.
• Building Climate Resilient School Feeding Programs — New research from Stanford University and The Rockefeller Foundation finds that shifting to regenerative school meal programs could feed around 8 million more children for the same cost.
• How Cambodia’s NDC 3.0 Puts Food Systems at the Heart of Climate Action — “By embedding food systems so centrally into our NDC 3.0, we want to model how developing countries can align climate, nutrition, health, agriculture, and social inclusion,” H.E. Dr. Ouk Rabun, a high-level agriculture and rural development leader of the Royal Government of Cambodia, writes for us at Food Tank.

Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:

• “Countries know agrifood systems are the first line of defense against climate extremes, but they’re still not getting the support they need. The groundwork is there; now we need to close the finance and capacity gaps to turn those plans into real protection for food security and livelihoods.” — Kaveh Zahedi, Director of FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment
• “The transition is no longer about setting targets. It is about executing them. And execution requires realism, planning, and the ability to adjust when circumstances change.” — Sophie Hermans, Netherlands Deputy Prime Minister 
• “One in three people live in great vulnerability because of these climate changes. To them, climate change is not a distant threat, and to ignore these people is to deny our shared humanity…Strong climate actions and policies—both are an investment in a more just and stable world.” — Pope Leo XIV in a message to the bishops and cardinals of the Global South participating in COP30 in Brazil

Ways to Take Action:

Learn From Farmers

• via World Farmers’ Organization — Check out a recap of key outcomes from the COP30 Farmers’ Summit.

Fill Up Your Toolbelt With Knowledge

• via U.N. Development Programme — Explore 30 facts about the climate crisis highlighting the urgency of action.

Call Out Countries That Are Falling Short

• via Climate Action Network International — Curious about which countries have room for improvement in terms of progress in climate negotiations and climate action? Every day, Climate Action Network International is bestowing a Fossil of the Day Award to countries who are “doing the most to achieve the least” and “doing their best to be the worst.”

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here. 

Photo courtesy of Maiko Valentino Baez Brito

The post Dispatch from COP30: Wednesday, Nov. 19 appeared first on Food Tank.

Here at COP30, where the world is looking to national leaders to take action on climate change, high-level negotiators have a huge task on their plates.

As Simon Stiell, who leads the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, said yesterday: “Clearly there is a huge amount of work ahead for ministers and negotiators. I urge you to get to the hardest issues—fast. When these issues get pushed deep into extra time, everybody loses. We absolutely cannot afford to waste time on tactical delays or stonewalling. The time for performative diplomacy has now passed.”

As the cascading climate crises our planet faces become more complex, it’s not enough for one nation to act on its own: What we need is cross-border collaboration and knowledge-sharing, as several COP national negotiators told us during a special Food Tank happy hour yesterday.

“We need to solve these issues together. We are dependent on one another. We share scientific knowledge…we have many ways we [rely on] on our neighbors,” says Anna Salminen, a food and agriculture negotiator from Finland.

As Adam Schalimtzek, Director of International Relations for Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, added: “Every country can find something they can learn from each other.”

Yesterday at COP30, a group of international governments, agencies, NGOs, and other coalition members launched the Bioeconomy Challenge, a three-year platform designed to build measurable climate and development action—including goals of the Paris Agreement and the COP30 Action Agenda—via the bioeconomy, which refers to an economic model based on renewable resources rather than fossil fuels.

“Through this initiative, we are building bridges between the ancestral knowledge of indigenous peoples and traditional communities and the rigor of modern science; between metrics that reveal the true value of nature and the financing that reaches those who truly protect the territories; and between markets and the necessary maintenance of standing forests, living rivers, and the socio-biodiversity that sustains life,” said Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.

Already at COP30, we’re seeing some action on phasing out fossil fuels. South Korea announced it would close all coal-fired power plants by 2040 as part of its decision to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance, which counts about 60 nations and even more local governments and businesses as members. Brazil also unveiled a plan to cut industrial emissions as part of a goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, and as a member of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, Colombia is set to hold an international conference in April on phasing out fossil fuels.

These steps are welcome, of course—and as we also know, 2040 or 2050 commitments are not happening at the pace we need to see. I’m pleased to see some countries emerge as leaders in pushing their global counterparts to act on an even quicker timeline than what’s being discussed at COP30.

As Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change of Vanuatu, told The Guardian, “We are trying to bring ambition back into this process…We need the whole world to do (this) with us.”

So I’m hopeful that the COP30 Bioeconomy Challenge will be another force for kickstarting global partnerships for climate action, because we can’t move forward without coordination and standardization.

“To help global bioeconomy grow at scale, we need to anchor it in context-specific, transparent, and comparable indicators so that sustainability means the same everywhere,” said Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment.

As climate change becomes more multifaceted, we need system-wide solutions that respond to the challenges we’re facing today, not the challenges we faced 30 years ago. And at all levels of government—from high-level U.N. negotiating tables to national Congress halls to local city council meeting rooms—the leaders we need are those who recognize that climate solutions must be rooted in collaboration, not competition.

News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:

• Highlights from the Extreme Heat and Agriculture Report — As we know, extreme heat is both a devastating effect of the climate crisis and also the cause of even more downstream effects, and this Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations report focuses on agriculture-related solutions.
• On Brazil’s Combu Island, Chocolate Makers Hold Clues to Climate Action — A fascinating feature from U.N. News spotlights Izete Costa, known affectionately as Dona Nena, who’s proving that community-led solutions can power global climate action.
• Brazil Says it’s a Climate Leader. Not Everyone Buys It — The Washington Post asks why, despite rhetoric and some action from Brazil, the COP30 host country is still expanding offshore oil drilling and Amazon Rainforest highways as leaders struggle to reconcile international and domestic priorities.
• As COP30 Takes Place, Can Africa Draw Lessons from Brazil on How It Develops Its Livestock Sector? — At IPS, read analysis from Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute, who joined Food Tank earlier this year at Climate Week NYC.
• ‘I Couldn’t Speak. I Couldn’t breathe’: This Is Climate Breakdown — As told to The Guardian, Neha Singh, a 25-year-old warehouse worker in Manesar, India, recounts the difficulties of maintaining daily life during a summer when temps would reach 122°F (50°C). This is one of many sobering personal stories of the climate crisis in The Guardian’s ongoing series.
• Global Methane Status Report 2025 — This U.N. Environment Programme report provides updates on global progress on methane mitigation and the remaining work needed.

Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:

• “Climate insecurity fuels hunger and poverty; poverty drives migration and conflict; and conflict, in turn, deepens poverty and deters investment. So therefore, to break the vicious cycle, we have to deliver on the climate goals.” — H.E. Annalena Baerbock, U.N. General Assembly President
• “We know the world is off track. Now it’s all about how we get back on track and how we translate promises into real change on the ground.” — Manish Bapna, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council (via New York Times)
• “A just transition cannot succeed without transforming agriculture and food systems to benefit small-scale producers, forest peoples and rural communities. Over 1 billion people depend on agrifood systems for their livelihoods, including family farmers, small scale producers, agrifood workers, and Indigenous peoples who help feed the world and steward its biodiversity. Yet they face the highest levels of poverty, food insecurity and growing climate risks. A just transition must meet their needs and protect their rights through inclusive, whole-of-society approaches.” — Simon Addison, FAO Senior Economist 

Ways to Take Action:

Eat Deforestation-Free

• via WWF — Interested in learning more about deforestation- and conversion-free foods and why they matter? Check out this guide.

Embrace The Bioeconomy

• via World Economic Forum — The bioeconomy is emerging as a viable way to tackle challenges like the climate crisis and food insecurity. Check out WEF’s explainer on how biotechnology is already woven into our everyday lives.

Catch Up On COP30 And Climate

• via New York Times — Trying to cut through the noise and better understand the climate crisis? Get your questions answered.
• via PBS — Looking for a quick recap on where things stand at COP30? PBS shares key takeaways from COP30 in this 5 minute segment.

Add These to Your Calendar:

2:00PM–3:00PM [12:00PM–1:00PM ET] @ Peru-Resilience Hub (PV-B50), Blue Zone: “Climate resilience for a nourishing, regenerative, equitable future.”

Regenerative agriculture, community-led innovation, and inclusive policy can create pathways toward a food future that nourishes both people and planet. As we’ll discuss, resilience is not only about adaptation, but about transformation toward systems that are nourishing, regenerative, and equitable. Speakers include Roy Steiner, The Rockefeller Foundation; Fabrício Muriana, Instituto Regenera; Joshua Gilbert, Indigenous Consultant, Agriculturist & Innovator; Francine Xavier, Comida do Amanha; and Rosinah Mbenya, PELUM Kenya.

