Roxanne Swentzell created FTPI in 1987. Swentzell tells Food Tank that before creating FTPI, she learned about permaculture and built her own sustainable homestead. By doing this, she discovered what farming techniques worked in her area and then began sharing this knowledge.

“The name, Flowering Tree, came from the novel “Black Elk Speaks,” in which there is a prayer to make the tree of life bloom again,” Swentzell explains. “We felt that this was what we were trying to do also. Flowering Tree would be our living prayer.”

Today, FTPI offers workshops and resources to promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles and to pass on traditional knowledge. While the programs are designed for the Santa Clara Pueblo Tribe, the Institute also opens them up to other members of the community. The Institute has three seed banks, a greenhouse, ceremonial women’s house, restored adobe, and more. It offers classes on how to lead healthy and sustainable lifestyles and facilitates seed saving and other cultural practices. These include farming and gardening, composting, animal husbandry and processing, adobe construction, mud plastering, pottery, and weaving.

“As a native-, woman-run organization that focuses on the health of the local communities, Flowering Tree has been impactful around areas of home, food security, teaching youth, and empowering women of color,” Swentzell tells Food Tank. She explains that there is a limited understanding of the sustainable life-ways of Native American knowledge but that there is also a growing interest in the subject.

“Indigenous knowledge is needed more than ever to find balance and meaning in these challenging times,” Swentzell says.

One important indigenous practice is seed saving which, according to the First Nations Development Institute (FNDI), has been historically necessary to preserve seeds critical to indigenous culture and food systems. According to the FNDI, many indigenous communities have developed ways to save seeds for hundreds of years.

At FTPI, Swentzell says the seed banks are an important resource for the health of the planet. The Institute has facilitated seed saving and sharing for decades. By saving seeds, she tells Food Tank people can ensure that these seeds continue to exist and increase biodiversity.

“Industrial farming has shrunk and depleted so much of the food diversity and stability of ecosystems that we are in grave danger of having it all collapse,” Swentzell says. “Instead of our food systems being in millions of hands caring for crops they love, it’s in a few mega corporations that don’t care about individuals but only about making money.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, four companies control the majority of crop seed sales in the U.S. Two of these companies provided more than half of the United States retail sales of corn, soybean, and cotton seeds from 2018-2020.

Swentzell believes heirloom seeds can serve as “helpers” for a biodiverse healthy future and saving them does not necessarily take a lot of effort. By saving and sharing seeds, she believes, people also develop community and a shared appreciation for the planet.

“If we all saved seeds of one variety of plant we loved, there would be so many cool diverse plants being nurtured because of all our unique tastes,” Swentzell tells Food Tank.

For the Pueblo people, Swentzell says their tribes have survived because the community continued passing on of knowledge. She tells Food Tank that FTPI is working to preserve this knowledge and that doing so could provide an alternative and more sustainable way of life.

“It is so important for us to understand our traditional tribal ways in order to continue as Pueblo people,” Swentzell tells Food Tank. “It’s something we love and as a diverse culture within the USA, it seems vital that there be different views on how to live that might be better than the mainstream cultures that are proving to be self-destructive.”

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 Shelley Pauls, Unsplash

The post Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute: Sowing Seeds of Sustainability appeared first on Food Tank.

The program allows students to “apply [their knowledge] and take it out of the hypothetical realm,” Tyler Cox, Animal Science Professor at WWCC, tells Food Tank. “It’s like: Put your coat on, we’re going to go look at this right now.”

Utilizing the land right next to campus, the program manages 80 head of Red Angus cattle owned by a WWCC professor. Students gain experience in the livestock breeding process while also learning how to grow and tend to crops.

“Our region is our big advantage and the fact that we have these incredibly fertile soils and already a really strong agriculture community,” Robin Leventhal, the Culinary Arts Instructor at the Wine Country Culinary Institute (WCCI), tells Food Tank.

WWCC also offers a Culinary Arts degree, in which students are enrolled at WCCI, accredited by the American Culinary Federation. WCCI operates on the WWCC main campus in a state-of-the-art kitchen as well as a satellite commercial kitchen placed at the Center for Enology & Viticulture.

