“We want the Oceans Futures platform based on strong scientific support for where fish will move in response to climate change so that we can understand where risks associated with fish and fisheries might change in the future,” Sarah Glaser, Senior Director of Oceans Futures at WWF, tells Food Tank.

Oceans Futures analyzes global climate and fisheries models to highlight 20 regions across the world that will likely see conflict, food insecurity, or geopolitical tensions by 2030. WWF hopes that the early warning system will enable early, collaborative action on conservation and conflict prevention to foster a harmonious climate for people and the environment.

Fisheries conflict has increased 20-fold over the last four decades, according to a study on global patterns of fisheries conflict, published in Global Environmental Change. And another study in Global Change Biology finds that 23 percent of all fish stocks will move in the next eight years, optimizing some fishing areas while deteriorating others and significantly impacting coastal communities and relationships across countries.

Oceans Futures aims to meet the challenges fisheries will face to provide solutions for more peaceful oceans, more sustainable communities and economies, and nutritious blue foods for all.

“When we design conservation interventions around fisheries management we need to be able to anticipate when conflict could happen as a result of our conservation interventions, but also in areas of the world in which conflict is systemic or there’s a recent history of conflict,” Glaser says.

Oceans Futures is supported by partnerships with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF), and Ode Partners. The platform’s initial launch reveals a combination of projections for how fish stocks will shift over time due to climate change as well as how this movement will increase the risk of conflict over fisheries.

By 2025, Oceans Futures hopes to expand the available body of data by using machine-learning models to understand what causes the escalation of low-level conflicts. Glaser says this technological advancement will help them build these models that operate up to 20 times faster than their first database, the Horn of Africa, which took almost two years and more than a dozen researchers to create.

Glaser believes the technological solutions that Oceans Futures develops can also serve as a valuable tool to address food loss and waste. If the platform can support the implementation of cold chain storage, including ice makers and refrigerated transportation, it can help reduce food loss in fishing communities. The cold chain infrastructure can also reduce fossil fuels if it is supported by solar, wind, or green power.

It’s a “win for the people in the communities who make more money because their fish is higher quality,” Glaser tells Food Tank. “And it also means that the ocean wins because more of the fish that are taken from it make it into the global food chain, and are not just lost to the system.”

As solutions are rolled out, Oceans Futures hopes to foster awareness and conversations about the role of fisheries in supporting peaceful coastal communities and food security.

“People are more and more committed to using these multilateral institutions, such as regional fishery management organizations as a means for working together to understand fisheries, to share information and to really promote good behavior on the world’s seas,” says Glaser.

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 NOAA, Unsplash

The post Predicting Global Fisheries Risks: Inside WWF’s Oceans Futures Platform appeared first on Food Tank.

The conversation covers recent wins for food workers; how the achievements seen at this year’s U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP28) sets the stage for advocates working on food systems change at COP29 and COP30; the foods and flavors Gen Z are looking for; and opportunities to expand access to healthy foods.

The episode also features predictions from experts from across food and agriculture systems, who share what they expect—and hope—to see in 2024. Callers include Reverend Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World; Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder of WANDA; Seth Goldman, Co-Founder and Chief Change Agent of Eat the Change; Rupa Bhattacharya, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and Industry Leadership at the Culinary Institute of America; and Erika Allen, CEO of Urban Growers Collective.

Listen to the full episode 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 Josefin, Unsplash

The post A New Year and New Opportunities: What’s Next for the Food Movement appeared first on Food Tank.

The food and agriculture movement made incredible strides over the last year—but our work isn’t done yet!

The ambition to transform food systems is demonstrated every day by networks building capacity for farmers and ranchers, organizations forming unusual partnerships to achieve shared goals, programs giving voice to youth, and initiatives investing in community-led innovations and solutions. These groups are continuing to push for food and agriculture systems that are economically, socially, and environmentally just and equitable. Food production and consumption that ensures everyone has access to healthy, affordable, culturally relevant, and delicious food. And they are calling on everyone to take part in their work!

As we head into the new year, here are 124 organizations to follow, engage with, and support in 2024.

1. Act4Food, International

A youth-led organization bringing youth from across the globe, Act4Food, Act4Change utilizes the power of youth to advocate for a sustainable food system. With a focus on personal actions and a set of prioritized Actions 4 Change, the campaign aims to influence governments and businesses to address food accessibility, climate change, and human rights.