3:00PM–4:30PM [1:00PM–2:30PM ET] @ UNFCCC Official Side Event (Room 8): “Regenerative Solutions at a Global Scale: Agriculture, Innovative Finance and Community”

To achieve scalable climate solutions, we’ll need innovative finance mechanisms, community-based models, South-South cooperation, and other partnerships. We’ll discuss these pathways with speakers including Hunter Lovins, Natural Capitalism Solutions; Merijn Dols, NOW Partners Foundation; Ahmed Elshazly, Heliopolis University and SEKEM; and Leonardo Silva de Andrade, Soluções Naturais.

4:45PM–6:15PM [2:45PM–4:15PM ET] @ UNFCCC Official Side Event (Room 8): “Sharing Solutions for Resilient Food Systems and a Circular Bioeconomy.”

A resilient and sustainable food system supported by circular bioeconomy is a prerequisite for advancing climate action, and experts will unpack cross-sector innovation, multilateral knowledge-sharing, and other solutions during this conversation co-hosted by Food Tank alongside the Government of Finland, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and the U.N. Food Systems Coordination Hub. Speakers include Karen Ellemann, Nordic Council of Ministers; Sari Multala, Finland’s Minister of Climate and the Environment; Martial Bernoux, U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization; Johanna Hagelberg, Stora Enso; Khaled Eltaweel, U.N. Food Systems Coordination Hub; Bernhard Mauritz Stormyr, Yara International; Markku Kanninen, University of Helsinki; Jelle Van Loon, CIMMYT; and Jean-Francois Soussana, U.N. Food Systems Coordination Hub.

Please CLICK HERE for more details on how to join us in Belém.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here. 

The post Dispatch from COP30: Tuesday, Nov. 18 appeared first on Food Tank.

Yesterday was a rest day here at the U.N. Climate Change Conference, and today, discussions and negotiations start up again in full swing for the second and final week of COP30. With the conference already halfway over, we’re looking to see an increased focus over the next week on action—on not just talking about solutions to the climate crisis, but implementing them.

If you’re here on the ground, Food Tank is meeting directly with U.N. Climate Negotiators from four countries at Food Tank’s special happy hour, at 4:45PM today at the Resilience Pavilion (Blue Zone). Too often, we just hear about these negotiations through official statements and press reports, but I think it’s important for Food Tankers to be able to communicate personally with UN Negotiators, national-level cabinet ministers, and other high-level policymakers and leaders. So I look forward to seeing you this afternoon, and please check out our full schedule of dynamic COP30 programming HERE.

Look, it’s no secret that the COP system is imperfect. After all, this is the 30th year that policymakers, stakeholders, and advocates have come together to discuss climate solutions—and while progress has been made over the years, we now need to see much more ambitious action.

But imagine how successful previous decades’ COP negotiations could have been if food and agriculture systems had always been as front-and-center as they are today!

If high-level policymakers had taken food seriously from the start, imagine what modern climate challenges we might not be facing. If every public and private sector leader realized the long-term climate solutions that come from food and ag systems 30 years ago, we might not have even needed to gather in Belém this month.

It’s not too late! I’m so pleased to see such robust discussions around food systems here at COP30, because today we know it’s undeniable that food system transformation is one of our most surefire pathways toward meaningful climate action.

For example, over the weekend, CGIAR announced that more than US$142 million has been pledged by nations at COP30 so far to advance agricultural research and innovation for a climate-resilient future—and they estimate that this work provides a return of US$10 for every US$1 invested. In other words, achieving climate goals through food system transformation is not only common-sense; it’s a financial win-win.

Elsewhere here at COP30, Brazil’s Ministry of Finance and the Green Climate Fund announced a South–South Knowledge Hub as a platform to support technical cooperation and peer learning across regions, as well as new Country Platforms to facilitate international cooperation on climate and nature financing.

This is why I believe that large-scale, high-level conferences like COP are important. Obviously we need to continue to see global leaders to step up, but knowledge-sharing, conversations that break down silos, and building the business case for climate transformation are all valid and vital components of a broader approach to climate action.

At the Swedish Pavilion on Saturday, Food Tank and our partners brought together high-level decision-makers and pioneering companies to highlight scalable solutions across entire value chains, touching on everything from packaging to fertilizers to retail. Later that evening, we co-hosted a vibrant dinner gathering with farmers, policymakers, business leaders, scientists, and cultural voices, to celebrate the flavors and resilience of the Amazon.

Another necessary goal we can achieve through the lens of food systems at large-scale events like COP30 is to ensure that the voices of farmers, food producers, Indigenous land caretakers, and workers cannot be ignored.

“The fact that 55 percent of the landscape in Australia is managed by farmers means that they have a much bigger opportunity than anyone…to restore ecosystems,” Nathaniel Pelle, Business & Nature Campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation, told us during a Summit at the Action on Food Hub, which Food Tank and our partners livestreamed HERE.

Farmers know the close-to-home, immediate, devastating impacts of the climate crisis more intimately than anyone—which also means they have a unique insight into solving these challenges.

“Health is everything,” says Karina Gonçalves David, a Brazilian farmer and agroforestry practitioner and the Co-founder of ProNobis Agroflorestal. “We need to have the health of the soil. We need to have the health of the production. We need to feed people with healthy food. We need to have health relationships.”

When it comes to making the case for how climate change can be addressed agroecologically, I think Fabrício Muriana, the co-founder of Instituto Regenera, said it best: “It’s possible and delicious. It’s possible and nutritious. It’s possible and led by women.”

Hear, hear!

As I said at the beginning of COP30, “business as usual” is broken—and, if I may be so bold, I think part of the problem is that, for too long, “business as usual” has ignored food systems. From my vantage point, as the global food movement has worked to become more front-and-center at global COP conferences in recent years, food and agriculture systems provide a pathway for COP to be more productive, forward-thinking, and action-oriented.

So as we enter the second and final week of COP30 here in Belém, I hope that everyone—from the high-level policymakers around the negotiating tables to the business and civil society leaders to the advocates and activists on the ground—will commit to using food systems as a tool for meaningful climate action. We know it works, so there are no excuses!

News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:

• Youth Project Compilation on Food, Agriculture, and Climate Action — The Official Children and Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC (YOUNGO) shared 25 youth-led and youth-focused agricultural projects and initiatives.
• Thousands March Outside COP30 Summit in Call for Action — The BBC reports on the massive climate protests that are allowing people to make their voices heard outside the COP30 gates.
• Food Systems and Climate: Framework for Public Policies — A new report from Brazilian government agencies highlights how policy action can be driven by coordination between food systems and climate goals.
• COP30 Special Report on Climate and Health — A report by the World Health Organization and COP30 Presidency identifies practical, proven-successful solutions integrating climate action with public health.
• China Finds Bigger Role as US Sidesteps Brazil Climate Summit — At Reuters, reporters analyze how, with the Trump-Vance Administration declining to participate in COP30, China is taking over the global leadership role once occupied by the United States.

Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:

• “Climate change is no longer a future threat. … If we truly aspire to sustainable agrifood systems, climate finance must prioritize agriculture and rural communities.” — Rene Orellana Halkyer, Assistant Director General and FAO Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean
• “[Among the goals of COP30 are] a request that countries recognize the demarcation of Indigenous lands as climate policy.” — Sonia Guajajara, Brazil’s minister for Indigenous peoples
• “Agroecological food systems should be in the center of every space. If we can talk about mitigation, adaptation, and a just transition, it’s impossible to talk about that without food systems.” — Karina Gonçalves David, Brazilian farmer and agroforestry practitioner, Co-Founder of ProNobis Agroflorestal

Ways to Take Action:

Find Your Community

• via AP News — “Rather than acting as an individual by yourself trying to make yourself as small as possible, (you can) join with others to try to make your impact as big as possible,” says Leah Stokes, Professor at University of California, Santa Barbara.

Explore Solutions

• via Climate Champions — Organized around the six pillars of the COP30 Action Agenda, explore the 2025 Action Agenda Granary of Solutions, a vast database of solutions that meet 30 different climate objectives.

Add These to Your Calendar:

4:45PM–6:15PM [2:45PM–4:15PM ET] @ Peru-Resilience Hub (PV-B50), Blue Zone: “Special Happy Hour Conversations with UN Negotiators”

Food Tank is hosting several high-level climate negotiators from around the globe for happy-hour conversations that pull back the curtain into international climate policymaking and the realities of the COP process.