As agriculture students help grow food and handle livestock, culinary students have the chance to learn the costs and origins of the food they are cooking.

“Students are incredibly invested in what’s happening in production of food that they’re preparing and serving,” says Cox.

As a student-centered program, WCCI is designed to prepare students for the foodservice and hospitality industry. Professors aim to support the development of well-rounded and trained culinary professionals to enter the workforce with the necessary skills to be successful.

Beyond the classroom, internship opportunities help students further their careers, allowing them to gain new skills.

“This program offers another level or layer of the food industry that you wouldn’t get in a conventional culinary arts program and at a time where innovation is essential,” Leventhal tells Food Tank.

Hands-on training and internship opportunities in food production and culinary service and management help students further their careers, allowing them to gain new skills.

“This curriculum is so much more than teaching future chefs,” Leventhal tells Food Tank. “They learn where food comes from, the cost of waste, and how to be responsible stewards of the land.”

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  Alan James Raeder and Robin Leventhal

The post Field to Plate: Walla Walla Community College’s Hands-On Approach appeared first on Food Tank.

In 2024, the Agri-Food Analytics Lab predicts that average Canadian families of four will spend CAD 701.79 more on food—up from CAD 15,595.21 in 2023. The higher costs are due in part to natural disasters related to the climate crisis, like flooding and wildfires. The speakers say that advocates recognize the need for sustainable food systems, and municipal governments may be powerful in implementing change. 

The webinar’s organizers highlighted the City of Guelph’s efforts in creating a local, circular food system. With a population of 120,000 and a passion for converting food waste into food security, the city won Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge in 2020. 

The winning project, Our Food Futures, “ties together goals of access to affordable, nutritious food, climate action and sustainability, healthy communities, business innovation and social enterprise, and social partnerships,” says Schnurr. One hundred and fifty organizations, such as the SEED, the Second Harvest Food Rescue App, and Community FEWD, collected food waste and distributed food. They also worked with the municipality’s health organization to prescribe produce to patients. It was important for the project to “bring everyone’s perspective into the picture,” says Dainard, who serves as the Smart Cities Project Manager in Wellington.  

Our Food Futures also supported a regenerative agriculture pilot program in Alberta. Dainard explains, “Being able to support farmers as they transition to regenerative agriculture is a part of regional security. It’s going to make us more resistant to the shifts that are coming because of climate change.” As the global food system strains to feed over 8 billion people amid war, pandemics, and political upheaval, local food systems will be at the forefront of the effort to feed communities. 

Building on the pilot’s success, Wellington compiled lessons into a handbook for other municipalities. Speakers reinforced that collaborative efforts with organizations, companies, indigenous leaders, and governments throughout Canada are essential to helping communities access food amidst the climate crisis.

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 Randy Fath, Upsplash

The post Empowering Municipalities for Climate-Resilient Food Security in Canada appeared first on Food Tank.

“My dad told me I couldn’t raise pigs without antibiotics because he wasn’t able to in confinement settings,” says Eric. “And then my grandpa told me I couldn’t raise them without farrowing crates. I’m doing both of those things now.”

On conventional farms, pregnant sows (female pigs that have given birth to a litter of piglets) are often placed in metal farrowing crates before giving birth. There isn’t enough room in these crates for sows to turn around or perform their natural behaviors. Several states in the United States have banned using these crates because of animal welfare concerns. As a more humane alternative, many farmers use huts and houses to shelter the sows.

“When I was looking into making my farrowing house, I told a contractor my idea and he said, ‘You sound a little crazy,’” says Eric.

The Boors are currently the only farmers in their county raising hogs outdoors, according to Eric. While this was common practice in the 1970s and 80s, the hog market consolidation and high land prices mean it’s no longer financially feasible for independent farmers to raise hogs and sell on the open market, and it’s extremely rare to see hogs outside of a confinement environment, the Boors say. Many family farmers have had to leave the hog industry or find other jobs.

Eric and Mikala both knew that they could raise hogs outdoors, but it wasn’t until they started partnering with Niman Ranch that they could make it work financially and begin to grow their business.

“I couldn’t be where I’m at today without Niman,” says Eric.