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

AFSA is an alliance uniting civil societies dedicated to promoting agroecology and food sovereignty across Africa. The Alliance is rooted in values for fair and inclusive development, harmonious coexistence with nature, and the empowerment of local communities. “[Social] cohesiveness is very critical when you’re attacked by a climate crisis,” says Million Belay, General Coordinator for AFSA. “You can mobilize together. You can help each other.”

3. Arrell Food Institute, Canada

The Arrell Food Institute focuses on addressing global food security challenges through research, innovation, and policy development. The Institute aims to advance sustainable and nutritious food production systems, improve food distribution and access, and contributes to policy discussions.

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

AFA works to empower and strengthen the capacities of leaders and technical staff to increase resilience and combat hunger. They engage in policy advocacy, capacity building, knowledge management, and sustainability initiatives. And the organization recently partnered with organizations to host the Global Conference of Family Farmers for Climate Action in Italy.

5. Audubon Society, United States

Recognizing the link between food systems and wildlife conservation, the Audubon Society launched the Conservation Ranching Initiative. Ranchers that adhere to the program’s standards earn use of the Audubon Certified bird-friendly seal, a product label connecting consumers to conservation by confirming beef and/or bison products come from lands managed for birds and biodiversity.

6. Ayudando Latinos A Soñar, United States

Ayudando Latinos A Soñar is Latino-centered nonprofit in California that helps children and families feel pride in their identity. When record levels of precipitation triggered extreme floods that devastated agricultural communities, ALAS was among the first organizations to respond and help the region’s farm workers and their families.

7. Beans is How, International

Mobilized by the SDG2 Advocacy Hub, Beans is How is a campaign to highlight the importance of beans as an affordable and simple solution to health, environment, and financial challenges across the globe. Their goal is to double the global consumption of beans, peas, lentils, and other pulses by 2028.

8. Better Soil, Better Lives, Africa

Founded by Roland Bunch, Better Soils, Better Lives, has a goal to triple the productivity and mitigate droughts for at least 70 percent of the small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa over the next 20 years. The organization introduces beneficial plants called green manure/cover crops which fertilize the soil, control weeds, and respond to periods of drought.

9. Black Urban Growers, United States

Black Urban Growers (BUGs) is dedicated to fostering a robust community that supports cultivators in urban and rural environments, while nurturing Black leadership. The organization’s 2023 Annual National Conference was held in Philadelphia, to connect, collaborate, and delve into the world of Black agriculture and food systems.

10. Black Dirt Farm Collective, United States

The Black Dirt Farm Collective is dedicated to mobilizing personal, cultural, and technical capacities of Black agrarian communities. The Collective works to bridge gaps among generations, advocate for socio-cultural education grounded in wisdom and nature, and empower historically marginalized individuals. They are a recipient of the 2023 Food Sovereignty Prize.

11. Blackwood Educational Land Institute, United States

This nonprofit teaching farm aims to inspire the next generation of farmers and ecologists. By promoting restorative agricultural practices and instilling a strong work ethic in youth, the Institute fosters awareness of the critical role regenerative food systems play in addressing environmental challenges.

12. Blue Food Assessment, International

The Blue Food Assessment is a joint initiative that brings together scientists from across the globe to support decision-makers to build equitable and sustainable blue food systems. They work to address gaps in understanding the roles of aquatic foods in the global food system, with a mission to educate and drive change in the policies and practices.

13. Bread for the World, United States

Bread for the World, a faith-based advocacy nonprofit, engages in partnership building and policy advocacy to try to address hunger in the U.S. and worldwide. The organization provides people with educational resources to help them advocate for policies and programs that will make it easier for those in need to access food. “I believe that no one wants children to go hungry. Nobody wants families to go hungry. Nobody wants farmers in urban and rural contexts to go hungry,” Reverend Eugene Cho, CEO and President of Bread for the World tells Food Tank.

14. CARE, International

CARE seeks to create an equitable world with hope, inclusivity, and social justice by working to improve basic education, increase access to quality healthcare and expand economic opportunity for women and girls across the globe. This year alone, the organization worked in 109 countries and reached 167 million women and girls from over 1,600 projects.

15. Centre d’Etude Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse (CERAAS), Senegal

CERAAS works to improve quality of life in West and Central Africa and alleviate the negative impacts of drought and agricultural production to minimize food shortages. The organization’s goal is to increase farming productivity and economic growth by finding technologies and innovations suited to the climate and agricultural conditions of arid and semi-arid regions.