We’ll be joined by Isabelle Dépault, Senior Policy Analyst, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Government of Canada; Michael Belchamber, International Advisor, Office of the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Hon Chris Bowen MP, Government of Australia; and Adam Schalimtzek, Director of International Relations, Ministry of Environmental Protection of Israel.

6:30PM–10:00PM [4:30PM–8:00PM ET] @ Amazonia na Cuia, Belém Botanical Gardens: “Carbon Markets, Innovative Finance and Regenerative Solutions”

To end the evening, we’re holding a dinner event to deepen dialogues and explore collaboration to strengthen carbon markets under the Paris Agreement. Speakers include Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Jospong Group of Companies; Peter Renner, Foundation Development and Climate Alliance; Ahmed Elshazly, Heliopolis University; Nsikan-George Emana, MyClimate; Olivia Henke, Foundation Development and Climate Alliance; and other experts from around the globe

Please CLICK HERE for more details on how to join us in Belém.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here. 

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The post Dispatch from COP30: Monday, Nov. 17 appeared first on Food Tank.

As the first week of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) draws to a close, we’ve had valuable and urgent discussions about the systems and interventions and investment structures we can build to more ambitiously tackle the climate crisis.

But like any building, our work will crumble if the foundations aren’t strong—and here in Belém, I think that’s true both in a literal sense and a figurative one.

Quite simply, what’s under our feet matters. The literal foundations of regenerative ecosystems—healthy soils—are the basis for everything we’re working to build here at COP30.

“Soil is one of the biggest potential [ways] to address the issue of climate change…Soil is life,” Rosinah Mbenya, Country Coordinator for PELUM Kenya, told us yesterday at the Action on Food Hub.

Healthy soils not only help nourish people and animals but also sequester carbon from the atmosphere and contribute to a vibrant microbiome that can actually reduce the need for pesticides, making them all-around vital to a variety of climate solutions. And as experts discussed yesterday, the folks who can shepherd those healthy soils are farmers!

“Slowly, intensification has degraded soils, and yet farmers are the ones who can aggrade. They are actually land managers and many of them manage to increase soil health,” says Sieg Snapp, Director of the Global Change Biology Initiative at Michigan State University and Senior Advisor to CGIAR.

As we continued to discuss at a UNFCCC Side Event yesterday afternoon, supporting farmers is key to achieving the climate mitigation and adaptation goals we desperately need to meet. When farmers are making the transition toward regenerative practices, the first year is critical, farmer and ecologist Anand Ethirajalu said. It’s not always easy to see an immediate payoff—but the benefits are undeniable.

“Farmers that are farming conventionally are sometimes scared if they don’t have proof that a transition is viable,” said Thomas Cooper Patriota, Advisor to the Brazil Ministry of Agrarian Development.

Follow me here: This is what leads to the more figurative “foundation”—the truth.

Here at COP30, information integrity has been made part of the Action Agenda for the first time, which I applaud because it’s crucial to recognize that we can only solve the climate crisis when we have reliable data, factual analysis, and proof that solutions like regenerative farming work. Earlier this week, ten countries endorsed a Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, and I hope many more follow suit.

Frankly, it’s disheartening to see misinformation and falsehoods circulating about COP30 and the facts of climate change in general—including from people here on the ground. According to the organization Transparency International, more than half of COP30 national delegation members did not fully disclose other potentially conflicting affiliations they might have.

“Transparency is the cornerstone of trust in global climate negotiations,” Brice Böhmer, climate and environment lead at Transparency International, told The Guardian this week.

When we talk about large-scale investments from the private and philanthropic sectors, we need transparency on where that money goes. New reporting from The Guardian yesterday shows that, without oversight in 2021 and 2022, a significant portion of global climate financing never actually was allocated to the poorest countries that need it most. Without transparency, there’s no accountability.

When we talk about supporting farmers, we need to allow them a platform to be transparent about issues that are front-and-center. Yesterday morning, about 100 peaceful Indigenous protesters blocked the main entrance to COP for about 90 minutes, one of several protests in recent days to draw attention to the harm being done to the Amazon. Without transparency, there’s no climate justice.

Tomorrow is a rest day here at COP30; a time to regroup and recharge before we head into a busy second week. I hope you’ll join me in continuing to reflect on strengthening the foundations—both literally and figuratively—so that the solutions we build can be stable and long-lasting.

News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:

• The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2025 — A new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reveals that disasters have caused agricultural losses of about US$3.26 trillion over the past three decades or so—and outlines what solutions could reduce disaster risks going forward.
• Hunger Doesn’t Go on Vacation — In a new campaign launched at COP30, the World Food Programme and partners are working to ensure schoolchildren get access to nourishing meals during academic breaks, too.
• Protecting The Overlooked Carbon Sink — In this report, WWF identifies a hugely overlooked climate solution—grasslands—and proposes a policy agenda to set things right.
• Indigenous People Take the Stage in Brazil — A New York Times report explores the significant presence of Indigenous activists here at COP30 who are working to make their voices heard in international negotiations that are deeply personal.
• Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Outnumber All Cop30 Delegations Except Brazil, Report S ays — According to one figure quoted in The Guardian, one in every 25 participants at the climate summit is a fossil fuel lobbyist.

Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:

• “If we do not have our land and healthy territory, we do not have healthy food, and without food we do not survive. Food must become a centerpiece in the global climate discourse, and it is not just about any food, but healthy food that aligns with our ancestry and local traditions and spirituality.” — Juliana Kerexu Mirim Mariano, Coordinator of the Guarani Yvyrupa Commission
• “We must ensure that every dollar spent on adaptation delivers impact—and that means investing in solutions that are backed by rigorous evidence, and not just good intentions.” — Esther Duflo, Nobel Laureate and J-PAL Co-Founder
• “If left unchecked, food waste could double its methane impact by 2050, threatening our climate and food security. But the solution is in our hands. By uniting governments, cities, businesses, and communities globally to halve food waste by 2030 and keep food out of landfills, we can cut methane unlocking bold climate action and propelling humanity toward a future where food shortage and waste are history.” — Dan Ioschpe, COP30 Climate High-Level Champion

Ways to Take Action:

Slash Food Waste

• via The Global FoodBanking Network — Learn about five ways countries are using food donation policy to redirect safe, surplus food to people who need it while cutting down on waste, HERE.

Center Indigenous Knowledge

• via Earth.org — Indigenous people are showing up at this year’s international climate summit in greater numbers than ever before (NYT). Explore six ways farmers can leverage Indigenous knowledge systems to restore soils and feed the world’s growing population while mitigating harms associated with industrialized farming.

Bring The Spirit of COP30 Back Home

• via TuftsNow — Read about how students are bringing the spirit of COP30 to campus, working with a local nonprofit to find solutions for problems facing its urban farm.

Add These to Your Calendar:

1:00PM–2:00PM [11:00AM–12:00PM ET] @ Action on Food Pavilion, Blue Zone: “Passing the Baton: Farmers and Producer Voices Brazil and Australia”

Farmer-led innovation is driving the transition toward just and sustainable food systems on both sides of the globe. Join us as farmers and producer leaders from Australia and Brazil share how they are building regenerative, equitable, and climate-resilient food systems. Speakers include Michael Taylor, a sixth-generation Merino wool and livestock farmer; Nathaniel Pelle, Australian Conservation Foundation; Karina Gonçalves David, a young Brazilian farmer and agroforestry practitioner; and Fabrício Muriana, agroecology campaigner and activist.

We’re excited to share that you can livestream this event HERE.

4:00PM–5:00PM [2:00PM–3:00PM ET] @ Swedish Pavilion, Blue Zone: “Agrifood Systems Summit” and “Best Practices Across the Agrifood Value Chain”

This high-level summit brings together leaders from business, academia, and the public sector to highlight scalable climate solutions across the agrifood value chain, hosted by Business Sweden and the Swedish Non-Negotiating Delegation to COP30. Speakers including Mattias Frumerie, Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise; Ani Dasgupta, World Resources Institute; Dirk Nemitz, AFOLU; Juan Carlos Mendoza, International Fund for Agricultural Development; Rita Lousa, Tetra Pak; Jan Svärd, EasyMining; Henrik Johansson, Spowdi; Ulf Johansson, IKEA; Annika Otterstedt, Sida; Lars Dithmer, Afla Laval; and Rodrigo Godoi, Tetra Pak.