Niman Ranch is a network of more than 600 small and mid-size farmers and ranchers across the U.S. that uphold high standards of sustainable and humane farming practices in exchange for a guaranteed market for their product, in addition to a strong support system. As the Boors faced various obstacles starting their own farm, fellow Niman Ranch farmers and Niman Ranch’s field agent team helped to get answers or connect them with others who could.

“Niman Ranch offers a lot of resources that you wouldn’t think of,” says Mikala. “No matter what kind of question you have or issue you have, there’s always somebody there to help.”

For example, the Boors received grant funding in 2023 through the company’s philanthropic arm, the Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation. The grant matches farmer investments in breeding stock, or gilts (female pigs that have not given birth to a litter of piglets), to expand their hog herd and provides business planning support, regular education sessions, and farmer mentorship.

Today, the Boors’ farm “looks completely different,” according to Mikala. Eric spent months refurbishing his grandfather’s various farm buildings—and putting up new ones—to house hogs and make the most of nine acres.

“I have people that come tell me all the time, some older people that raised hogs back in the 1970s the way I do, how they sure like to see them and hear them outside again,” says Eric. And according to Mikala, neighbors love to drive by and see a young family raising hogs outdoors again—a rare sight in their part of Iowa.

Eric loves working with pigs and grew up raising them outdoors with his father. While he worked in a confinement setting for a few years after high school, he always knew that for his own farm, he didn’t want to raise pigs in confinement.

“It’s completely different raising pigs outside. I see a whole different animal, in the way they act,” says Eric. “When you lock them up in hog confinement, they get aggressive. I don’t have that on our farm, I can go get into any lot with them.”

“And the meat definitely tastes better…it tastes completely different,” Mikala adds.

For Eric and Mikala, it’s important to preserve the land for the next generation. They enjoy that their children can safely run around the farm, interact with the pigs that are raised on pasture, and even help with their parents’ work.

“Our son says all the time that he wants to farm with his dad when he gets bigger,” says Mikala.

It gives Mikala hope that “we’re able to get somewhere with farming because of Niman Ranch.” As eaters become more interested in how their meat is sourced, she expects more farmers to get involved with companies like Niman Ranch and be able to nourish their families with small, sustainable farms.

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 the Boors

The post Young Farmers Bring Small-scale, Humane Hog Farming Back to Iowa appeared first on Food Tank.

Belay notes that there are worrying trends as investors take an interest in the agriculture sector across the African continent. While funds can be beneficial, he says, they often “come with drawbacks.”

Investors, he explains, “want to go in, invest, get money, and get out most of the time. They don’t have a long term perspective.”

Belay instead believes in a model for food systems that is grounded in communities, promoting a goal of food sovereignty over food security. “Unlike food security, which doesn’t ask where the food comes from, food sovereignty asks where the food is coming from, how it is produced, [if] the food is culturally appropriate,” he says. “It also goes beyond and asks generally who owns the food system.”

Key to food sovereignty is agroecology, an approach to agriculture that, Belay explains, is a practice, a science, and a social movement. The social and political component of agroecology is particularly important, he argues — and it is typically missing from the regenerative agriculture movement that many food systems actors are increasingly embracing today. 

The regenerative agriculture movement may have started with the best of intentions, but it is now “separated from the political part,” Belay says. “The system is not right so we have to struggle to change the system. The struggle is not built into regenerative agriculture or, if it is, it’s very weak. So that’s the problem, it’s very easy to co-opt.”

“[Social] cohesiveness is very critical when you’re attacked by a climate crisis,” he says. “You can mobilize together. You can help each other.”

Watch the full conversation below.

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 Building Power in Food Systems through Social Cohesion: ‘You Have to Mobilize Together’ appeared first on Food Tank.

Since becoming Secretary in 2011, Ross explains that she has lived through two historic droughts in California. In addition to water shortages, farmers are grappling with invasive species, extreme heat, and, when droughts are not an issue, flooding. 

“We’re living our future and our future is happening now,” Ross says. “This is why it’s so important that we work together and think about how we continue to nourish people in a changing climate. And status quo isn’t going to do it.”

Interventions are important not only for farmers’ livelihoods, but for the state as a whole. According to Ross, even before value-added products are taken into account, the value of the state’s agriculture sector is just under US$56 billion. 