6:30PM–10:00PM [4:30PM–6:00PM ET] @ Praça Gastronômica Porto Futuro: Multi-Stakeholder Dinner: “Voices for Climate and Nature: From the Amazon to Australia”

Alongside partners including the Australian Conservation Foundation and Now Partners, this evening gathering will explore how gastronomy can serve as a bridge between cultures, economies, and ecosystems—transforming food into a powerful tool for climate action, biodiversity protection, and regenerative development across Brazil and beyond. Speakers include Hunter Lovins, NOW Partners Foundation; Josie Alec, Australian Conservation Foundation; Karla Nunes Penna, Cultural Heritage Specialist; Isabelle de Lovinfosse, Tara Climate Foundation; Paulo Dallari, Natura; Gavan McFadzean, Australian Conservation Foundation; Heidi Douglas, Solar Citizens; and Hasmukh Chand, Climate Action Network Australia.

Please CLICK HERE for more details on how to join us in Belém.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here. 

Photo courtesy of Rafael Siqueira, Unsplash

The post Dispatch from COP30: Saturday, Nov. 15 appeared first on Food Tank.

The idea of “business as usual” is broken.

For the fourth consecutive year, when it comes to limiting warming to 1.5˚C, there has been “little to no measurable progress,” according to a new Climate Action Tracker report. In 2015, we were looking at about 3.6˚C of warming and right now that number sits at about 2.6˚C, per the report. Yes, that’s a reduction, but not one we can readily celebrate: If anything, it’s a sobering reminder that our approach to combatting the climate crisis over the past decade has been far from strong enough.

In the lead up to the U.N. Climate Change Conference here in Belém, leaders have talked about COP30 as the implementation COP, a time when all the discussions we’ve been having turn into action. If there’s a time for global policymakers, private sector leaders, philanthropic investors, and other stakeholders to be ambitious—it’s right now.

“COP is supposed to be about raising ambition but so far, numbers show that ambition is still missing in action,” says Ana Missirliu of the NewClimate Institute.

So how do we build a more ambitious, forward-thinking climate model to replace “business as usual”?

In short: Future climate solutions start with putting farmers front and center.

As experts discussed during an event yesterday at the Action on Food Hub, integrating farmers’ voices into financial design and governance is a proven pathway to build investment more equitably and inclusively.

“Farmers are not just the beneficiaries of aid. They have to be part of the investment model, where they share the cost and the benefits. That means farmers need to take a voice in the co-creation,” says Marcela Quintero of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.

Farmers, farmworkers, fishers, and food producers are the ones working on the ground, day in and day out. Healthy soil is not just an abstract concept—it’s a livelihood. Food waste is not just a statistic—it’s a personal betrayal.

I’m glad to see the launch here at COP30 of the Food Waste Breakthrough by the UN Environment Programme and partners to cut worldwide food waste in half by 2030. They announced a US$3 million, four-year project to implement its targets. I’m also impressed by commitments like the US$300 million that The Rockefeller Foundation and other global philanthropies have directed toward the Climate and Health Funders Coalition, which is placing an immediate focus on negative climate-linked health outcomes from extreme heat, air pollution, and infectious disease.

This is what we need to see: Real investments flowing directly toward addressing challenges faced by people on the ground.

In the time I’ve been here in Belém so far, it’s been wonderful to meet not only expert policymakers, civil society advocates, and business leaders, but also farmers, chefs, ranchers, and other folks for whom climate change is personal.

When we elevate their voices, we hear loud and clear that “business as usual” does not work. We hear loud and clear that it’s time for ambitious climate action that recognizes how people’s well-being is inseparable from the vibrance of soil, resilience of food chains, and care for natural resources.

Here at COP30, I hope the people at the high-level negotiating tables hear that message loud and clear. And I hope you hear it in your own communities, too!

News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:

• Regenerative Agriculture Faces Its Reality Check at COP30 — In an interesting essay on LinkedIn, Hugh Locke of Futurra argues that a clash at COP30 between the terms “regenerative agriculture” and “agroecology” is indicative of a battle for control of the future.
• The 2025 Land Gap Report — New analysis from the University of Melbourne and a variety of global partners shows a widening gulf between countries’ commitments and actual action plans.
• Agroecology and Resistance — A delegation from La Via Campesina visited a camp of the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (Landless Workers’ Movement) to highlight real-world experiences of land liberation, ecological regeneration, and collective food sovereignty.
• Missing at U.N.’s Climate Meeting: American Executives — A New York Times report exposes just how few prominent U.S. policy and business leaders are participating in COP30. Some advocates question whether these unusual absences are so as not to upset U.S. President Donald Trump.
• Extraction Extinction — In a new report, Amnesty International shines a light on the depth and scale of how fossil fuel infrastructure threatens health and human rights.

Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:

• “Agrifood systems can cut emissions, restore ecosystems, safeguard water, and store carbon. To meet global climate and developmental goals, we must put smallholders at the center of climate action.” — Gabriel Ferrero, Strategic Advisor to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program
• “Transforming agrifood systems is central to solving the interconnected crises of our time—climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, food insecurity, antibiotic resistance, and the spread of zoonotic diseases. Yet sustainable food systems remain an undervalued lever, attracting barely 3 percent of global climate finance.” —Vivek Venkatram, ProVeg Youth Board Member
• “Without child-adaptive climate policy and climate-adaptive child policy, we risk wasting international development funds and locking in disadvantage for generations to come.” — Professor Alan Stein, the director of the Children and Climate Initiative at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University, responding to the release of the Belém Health Action Plan

Ways to Take Action:

Take Care Of Yourself

• via Washington Post — Climate anxiety is real—and different from other forms of anxiety, scientists say. And they have useful tips for pushing back against feelings of doom and helplessness.

Learn About Key Issues

• via FAO — Familiarize yourself with policy options for low-carbon, resilient aquaculture, so you’re more equipped to advocate to policymakers.
• via the University of Cambridge Crop Science Centre — Watch this new short film that premiered at COP30, which showcases a collaboration with partners in the Global South to pioneer sustainable alternatives to high-input agriculture.

Add These to Your Calendar:

1:00PM–2:00PM [11:00AM–12:00PM ET] @ Action on Food Pavilion, Blue Zone: “Biodiversity + Soil”

Join us for a plenary session highlighting the vital links between regenerative soil stewardship and climate action. Speakers include Sieg Snapp, Michigan State University, CGIAR; Marcela Quintero, CGIAR; Patrick Holden, The Sustainable Food Trust; Eske Willerslev, University of Copenhagen; and Rosinah Mbenya, PELUM Kenya.

We’re excited to share that you can livestream this event HERE.

3:00PM–4:30PM [1:00PM–2:30PM ET]@ Side Event Room 2, Blue Zone: “Living Soil, Thriving Planet: Achieving Climate Mitigation and Adaptation goals through Soil Health”

Healthy soils deliver not only climate solutions but also simultaneously address food security, ecosystem resilience, biodiversity loss and farmer livelihoods. Speakers including Hunter Lovins, Nat Cap Solutions; Merijn Dols, Soil4Climate; Praveena Sridhar, Savesoil; Anand Ethirajalu, Farmer and Ecologist; and more.

6:30PM–8:00PM [4:30PM–6:00PM ET] @ UNFCCC Official Side Event Room 6, Blue Zone: “Nourishing Climate Action: Policy Tools for Climate-Aligned and Resilient Food Systems”

Alongside partners including ProVeg International, Humane World, Mercy for Animals, Compassion in World Farming, and more, we’re hosting a collaborative discussion with city, national, and global leaders to explore policy tools around food and climate. Speakers include Rodrigo José Abreu dos Santos, Technical Operations Coordinator, Rio de Janeiro’s Secretary of Education; Ivan Euler, Salvador Secretary of Sustainability, Resilience, Well-being, and Animal Protection; Dr. Christopher Browne, CIWF; Duda Salabert, Brazilian Federal Parliamentary Representative from Minas Gerais; Stephanie Maw, ProVeg; and more.

Please CLICK HERE for more details on how to join us in Belém.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here. 

Photo courtesy of Andres Medina, Unsplash

The post Dispatch from COP30: Friday, Nov. 14 appeared first on Food Tank.

We’re on the ground here at the 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP30, where tens of thousands of governmental, civil society, and private sector leaders and advocates are gathering for a two-week period that could be make-or-break for food systems and climate solutions.

COP30 officially began Monday, and things have been off to a slow but steady start here.

As we know, there’s a lot of work to do. Following two consecutive years of record-high global temperatures—along with continuing challenges surrounding emissions levels, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, and more—negotiators at COP30 need to get serious about protecting communities from the impacts of runaway climate change, scaling up creative climate solutions, and holding nations accountable to contribute financial resources.

Last week before the official start of COP30, leaders from 43 countries and the European Union adopted the Belém Declaration on Hunger, Poverty and Human-Centered Climate Action. The declaration calls for climate financing to be rebalanced to, yes, still maintain mitigation efforts, but also significantly scale up investment in adaptation—in strengthening communities’ welfare and resiliency in an irreversibly changing world.

In other words: Finally, we’re seeing what it looks like for global climate diplomacy to grapple with the effects of climate change on people and communities, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. There are no climate solutions without climate justice.

The declaration was spearheaded by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who also oversaw his country lift 40 million people out of food insecurity over the past two years by centering family farmers and food access in national hunger policy.

“Brazil’s recent history proves that when governments back family farmers and prioritise social policies, hunger falls. It’s good to see this politics reflected in the Belém Declaration, which signals a welcome shift—from shiny climate pledges to real-world impact on people,” says Raj Patel, an IPES-Food panel expert, author, filmmaker, and researcher.

Reading through the Belém Declaration, I was pleased to see that within each subject are several specific action items for countries to consider adopting. It is also interesting to see China, a signatory to the declaration, continuing to step up its climate action while other large emitters like the United States, India, and Russia did not join the declaration.

(In fact, the U.S., along with Afghanistan, Myanmar and San Marino, are the only countries not to register a delegation here at COP30, which is truly a shameful abdication of responsibility.)

I think Raj is right, but I want to push back just a little: In my view, the Belém Declaration still does feel like a pledge; just a better one. What we actually need to see—desperately!—is investment. Action. Countries need to put their money where their mouths are.

Or, we just have to stop holding our breath! We’ve seen time and time again that many rich countries, especially the U.S. in recent years, are increasingly unwilling to pay their fair share. So maybe it’s time that we roll up our sleeves and get the work done ourselves.

A very interesting high-level climate finance report that just came out yesterday outlines “a comprehensive and feasible pathway” for developing nations to themselves mobilize the approximately US$3.2 trillion-per-year investment they need by 2035 to meet climate and development goals.

It’s not easy, of course, and we’ll need other stakeholders—like The Rockefeller Foundation, which just announced yesterday that they’ll invest US$5.4 million to support regenerative ecosystems connected to Brazil’s school meal programs—to step forward.

But a better, more equitable, more nourished world is possible. And COP30 is a crucial step toward building that world. So let’s keep our eyes on Belém over the next week and a half.

News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:

• Food at COP: Trojan Horse for Climate Action — Here at Food Tank, Fabrício Muriana, a Brazilian agroecology organizer, analyzes the impact of the meals served to attendees at COP30, a percentage of which is local or sourced from family farms and Indigenous producers.”
• No Escape II – The Way Forward — In a new report, the United Nations’ Refugee Agency (UNHCR), puts forth four powerful calls-to-action linking climate action with the need to support people displaced by conflict.”
• Mapped: Big Food’s Routes to Influence at COP30 — Investigative research from DeSmog pulls the curtain back on the tactics that industrial food corporations are using to preserve their environmentally destructive business practices.
• Emissions Gap Report 2025: Off Target — With new numbers, the U.N. Environment Programme finds that the climate pledges countries have made under the Paris Agreement have not been anywhere near sufficient to make meaningful progress.
• Embrace ‘Blue’ Foods as a Climate Strategy at COP30, Fisheries Ministers Say — Mongabay published a call from Brazil and Portugal’s respective fisheries/maritime ministers, reminding us how vital aquaculture will be toward climate solutions.

Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:

• “How long are we going to stand by and keep turning the thermostat up so that these sort of events get even worse? We need to adapt as well as mitigate, but we also need to be realistic that if we allow this insanity to continue, to use the sky as an open sewer, that some things will be very difficult to adapt to.” — Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore (via The Guardian)
• “Without financing, food systems transformation is impossible.” — Khaled Eltaweel, Senior Programme Officer, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub

Ways To Take Action:

Follow Local Progress

• via Methane Action Tracker — Learn how your country is making progress to address emissions from livestock and see how your supermarket and favorite dairy and coffee companies are taking action—helping you shop with climate action in mind.

Use Data to Learn

• via University of Leeds — Using new research just published this year, a team of researchers have created a fascinating interactive mapping tool to visualize how tropical deforestation is pushing local temperatures higher.

Keep Tabs on COP30

• via Carbon Brief — Check out this overview of COP30 parties’ positions and priorities to get a lay of the land when it comes to negotiations.

Add This to Your Calendar:

9:30AM–10:30AM [7:30AM–8:30AM ET]:A Food Waste Breakthrough for Climate, Biodiversity, and Equitable, Resilient Cities. @ Axis 4 Thematic Room, Action Agenda Space, Blue Zone: A Food Waste Breakthrough for Climate, Biodiversity, and Equitable, Resilient Cities.

The event marks the official global launch of the five-year Food Waste Breakthrough framework to accelerate interlinked action on food waste, methane mitigation, food security, and resilient urban systems. This in-person event is organized by our friends at UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Climate High-Level Champions, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and the Global FoodBanking Network.

Food Tank’s official programming kicks off tomorrow, November 14! 

At 1:00PM in Belém, we’re hosting “Biodiversity + Soil,” a plenary session highlighting the vital links between regenerative soil stewardship and climate action. Speakers include Sieg Snapp, Michigan State University, CGIAR; Marcela Quintero, CGIAR; Patrick Holden, The Sustainable Food Trust; Eske Willerslev, University of Copenhagen; and Rosinah Mbenya, PELUM Kenya.

Then, at 3:00PM, we’ll continue discussing climate adaptation through soil health in our session “Living Soil, Thriving Planet: Achieving Climate Mitigation and Adaptation goals through Soil Health,” with speakers including Hunter Lovins, Nat Cap Solutions; Merijn Dols, Soil4Climate; and Abdul Aziz, Minister of Environment from Uzbekistan.

At 6:30PM tomorrow night, Food Tank and partners are hosting a UNFCCC Official Side Event, “Nourishing Climate Action: Policy Tools for Climate-Aligned and Resilient Food Systems,” a collaborative discussion with city, national, and global leaders to explore policy tools around food and climate.

We’ll be joined in the evening by speakers including Rodrigo José Abreu dos Santos, Technical Operations Coordinator, Rio de Janeiro’s Secretary of Education; Ivan Euler, Salvador Secretary of Sustainability, Resilience, Well-being, and Animal Protection; Dr. Christopher Browne, CIWF; Duda Salabert, Brazilian Federal Parliamentary Representative from Minas Gerais; Stephanie Maw, ProVeg.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here. 

Photo courtesy of Lula Oficial

The post Dispatch from COP30: Thursday, Nov. 13 appeared first on Food Tank.

The next chapter in the history of our planet’s climate will be written next week, as high-level negotiators, policymakers, civil society leaders, business representatives, farmers, chefs, and other climate experts gather for the 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP30. The two-week conference begins Monday, November 10, in Belém, Brazil.

Will the story of COP30 be one where global leaders step up and embrace the urgent, bold, collaborative policy actions we desperately need to protect our planet and food and agriculture systems? Or will it be a tale of more incremental promises and empty long-range commitments that won’t come due till it’s too late?

I sound dramatic—but, honestly, the challenges facing our global climate systems are dramatic, and we need dramatic action to set us on a better course. This year is on track to be one of the three warmest years on record. The other two? 2024 and 2023. According to the 2025 Global Tipping Points Report, rising greenhouse gas emissions have already pushed the planet past one “point of no return” and we’re on the brink of heading past several more.

The stakes are high, and we can’t afford to hold out any longer.

“We can’t wait until everything is perfect, we have negotiated every text, and we have every declaration. How long are we going to wait for that? We have to start somewhere,” says Zitouni Ould-Dada, a Senior Advisor at FAIRR.

I’m optimistic about the way COP30 leaders are referring to this year’s conference as the implementation COP. As we’ve chronicled over the years, leaders are finally paying deeper attention to the power of food and agriculture, and this year, one of six pillars in the COP30 Action Agenda is entirely devoted to food and ag systems. Bravo! There’s no question that food and agriculture systems provide our most powerful tools for enacting meaningful, effective transformations in our approach to climate and planetary health.