To support producers, The state is eyeing the groundwater basin. “Recharging,” Ross says, “is the only way for us to survive in the future. It’s that below ground storage, above ground storage, using every drop as preciously as we possibly can, and recycling.”

The CDFA is also investing in climate-smart agriculture practices in an effort to scale their adoption. Cover cropping, composting, and the planting of hedge rows for pollinators are particularly attractive, Ross says. “These are things to build up resiliency. Healthy soils that continue to be productive, that are adding soil organic matter…[they are] improving the nutrient cycling and the biodiversity.”

And while the climate crisis will affect all producers, Ross is mindful that the ability of producers to adapt varies considerably, and smaller farmers are more likely to struggle. Around 70 percent of producers are growing crops on less than 100 acres of land, Ross says. “It’s very important to focus on those people who don’t have the same level of resources to withstand the shocks to the system.”

Watch the full conversation below.

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 The Future Is Here: How California’s Farmers Are Adapting to a Changing Climate appeared first on Food Tank.

Agriculture is responsible for roughly one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to research from the United Nations. But Bruno Pozzi, Deputy Director of the Ecosystems Division for the UN Environment Programme argues that the sector can be a “positive force.”

Central to these solutions are farmers, the speakers argue. 

“Regenerative agriculture is becoming one of the most important technologies,” says Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA. “If you live in Kenya like I do and you’ve lived through 6 failed crop seasons, you do understand that there are things we need to improve on.”

Farmers see and understand that change is needed, Kalibata notes, but she argues that the transition to more regenerative practices that heal the soil and support food security will require support for producers during the four-year transition period. 

That’s why Kalibata believes in strategic partnerships like the technical cooperation, a collaboration coordinated by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture that brings institutions together to support farmers. 

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack also highlights the importance of coalitions and relationships. “International action is absolutely critical and key to helping agriculture address the causes and consequences of a changing climate,” he states.

Vilsack is encouraged by collaborations and programs including AIM for Climate, which spurs action and investment in sustainable food systems initiatives. He also points to the Sustainable Productivity Growth Coalition, a platform to share best practices to address the changing climate and global food insecurity. 

“If we can invest in better health for our soils, we get the carbon challenge addressed, we get the biodiversity challenge addressed,” Pozzi states. “And then we’ll have better productivity and a better relationship with nature.”

Watch the full conversation below.

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 Sowing Sustainability: The Power of Relationships in Food Systems Transformation appeared first on Food Tank.

Villalobos highlighted that the climate crisis has significantly affected agricultural production in Mexico for decades, reaching an alarming peak in recent years. In September, temperatures soared to a record high, marking the hottest September since 1941 with a notable three-degree increase above the average, according to Villalobos. 

“The impact of these high temperatures, the lack of rain, and also the problems associated with some pests and disease really impacts this particular year’s production estimate,” Villalobos says. 

While official production statistics are forthcoming, Villalobos shares that early estimates indicate that cereals, corn, and bean yields were reduced between 28 and 30 percent, which will also lead to higher prices. 

Villalobos believes that extension services, communication tools, proper soil management, and access to technology are critical first steps toward overcoming these barriers and increasing productivity. 

Mexico is collaborating with the United States Department of Agriculture and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to increase the access to technologies between Mexico and the United States. 

“We need to incorporate the most advanced tools in order to make agriculture more efficient,” Villalobos says. “We understand that we have to increase productivity without expanding the frontier of agricultural land.”

Villalobos believes that this partnership and interdependency will not only increase food production and security in Mexico and the United States, but also across the globe. 

“I think North America will be capable enough to provide the food our societies require or demand,” says Villalobos. “But we also have to recognize that we need to play a more important role as a provider of food worldwide.”

Villalobos reports that Mexico is the 7th largest exporter of agricultural products in the world, exporting to 191 different countries. 

“The advantage is the diversity,” says Villalobos. “We can produce many different products all year round because of our geographical position.”

As Villalobos looks towards the future of Mexican agriculture, he emphasizes the importance of supporting small and medium-scale farmers. Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has already made significant strides in this direction through initiatives like its Fertilizer Program. This program aims to enhance the availability of fertilizers to improve the agricultural productivity of small-scale farmers in economically marginalized regions. 