In short: If global leaders are serious about implementing climate solutions—which, for the sake of people and the planet, they must be—then food and ag must be central.

On the ground in Belém, Food Tank is convening a robust schedule of discussion sessions, interactive workshops, and best-practice spotlights to drive this much-needed food and climate action. Here’s a taste of what we’re planning:

During a collaborative UNFCCC Official Side Event, we’re bringing together city, national, and global leaders to explore policy tools that link food and climate action. At another UNFCCC Official Side Event, hosted alongside the Government of Finland, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, we’ll dig into the multilateral cooperation and investments needed to build the concept of a circular bioeconomy, which is foundational to climate action.

We’re partnering with Business Sweden and the Swedish Non-Negotiating Delegation to COP30 for a high-level Summit focusing on scaling up climate success stories. At the Action on Food Pavilion, we’re making space to uplift farmers’ voices from Australia to Brazil and highlight how farmer-led innovation is driving the transition toward just and sustainable food systems.

At an evening gathering, stakeholders are coming together for a shared meal celebrating the flavors and resilience of the Amazon—and how gastronomy can transform food into a powerful tool for regenerative development.

Later in the conference, we’re hosting a special happy hour conversation with U.N. Negotiators, to focus deeply on what it’ll take to make this the “implementation COP” and how we can hold ourselves accountable to actually making our action plans into reality.

And there’s much more to be announced! For more details on Food Tank’s dynamic event schedule, CLICK HERE. And if you or your colleagues are planning to be at COP30 in person, please email Kenzie at Kenzie@FoodTank.com to receive special invitations to impactful events like these every day we’re on the ground in Belém.

Plus, I’ll be sending you daily dispatches from the ground so you can keep up whether you’re in Belém or at home. In your inboxes, Food Tankers like you will peek into my notebook for reflections on and reactions to the progress being made.

Ahead of COP30, sociologist and Brazilian First Lady Rosângela “Janja” Lula da Silva joined Food Tank for a special conversation at Climate Week NYC in September. As she pointed out, addressing the climate crisis is more than a two-week effort at COP. Instead, implementing decisive, equity-focused political action needs to be an everyday mission.

“COP is not just happening in Belém,” First Lady da Silva told me. “COP has to be embedded in all of us, inside of us and in our territories around the world. It has to be embedded in everything that we do.”

During COP30, I’ll be highlighting ways you can bring the “implementation COP” home, now and going forward. And after COP30 concludes, I’ll be heading to Guatemala to continue “ground-truthing”—talking closely with farmers, researchers, civil society groups, and eaters about the on-the-ground work they’re doing to build climate resilience and improve food and nutrition security.

Yes, the chapter of history that’s written in Belém this month could be make-or-break for global climate action—but we have the power to rewrite the story of sustainability and resilience in our own communities every single day, too.

So in the leadup to COP30, drop me a line at danielle@foodtank.com and let me know what on-the-ground work is taking place in your community to build strong local climate solutions. I look forward to staying in the loop on your ground-truthing work!

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Ivars Utinans, Unsplash

The post COP30 Could Be Make-or-Break for Food and Climate Solutions appeared first on Food Tank.

Food is deeply personal. That’s what so many of us love about it: What we eat is directly linked to our daily social lives and economic livelihoods, our family traditions, and our cultural values. But this truth also means we cannot ignore politics, because food makes politics into something inescapably personal.

Because Food Tankers put food and agriculture systems front-and-center, we cannot afford to tune out what’s happening in legislatures and Capitol buildings, even during federal budget negotiations or shutdowns. Tense political debates hit close to home when they force us to question whether parents can afford to feed their families; how climate change will hurt farmers’ livelihoods; whether students can access nourishing school meals; or whether health care systems will be able to truly care for us.

That’s why now feels more urgent than ever to convene our inaugural annual Food and Agriculture Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., alongside the Global Food Institute at GW, the Culinary Institute of America, and acclaimed chef José Andrés and in collaboration with Driscoll’s, Meatable, and Oatly, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, and Instacart.

The Summit is on October 28, and you can find more info HERE and plan to join via livestream HERE.

“Food is so much more than the calories we eat. It’s about creating empowerment, strengthening communities, and building a better future,” says chef José Andrés, Founder of the Global Food Institute at GW. “Now is the moment to be building longer tables where we put food at the center of solving our greatest challenges.”

We’re going to explore practical and actionable policy ideas focused on driving change through procurement, industry innovation, nutrition as health, climate resilience, addressing food loss and waste, reimagining global food aid, and much more.

Following a welcome performance by acclaimed Cuban-American actress and singer Ana Villafañe, we’ll be joined by a lineup of speakers and facilitators including: Casey Aden-Wansbury, Instacart; José Andrés, World Central Kitchen; Allison Aubrey, National Public Radio; Mchezaji “Che” Axum, University of the District of Columbia; Christa Barfield, FarmerJawn; Charlie Basa, George Washington University; Jackie Bertoldo, Eat Better by Design; Marcia Brown, Politico; U.S. Congresswoman Shontel Brown; Shante Bullock, DC Central Kitchen; U.S Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski; Hank Cardello, Georgetown University’s Business for Impact; Tim Carman, The Washington Post; Zacharey Carmichael, World Bank; Stacy Dean, Global Food Institute at GW; Jenet DeCosta, Driscoll’s; Leah Douglas, Reuters; Jennifer Duck, Novo Nordisk; Tope Fajingbesi, Dodo Farms; Abby Fammartino, Culinary Institute of America; Sara Fletcher, Oatly North America; Bruce Friedrich, The Good Food Institute; Maria Godoy, NPR Science; Ellen M. Granberg, The George Washington University; Gladys Harvey, Meals on Wheels Recipient; Robert E. Jones, Culinary Institute of America; Tami Luhby, CNN; Lauren Lumpkin, The Washington Post; Gerardo Martinez, Wild Kid Acres; Anne McBride, James Beard Foundation; U.S Congressman Jim McGovern; Dariush Mozaffarian, Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University; Anna Nelson, Food Security Leadership Council; Marion Nestle, New York University; Julie Anna Potts, Meat Institute; Shaun Sawko, Fairfax County Public Schools; Frank Sesno, Former CNN Correspondent; Chloe Sorvino, Forbes; Roy Steiner, The Rockefeller Foundation; Amanda Stephenson, The Fresh Food Factory; Johan Swinnen, International Food Policy Research Institute; Jason Tepper, Alexandria City Public Schools; Michael W. Twitty, James Beard Award-winning culinary historian; Johanna Hellrigl Wilder, Ama; Kia Williams, Shaleafa’s Kitchen; Katie Wilson, Urban School Food Alliance; and Raigon Wilson, Garfield Elementary School.

You can find more info—and learn how to register for tickets or join virtually from your home community—by CLICKING HERE.

We’re bringing together chefs, farmers, elected officials, economists, business leaders, doctors, journalists, and other experts. We’re not all on the same side of the political aisle. We won’t agree all the time—and that’s the point. Durable, positive, long-lasting food systems transformation requires us to come together, find common ground and shared goals, and work in good faith to nourish our communities.

Food policy questions are not hypothetical, they shape our lives—which is why we need to replace abstract, partisan-talking-point-filled debates with productive, action-oriented dialogue.

Need some ideas for where to start, or success stories for inspiration? Check out “Growing Forward,” an editorial series presented alongside the Global Food Institute. Each week, we spotlight innovative approaches to the most pressing food and ag challenges, in stories told by thought leaders and on-the-ground advocates who are building a better food system day in and day out.

So read an article, grab a ticket for the Food and Agriculture Policy Summit or join us via livestream, and let’s get to work!

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Harold Mendoza, Unsplash

The post Can Food Systems Remind Politicians that Dialogue Is More Powerful than Partisan Debate? appeared first on Food Tank.

During my time ground-truthing in Ethiopia, I saw a lot of maize plants. Some were thin and spindly, the soil pale and crumbly. In other plots, though, the stalks stood tall alongside legumes, climbing yams, and other vegetables. The soil was dark, moist, alive.

The difference was stark. And the best part? We know exactly why those healthy plots were doing so well—and how other farmers could transform their soils to achieve those successes, too.