Watch the full conversation below.

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 Mexico’s Agricultural Landscape: Overcoming Climate Challenges for a Sustainable Future appeared first on Food Tank.

Good morning from COP28 in Dubai!

Yesterday was a rest day here at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, but things are back in full swing today.

Food Tank’s official programming kicks off today, too! We have five events today alone (including breakfast, lunch and dinner) at COP28, featuring more than 50+ important speakers. Most of these events will also be live-streamed (scroll down for more details!). Take a look at our agenda HERE. And if you’re here in Dubai, come say hello!

The first half of COP28 was marked by overarching promises and big action items. As we talked about yesterday, world leaders have given plenty of statements in support of food’s role in the Global Stocktake and other agreements.

But now, in the second half of COP28, it’s about the nuts and bolts. The follow-through from those leaders on food action has stalled, which is unacceptable.

“It’s time for adults to behave like adults and get the job done,” U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry told the Washington Post.

From my perspective, this means two things:

1. Wealthy countries and big corporations need to pay up for the impacts they’ve had on the climate—which, as we know, fall disproportionately on developing nations; and 2. We need to continue to break down the harmful barriers and silos between sectors so money flows where it can have the most impact.

Let’s start with some good news: COP28 is a top-tier opportunity to forge and strengthen those cross-silo partnerships and bring people to the table.

In the months leading up to COP28, a petition by the Global People’s Caravan for Food, Land and Climate Justice has circulated among small farming communities, agricultural workers, Indigenous groups, and other rural advocates. The result is a call, from 100+ organizations across 26 countries, for a radical transformation to the food system that prioritizes genuine economic participation over false climate solutions that give profits back to corporations.

“Rural peoples have lost the most, and stand to lose the most, from the climate crisis. Small farmers, not big corporations, must be at the center of climate action,” said Wali Hader, from the Pakistan organization Roots for Equity, a signatory to the petition.

I applaud a variety of new collaborative initiatives that are bringing people together to put their money where their mouth is, so to speak. The First Movers Coalition for Food, via the World Economic Forum, plans to create a low-carbon procurement commitment with a US$10–20 billion value. The Green Growth Institute established a US$10 billion public-private partnership in Africa and the Middle East. The Soil Carbon Industry Alliance brings together 28 businesses and organizations toward measuring and financing soil carbon sequestration.

The path we’re headed down is one where a worsening climate and increasing geopolitical conflict are locked in a cycle—a downward spiral that makes the whole world more fragile and less resilient. Across the world, we’re seeing rising tensions that result in tragic losses of life.

At COP28, more than 100 countries and humanitarian organizations have agreed to pledges that prioritize the adoption of climate programs that do not spark these tensions. Among other interventions, these commitments direct funding to localized efforts to bring stakeholders to the table for de-escalation via climate.

It’s time for corporations, big governments, and the philanthropic sector to step up in even bigger ways.

On day one of COP28, countries agreed to a “loss and damage fund,” through which some of these higher-polluting countries would give financial support for irreversible climate damage faced by developing nations. But so far, only a shocking 0.2 percent of the total need has been met. Some of the world’s highest emitters, including the U.S., have pledged much less than their fair share.

Let’s look at the numbers. Transitioning the global food system toward more regenerative and agroecological approaches would cost somewhere around US$250–430 billion per year—a high number, yes, but it’s less than 5 percent of the hidden costs of global food and ag systems. This is why True-Cost Accounting practices are so important to the context of food system change!

In a recent call to action, 25 leading philanthropic organizations noted that the current total of public, private, and philanthropic investments in regenerative agroecology are about US$44 billion a year. To bridge that gap, these organizations called for a tenfold increase in funding toward some of these urgent challenges. The effort is backed by the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, and I hope we see the money.

Our friends at ReFED have also outlined a new roadmap for philanthropic, governmental, and private-sector action on reducing food loss and waste, which has a significant ripple effect across the entire food system.

“Food waste remains an under-funded opportunity, making this roadmap a significant milestone in what we consider possible in transforming our food systems to solve food loss and waste,” says Ida Posner of the Posner Foundation.

For more on building bridges, if you’re in Dubai, join our friends at the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) for “Enhancing Food and Nature Linkages for Climate Action” tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 9) in the accessible green zone!

And we cannot afford to forget that young people are set to inherit a food system that’s deeply broken and a climate that’s becoming irreparably damaged.

That’s why today’s official theme, “Youth, Children, Education, and Skills,” is so important.

“Every year of my life there has been a COP,” says Vanessa Nakate, a 12-year-old Ugandan climate justice advocate and Unicef goodwill ambassador. “And every year world leaders have failed to acknowledge the special needs and vulnerabilities of children in the climate crisis.”

“We’re here to call on world leaders to make decisions at COP that have a real impact on children’s lives,” says Lova Renee, a 13-year-old youth activist from Madagascar.

It’s on all of us adults, as John Kerry reminded us, to invest in those who have to deal with the consequences of our actions.

To governments, to corporations, to philanthropists: Don’t let young people down.

Add These Events to Your Calendar:

9:00AM–10:00AM @ the Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion facilitated by IICA: Daily progress recap and live interview series, in partnership with Producers Trust and the Forum for Farmers and Food Security. Breakfast, coffee, networking 9–9:30; briefing 9:30–10. LIVESTREAM HERE!

Speakers include: Eric Mittenthal, Chief Strategy Officer, North American Meat Institute

11:00AM–12:15PM @ Food Systems Pavilion: Unlocking Action: Policy Responses to Reduce Food Loss and Waste in partnership with the Global Foodbanking Network. LIVESTREAM HERE!

Speakers include: Shenggen Fan, China Agricultural University; Christy Loper, Robertson Foundation; Ana Catalina Suarez Pena, GFN; Craig Hanson, World Resources Institute; Mariana Jiménez, BAMX; Fabrice Salamanca, Danone

1:00PM–2:00PM @ Future Economy Forum Pavilion: Climate Journalist, Food Producer and High-Level Stakeholder Immersive Discussion, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the Action on Food Hub

Speakers include: Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes; Aryn Baker, TIME; Rod Oram, Newsroom; Manoel Lemos, Farm Maringa in Brazil; Christine Nabwami, Ugandan small-scale farmer; Hannah Heimbuch, US Fisher; Vijay Kumar Thallam, Rythu Sadhikara Samstha; Chris Adamo, Danone; Helmy Abouleish, SEKEM

3:30PM–4:10PM @ Agri-Food Systems Summit hosted by Climate Action, Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre: Health is Wealth: Prioritizing the Consumer.

Speakers include: Dr. Namukolo Covic, CGIAR; Bruce Friedrich, The Good Food Institute; Adele Jones, Sustainable Food Trust; Dr. Sourav Roy, Centre for Big Synergy; Afshan Khan, UN Assistant Secretary-General / The Scaling Up Nutrition Movement

7:00PM–10:00PM @ 21 Grams Restaurant: Private dinner, talks, and live entertainment, in partnership with Pegasus Capital, Producers Trust, Unilever and the Forum for Farmers and Food Security. Request invitation HERE.

Speakers include: Humaid Saeed Al Remeithi, Farm2Table; Dorothy Shaver, Unilever; Olowo-n’djo Tchala, AYEYA; Keith Agoada, Producers’ Trust; Craig Cogut, Pegasus Capital

*please note all listed times are in Dubai local time!

What We’re Thinking About and Reading as COP28 Continues:

• “Accelerating Action And Opening Opportunities: A Closer Integration Of Climate And Nutrition” — this report from the Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN) and GAIN gives results of an important baseline assessment on indicators discussed last year, at COP27 
• “Transforming food systems in Brazil tackles deforestation, food insecurity and inequalities” — Reuters reports on the state of industrial and family-run ag in Brazil (where COP30 will be held in a few years)
• “Climate change: How is my country doing on tackling it?” — this great interactive BBC tool lets you see exactly where your country stands on its climate pledges. Hold your elected officials accountable!
• “Cultivating Change: Accelerating and Scaling Agroecology and Regenerative Approaches” — this Global Alliance for the Future of Food report outlines philanthropic organizations’ vision for change and calls-to-action
• “The Global Tipping Points Report” — a fascinating and wide-reaching project launched just this week at COP28 focusing on environmental thresholds and trigger points. Led by Professor Tim Lenton from the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute with the support of more than 200 researchers from over 90 organizations in 26 countries