The successful farmers, I learned, were focusing on soil health and sustainable productivity through the Scaling Conservation Agriculture-based Sustainable Intensification (SCASI) project, supported by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known as CIMMYT, its Spanish acronym). With high-quality seeds, technical support, and science-based sustainable intensification technologies, SCASI aims to boost the yields and incomes of Ethiopia’s smallholder farmers and make them more resilient to climate variations.

“Family farms in Ethiopia are ‘all in’ on protecting their soil health with mulch and conservation practices to keep their crops productive in the face of scorching heat and reoccurring droughts,” Sieglinde Snapp, director of the Sustainable Agrifood Systems program at CIMMYT, tells Food Tank.

And this literally changes people’s lives. One farmer and mother told me that, before working with the SCASI project, her family was lucky to eat once a day, and now they have three meals. A single mother of three said higher income from SCASI techniques helped transform her kids’ access to education.

Farmer Adanech Bebiso says she had previously used conventional techniques, but once she began working with the SCASI initiative, her yields nearly tripled while she also improved her land health.

“This farm has improved our lives in many ways, and we are truly benefiting from this endeavor,” she tells CIMMYT.

Across more than 40 countries, CIMMYT is building farmer-centered approaches to share knowledge, implement solutions, and deepen the effectiveness of conservation agriculture. These are truly tools designed with farmers, not simply for them, which I deeply admire. And more than 75,000 smallholder farmers have benefitted from these projects so far, CIMMYT estimates.

Look, we know there’s no silver bullet to solve the climate crisis. SCASI projects, like many forms of transitioning to more regenerative practices, can call for higher costs and labor up-front. But we also know that the long-term benefits to yields and soil health—not only regarding cereal crops but also root crops like taro and sweet potato—consistently outweigh these perceived challenges, farmers find.

In the challenge, we find the solution: Let’s make the right choice the easy choice! Let’s empower farmers not only with tools to build sustainable, planet-friendly livelihoods for generations to come, but also with the financial resources they need to adopt those tools on their farmland!

And let’s make sure farmers are not just invited to the table but meaningfully involved in shaping the discussions we’re having from the start. As I saw in Ethiopia with strong CIMMYT farmer-to-farmer mentoring networks, farmers can be the strongest advocates for food system and agricultural transformation.

Interventions with the SCASI project are locally tailored by design, so they’re meant to respond to unique community needs rather than being one-size-fits-all solutions. The specific techniques that turned sickly plants into the vibrant, nourishing maize I saw in Ethiopia may not be able to be replicated verbatim in cornfields in Iowa. But the animating idea is the same: Our solutions need to start from the ground up, led by farmers.

Here at Food Tank, I love hearing stories of hope and success in the global food system, which is why I’m sharing these reflections from witnessing CIMMYT’s work in Ethiopia.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Ash Willson, Unsplash

The post A Story of Two Maize Plans—and a Better Farmer-Led Food System appeared first on Food Tank.

World Food Day—Thursday, October 16—celebrates the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is marking its 80th anniversary this year. Over the past eight decades, FAO’s research, advocacy, and lifesaving on-the-ground work have brought food security to millions of people.

But global hunger is far from solved—2.6 billion people worldwide, or 1 in every 3 of us, cannot afford healthy diets. That means we have to work together, more strongly than ever before, to scale up these proven solutions and nourish the world.

Next week, we’re hosting the official North American World Food Day 2025 celebration alongside FAO, Arizona State University’s Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, and the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. If you’re in Arizona, I hope you’ll join us at the Walton Center for Planetary Health in Tempe, with more info HERE.

Expert speakers and moderators from across food and health systems will help drive conversations: Selena Ahmed, American Heart Association/Periodic Table of Food Initiative; Arnott Duncan, Duncan Family Farms; Nick Konat, Sprouts; Crystal FitzSimons, Food Research & Action Center, Denisa Livingston, Community Health Advocate, Heirloom Food Grower; Kathleen Merrigan, Arizona State University; Michel Nischan, Wholesome Wave; Thomas Pesek, FAO; Pierre Thiam, Yolélé Foods; and Lyndsey Waugh, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation; Jenna Lea Rosen, Broadway actress; Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic; Clara Migoya, The Arizona Republic; and more.

Discussions at this Summit, including interactive breakout sessions with participants, will inform a future white paper to drive future policy and civil society outcomes surrounding food is medicine.

“Food is not just about nourishment—it is medicine, and it holds the power to shape our health, communities, and planet,” Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, reminds us.

As a Food Tanker, you get access to this exclusive event! Click HERE to register, and use the code WorldFoodDay to access the registration page.

This year’s World Food Day theme—“Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”— underscores the conversations we’ve been having about the urgent need to break down silos, to work across industries, and to prioritize productive dialogue and collaboration.

“World Food Day is a moment to reflect on the critical links between our food and our health,” says Thomas Pesek, Senior Liaison Officer at the FAO Liaison Office for North America. “No single solution or actor alone will solve this challenge—but collaboration across health, agriculture, and education sectors can move us closer to a future where healthy food is available and affordable for all.”

I was so heartened and inspired last month to see so many citizen eaters join Food Tank for our 15 Summits during Climate Week NYC, where we witnessed firsthand the power of this cross-discipline approach.

The experts we had on stage were clear-eyed in discussing the challenges we all face, and they spoke just as powerfully about where we can find solutions. Division, fear, and hopelessness are not the way forward. The future of the food system will grow from joyous, empowered communities, and as the World Food Day theme reminds us, we need to work hand-in-hand to make it a reality.

There’s one quote in particular that has really stuck with me, and I hope it’ll inspire our thinking—and our collaborative action—this World Food Day.

“My abuela María…taught me that food isn’t just sustenance—it’s dignity. It’s love,” regenerative farmer and community organizer Sea Matías told us. “Land, like love, is not meant to be owned. It’s meant to be shared.”

If you’re able to join us for the official North American World Food Day 2025 celebration, you can CLICK HERE to register.

“Investing in the next generation’s understanding of food and health creates long-term impact—not just for personal well-being, but for the strength of entire communities,” says Lyndsey Waugh, Executive Director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation.

World Food Day is a worldwide event, so it’s up to all of us to take action in our own neighborhoods and communities, too. If you’re already advocating for food security and nourishing, planet-friendly food systems where you live, tell me about your efforts! If you don’t know where to start, tell me that, too—and let’s share resources and make those connections that’ll push us forward.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Chantal Garnier, Unsplash

The post Let’s Work Hand-In-Hand for a Better Future on World Food Day appeared first on Food Tank.

People often ask A-dae Romero-Briones to “explain the Indigenous food movement.”

A-dae (who is Cochiti/Kiowa) is the Vice President of Policy & Research at the First Nations Development Institute and has worked extensively on protecting traditional foodways and highlighting the importance of Native representation in the food system. She’s one of my favorite people to talk with about her perspectives on Indigenous food sovereignty and community health.

“At some point, we’ve become disattached from our stories, just like we’ve become disattached from our foods,” she told me a few years ago at SXSW. “We’ve become these nutrient-counting, calorie-counting machines…We have to recognize that we are all living, breathing stories.”

And our individual stories intersect with other people’s stories, our community stories, the stories of our environments and everything within them, she says.

“When we look at hundreds of Indigenous models, we find their foods are the accumulation of direct connections with the land, with each other, and with ancestry,” she says.

However, as she told me at SXSW, calling Indigenous food a movement “agitates me,” she said.

“Because a movement assumes there’s a beginning and an end. We have always been here, (and) we will be here after when all these conversations end.”

She’s right. When we talk about Indigenous foodways, about traditional knowledge systems, about Native keepers of the land, we’re not talking about something that only existed in the past.

Indigenous food systems bridge the past, the present, and the future. When it comes to the food systems of the future, Indigenous food sovereignty and traditional knowledge systems can—and must!—be central. But as A-dae points out so well, “It’s not about Indigenous practices, it’s about Indigenous people. You can’t have the practices without the people.”

As we know, it matters not only who has a seat at the table, but who is actively contributing to the conversation.

And this is especially true in the tech sector, says Riana Lynn, the Founder of Journey Foods, which uses AI and other tools to help companies build more sustainable, nourishing, cost-effective and socially just supply chains.

“We have to imagine that, in the next five to 10 years, there’s going to be smarter solutions than ever—so we have to be creative about how we think about it and who is leading those efforts,” she said at Climate Week NYC last year.

That’s a goal of Journey Labs, an initiative within the company that partners with schools, governments, healthcare providers, and other institutions to focus on data gathering and collaborative relationships that interweave research, policy, entrepreneurship, and better food access. That sustainability data is huge, of course, but it’s not just a numbers game—the future of food is about people.