Powerful Quotes from COP28 Discussions:

• “The science is clear that we will not achieve any of the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement without more ambitious, comprehensive, and equitable climate action on food.” — Joao Campari, Global Food Practice Leader, WWF
• “We have the solutions and we have the money to make climate change end. What’s missing is the political will to make that happen.” — Manal Bidar, Moroccan youth and climate action activist
• “The damaging impacts that food loss and waste have on us all—the contribution to climate change, the effect on our household budgets and incomes, and the waste of land and water—mean that it is essential that we all take action.” — Dr. Liz Goodwin, Senior Fellow Food Loss and Waste at the World Resources Institute

Concrete Ways to Take Action: 

Become an educated advocate:

• via The Nature Conservancy: “AS A GLOBAL SOCIETY, WE MUST: Phase out fossil fuels. Build climate-resilient societies. Invest in climate solutions.” Learn how to talk about climate change with the Nature Conservancy’s Guide.
• via GAIN Alliance: “Shifting consumption and reducing food loss & waste (FLW) are critical action areas for both the climate and the goal of affordable, healthy, sustainable food for all.” Learn more about GAIN’s Transforming Urban-Rural Food Systems (TURFS) Consortium HERE.

Donors, step up:

• via ReFED: “’Reducing Food Loss and Waste—A Roadmap for Philanthropy’ shows how governments, philanthropy, and the private sector can take a big bite out of emissions while improving food security, nutrition, incomes, and the environment. We call on fellow donors to work with us to catalyze these solutions,” said Marilia Bezerra, Chief Programmes Officer at the IKEA Foundation.

Make your voice heard online:

• via UN Environment Programme: The climate crisis is a real & undeniable threat to humanity. The effects are already visible & will be catastrophic unless countries take urgent #ClimateAction. #COP28 provides an opportunity to finally #ActNow & speak up for a better future for all.

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 B Udaykiran, Unsplash

The post Dispatch from the U.N. Climate Change Conference: Friday, Dec. 8 appeared first on Food Tank.

Welcome to COP28!

I’m here in Dubai, U.A.E., for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. COP28 formally kicked off last week, and we’re now in the most important stretch of the conference for discussions about food and agriculture.

During this time, the Food Tank newsletter is the place to be! I’ll be in your inbox with reflections, news, and critical updates so you can stay on top of all things COP. Plus, of course, I’ll share my calendar for each day—it’s morning here in Dubai, after all—so you can join me at insightful and inspiring events from wherever you are in the world. Thanks for coming along!

We’re continuing to share critical perspectives on Food Tank’s website, too. I hope you’ll read op-eds on how local food policy creates hope for the climate; why industrial ag must not be the future of the world’s food; and what it will take to truly dive into regenerative agriculture.

At COP28, Food Tank has 30+ events across two dozen locations, featuring more than 150 luminary speakers. We’ve done our best to include as many livestream opportunities as possible for those not on the ground in Dubai. And for those who are here, we’ve made attending our programming extremely open and accessible. We want everyone to be part of our discussions. Your voices are critically needed!

Already, COP28 is off to an amazing start.

Policymakers, experts, scientists, advocates, farmers, young people, and passionate activists from around the world are already putting food systems front-and-center.

Yesterday, discussions centered on the role of youth in driving climate action in the Global South; how financial, scientific, and policy progress can enable aquaculture and blue food systems; and the need to put farmers first.

“Let us unite in our commitments to create a more robust and supportive environment for our smallholder farmers by addressing the immediate need for improved resources, access to capital, (and) risk mitigation through insurance,” said Maness Nkhata, the President of the Farmers Union of Malawi, during a conversation at the Food Systems Pavilion.

At the Food4Climate Pavilion, we saw empowering conversations taking place around food procurement, environmental labeling, and using capital investments to drive food system transformation.

We also saw a robust discussion at the Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion, by IICA, on the climate influence of livestock production and cattle farming. Renata Miranda, from Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, highlighted the importance of scientific data to help us understand the real relationship between cattle farming, climate, and food security.

It’s amazing to see young people making their voices heard on a global scale, too. Jean Sebastian Pedraza Paez is the Steering Committee Chair for Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), and at the Food and Agriculture Pavilion, he called on international institutions and governments at all levels to include young people as permanent decision-makers.

We need to draw on multi-generational knowledge, from our parents, grandparents, and Indigenous traditions. “When you mix this with the power of science, innovation, and the power of young people, you can make a real difference,” he said.

Yesterday, someone I deeply admire, Million Belay, said something that stuck with me. He’s the General Coordinator for the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa. At a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change event, he said that agroecology has three legs: It’s a “practice,” a “cutting-edge science,” and a “social movement.”

I think that’s a great framework for thinking about a sustainable and just transition for the food system more broadly, too.

Food system transformation is not one-and-done. It’s not a switch we flip. It truly is a practice, a movement; something we work toward by bringing together science and traditional knowledge systems and on-the-ground voices—and hard work.

To know where we’re going, we have to know where we’ve been. A central outcome of COP28—and something that makes this conference unique—will be the Global Stocktake, which Politico called a “report card on where the world stands” regarding the Paris Agreement. That treaty, from 2015, called on countries to limit warming below certain targets and take meaningful action on emissions.

I’m pleased that the COP28 Presidency has been so vocal in putting food systems on the climate agenda. More than 130 world leaders signed The COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action. (More on that here.)

Leading up to COP28, world leaders have discussed the importance of food systems. Now, they have to demonstrate their commitment by including the urgency of action on food and agriculture in the official Global Stocktake text.

More than 100 organizations, corporations, and institutions from around the globe have signed on to an open letter calling on world leaders not to leave food systems off the table in the final Stocktake text. Signatories to the letter include Food Tank, as well as WWF, The Nature Conservancy, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Nestlé, Unilever, Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), and many more. (You can read the letter here.)

There are plenty of ways you can take action, too.

Every day at the bottom of this newsletter—including today—we have a variety of news articles, key quotes, and calls to action from our friends and partners.

Food Tank’s official schedule of events kicks off tomorrow, so take a look at our agenda HERE and join us via livestream. And if you’re in Dubai, use THIS FORM to let us know, so we can make sure you’re invited to exclusive complimentary opportunities.

What We’re Thinking About and Reading as COP28 Continues:

• “Global dairy companies join alliance to cut methane” — Reuters reports that, thanks to discussions at COP28, six of the world’s largest dairy companies will start disclosing methane emissions and drafting action plans.
• “Young people’s plea to Cop28: ‘World leaders owe it to future generations’” — via The Guardian, advocates as young as 13 are calling out “the hypocrisy of rich countries failing to fund climate action.”
• “Zero Draft Outcomes-Based Framework” — a recent Regen10 report is worth reading, as it outlines the state of progress toward a more farmer-centric food system.
• “After a fast start, COP28 climate talks now in murky middle of hope, roadblocks” — from the Washington Post, a clear-eyed analysis of where negotiations stand right now on decarbonization, fossil fuels, and climate compensation.
• “Malnutrition In A Warming World: How Climate Change Impacts Nutrition Security in Low- and Middle-Income Countries” — policy recommendations from the Farm Journal Foundation provide a variety of ways to turn current food system conditions into a more secure future.
• “Diving into the Deep End of Regenerative Agriculture” — at Food Tank, Sara Farley of The Rockefeller Foundation outlines how private, public, and philanthropic actors can push regenerative agriculture “from the shallow to the deep end.”

Powerful Quotes from COP28 Discussions:

• “Climate change and malnutrition are alarmingly linked. We must center nutrition at the heart of climate action to ensure the well-being of millions [of] generations to come.” — Sophie Healy-Thow, Youth Leader, SUN Movement Lead Group member
• “Indigenous people, unlike contemporary modern agriculture, nurture and harness biological processes of nature.” — Dhrupad Choudhury, Technical Expert, Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty
• “Farmers are pioneers of adaptation and need to be supported for spreading their climate solutions more widely.” —Felix Sum, farmer and adaptation pioneer working with International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya

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Photo courtesy of Annie Spratt, Unsplash

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