“Supporting one another is so valuable to make sure we’re making change within our communities, and for the future of creativity,” Riana told me on an episode of the Food Talk podcast.

As it is every year, this autumn is a busy, vital season for global food systems, from Climate Week NYC to World Food Day to COP30, the United Nations’ landmark anniversary climate change conference in Brazil. In a couple weeks, as the U.N. General Assembly meets, we’ll gather for Climate Week NYC to discuss large-scale, creative climate action with hundreds of luminary speakers including both A-dae Romero-Briones and Riana Lynn. (CLICK HERE for more info on tuning in via livestream!)

At large-scale conferences and high-level events, I’m there representing Food Tankers around the world! So please keep me in the loop—email me personally at danielle@foodtank.com, and let’s talk about what questions are on your mind, what actions you’re hoping to see from food system leaders, and how we can continue pushing for accountability and sustainability.

And finally, whether we’re thinking about food systems transformation globally or locally in our own neighborhoods and communities, I’m hoping we can ground ourselves with A-dae’s reminder that “you can’t have the practices without the people.”

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Steven Weeks, Unsplash

The post ‘You Can’t Have the Practices Without the People’ When Building Just Food Systems appeared first on Food Tank.

I like to think about agrochemicals as medicine. They’re not something farmers should rely on every day or every season. But they can help treat problems—like degraded soils that won’t otherwise be productive, or overwhelming weeds when labor is short.

At the same time, I’ve seen how conservation agriculture practices—more diverse cropping systems, intercropping, no-till, and agroforestry—can reduce or even eliminate the need for those inputs. This can create a win-win-win scenario: farmers save money, natural resources are protected, and food and nutrition security improve.

“It’s not only an increase in yield, but diversity,” said Alemayehu Koysha, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager at the Terepeza Development Association (TDA). “And diversity has meaning for income.”

His colleague, Tilahun Tadesse, a Senior Programs Manager at TDA, put it another way. “It’s not the size of the land, but the productivity that matters.”

For the past three years, the Scaling Conservation Agriculture-Based Sustainable Intensification (SCASI) initiative—a collaboration between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and regional partners like TDA—has worked with nearly 75,000 farmers in southern Ethiopia to promote context-specific practices. The approach is not prescriptive and gives farmers the opportunity to experiment in the field and learn from one another.

Switching away from conventional agriculture isn’t easy. Farmers everywhere are risk averse—if your livelihood depends on your harvest, it makes sense to stick with what you know. That’s why cluster farming and farmer-to-farmer mentoring are so important. In Ethiopia, I saw groups of three to five households working together, experimenting, and sharing knowledge. Farmers trust each other more than outside experts, and seeing success firsthand makes change more likely—and less risky—because they see their neighbors doing the same thing.

One way farmers are working together is by coordinating the use of herbicides like Roundup. Roundup is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, produced by Bayer, with glyphosate as its active ingredient. It’s effective against broadleaf plants and grasses, and it can help regulate plant growth and ripening. But it’s also controversial.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A), while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it is “not likely to be carcinogenic.” Beyond human health, glyphosate can leach into groundwater, affect soil microorganisms, and harm insects and plants it wasn’t meant to target.

Still, agronomists like Daniel Markos Bura at the Hawassa Agricultural Research Center and Birhan Abdulkadir, a Research Officer at CIMMYT, explained to me that on severely depleted soils, glyphosate can sometimes help farmers produce enough biomass to eventually move away from herbicides altogether. With mulching and other regenerative practices, reliance on chemicals can decline over time.

Government extension agents often recommend Roundup, even though it’s expensive. As Tadesse told me, it can be “tough to get extension agents to surrender” their attachment to herbicides. But when agents compare demonstration plots—conventional agriculture versus conservation agriculture—they begin to see how conservation agriculture can work without chemical inputs.

What struck me most in Ethiopia was the resilience and creativity of farmers. As Bura put it, “Farmers are trying everything.” They grow staples like maize and taro, but also coffee, turmeric, soy, yams, honey, and indigenous crops like enset (false banana).

“If not for enset, people would not survive,” he told me. It’s the crop that gets families through the hunger season, bridging the gap between harvests. It’s also a reminder that resilience comes from diversity—not dependence on a single crop or a single tool.

So, to Roundup or not to Roundup? The answer, as always in agriculture, is complex. Farmers need choices, flexibility, and the power to decide what works best in their fields. Agroecology and conservation agriculture both have a role to play, and what matters is ensuring that farmers have the support to experiment, adapt, and thrive, not just survive.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The post On the Ground with Dani Nierenberg: To Roundup or Not to Roundup appeared first on Food Tank.

Ten years into a career in healthcare administration, Christa Barfield realized she needed to make a change. She was feeling burnt out about her work-life balance, but she knew she still wanted her work to be focused around health and health access.

So she resigned from her day job and, within the past five years or so, has launched the 128-acre farm FarmerJawn in the Philadelphia area and the organization CornerJawn, a corner-store concept that reimagines those convenient neighborhood stops as places to access nutrient-dense produce in urban neighborhoods.

“I want people to see [how] the quality of food relates back to their health,” Christa told me on the Food Talk podcast this summer. With CornerJawn, she said, “What I want to do is create a shopping experience where you’re actually learning what this particular crop…is going to do for you and can do for your body.”

With her urban farming and food justice work, she seeks to raise awareness around the challenges that Black and Brown farmers face, push for regenerative agriculture practices that connect us to the land, and highlight the intersections between environmental health and people’s nutritional health.

“It’s not just about nutrient density. It’s definitely important, but the food is also going to taste better because we care for the soil,” she says. “It’s about how it’s grown.”

Barfield has made a huge impact in a short time. She is the recipient of the 2024 Leadership Award from the James Beard Foundation. And during our conversation on the podcast, she pointed out an important truth that I think we’d all do well to remind ourselves:

“How you eat now isn’t just about you,” she says. “Food is about lineage. It’s about everyone in your bloodline before you and the ones that are coming after you.”

This is true across every aspect of the food system. The way farmers treated soils a generation ago influences how healthy they are today. The way we approach food production and access today will directly shape how our food and climate systems look for our kids and grandkids.

Of course, this is not new information—the interconnectedness of the well-being of people and animals and the land is central to Indigenous knowledge systems and baked into modern organic and regenerative food movements. As we’ve discussed before, healthy soils equal healthy foods.

“I think that folks are realizing that what you do to the planet, you do to yourself,” Matthew Dillon, the Co-CEO of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), told me on another episode of Food Talk this year. “I want us to think about organic not just as an investment in any given season, but an investment in the future generations.”

The OTA, which aims to promote and protect the organic industry, represents over 10,000 organic businesses and farmers across 50 states through direct membership and their Farmers Advisory Council. And yes, it’s true that transitioning to organic may require a mindset shift and investments in time and money for some conventional farmers—but creating a holistic, diversified farm plan pays off economically and environmentally, Dillon says.

“Most farmers I know love that challenge,” he says. “They’re driven by that curiosity to figure out how to optimize their ecosystems to work for them instead of against them.”

Like many folks in both rural and urban areas, organic farmers are feeling or may soon feel the effects of tariffs, federal funding reductions, and staffing cuts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But despite these economic pressures, Dillon says, the organic marketplace grew at a rate of 5.2 percent compared to growth of 2.5 percent seen in the overall market.

My personal takeaway from this is hugely optimistic: To me, this highlights the power of citizen eaters! When nourishing, planet-forward, sustainably grown foods are available and economically accessible, people want to eat them and feed them to their families. When convenient stores like CornerJawn are stocked with regenerative, local produce that was grown with soil health in mind, people do the right thing for their bodies and the planet.

I’m so excited to talk with both Christa Barfield and Matthew Dillon—and 300+ more inspiring food advocates and artists—in a few weeks at Food Tank’s Summits during Climate Week NYC! All our in-person events are sold out, but it’s not too late to snag a livestream ticket to participate in these urgent conversations from wherever you live. CLICK HERE for more information.

How do we continue spreading this movement in our own communities? Email me at danielle@foodtank.com and share stories of folks in your neighborhoods who are connecting the dots between urban food production, social justice, and economic access. Let’s build a better, more delicious world where everyone can shop with soil health in mind!

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Dave Hoefler, Unsplash

The post The Roots of Regeneration: ‘What You Do To The Planet, You Do To Yourself’ appeared first on Food Tank.