16. CGIAR, International

As the largest global agricultural innovation network, CGIAR is working to the transform food, land, and water systems. Operating as One CGIAR to take a cohesive, coordinated approach across all organizations in their network, they utilize research to drive science and innovation and tackle pressing global and regional challenges. Organizations under CGIAR include CIMMYT, which is focused on improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals. And The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT researches climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and malnutrition.

17. Chef Ann Foundation, United States

The Chef Ann Foundation offers professional development and district support to assist school districts establish, execute, and maintain self-operated, cook-from-scratch programs. Their Get Schools Cooking offers grants to districts that want to transition to scratch cooked meals. To date, the Foundation has reached 3.4 million children and 14,000 schools.

18. Community Food Navigator, United States

The Community Food Navigator fosters collaboration and strengthens connections between food growers, producers, educators, and consumers through trust and wisdom. To achieve their goal and achieve food sovereignty for the local community, they leverage digital tools that connect food systems stakeholders.

19. Community Servings, United States

Community Servings is providing scratch-made medically tailored meals to support individuals and their families who experience critical or chronic illness and nutrition insecurity. They also work closely with clients to provide nutrition education, counseling, food service job training through local foods initiatives. David Waters, CEO of Community Servings recently joined Food Tank at the Advancing Food is Medicine Approaches Summit—watch here.

20. CORAF, Africa

CORAF (the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development) is Africa’s largest sub-regional research organization to address pressing food and nutrition needs in West and Central Africa. Their work focuses on enhancing capacity, scaling technologies, facilitating access to technology, and supporting knowledge sharing to design solutions for producers. They also promote gender equity, youth empowerment, and market access.

21. Crop Trust, International

Crop Trust is dedicated to conserving plant genetic resources to promote sustainable agriculture and support global food security. The organization promotes an economically efficient global system of gene banks to ensure and advocates for an efficient global gene bank system.

22. Culinary Institute of America (CIA), United States

As a premier culinary college, the CIA seeks to encourage the next generation of leaders in the hospitality industry. “Essentially what we do is we lead the restaurant industry in terms of sustainability, nutrition, and public health and big ideas and food all through a lens of empathy, humanity and flavor,” Rupa Bhattacharya, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and Industry Leadership at the CIA, tells Food Tank. The school seeks ​to understand and promote its relationship to health, ​the environment, and a vibrant, and an equitable economy.​

23. DC Central Kitchen (DCCK), United States

DCCK works to combat hunger and poverty by providing culinary job training and creating living wage jobs for those facing employment barriers. The nonprofit operates social ventures, including serving scratch-cooked meals and increasing access to affordable produce — all rooted in values to build an equitable food system.

24. Decent Work for Equitable Food Systems Coalition, International

The International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and CARE International launched the Coalition to tackle poverty and inequality for food systems workers. Their work is focused on five priority areas: labor and human rights, employment creation, living wages, social protection, and social dialogue.

25. Demanda Colectiva, Mexico

The Demanda Colectiva has fought to protect Mexico’s native maize varieties, which are threatened by uncontrolled cross-pollination from genetically modified corn. This year, they were the recipient of the Pax Natura Foundation’s annual environmental prize.

26. EAT, International

EAT is a science-based organization focused on creating fair and sustainable food systems to keep the plant and everyone healthy. In collaboration with the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Harvard University, and OneCGIAR, they launched the EAT-Lancet 2.0 on healthy diets and sustainable food systems. EAT-Lancet 2.0 will be launched in 2024.

27. Edible Schoolyard Project, United States

The Edible Schoolyard Project offers experiential learning, connecting students to one another, nature, and food while addressing the climate crisis and health inequities. Founded by Chef Alice Waters, the organization has helped establish thousands of gardens across the U.S. “The foods that the kids cook really empowers them,” Waters tells Food Tank. “And they are changed by it.” Waters is also a strong proponent of leveraging the power of institutional procurement to support sustainable agriculture practices and strengthen local communities.

28. Environmental Defense Fund, United States

The Environmental Defense Fund is guided by science, economics, and a commitment to climate justice, to make the largest impact. The organization strives to tackle the climate crisis through innovative solutions to stabilize the climate, strengthen people and nature’s ability to thrive, and support people’s health. Their food systems work includes efforts to support sustainable fisheries, promote climate-friendly agriculture practices, and advance research on soil health.

29. Fairtrade International, International

Co-owned by more than 1.8 million farmers and workers, Fairtrade is a global organization working to ensure fairer prices for producers and support environmental sustainability. The Fairtrade system is made up of three regional producer networks that represent farmers and workers along with more than 25 national Fairtrade and marketing organizations and an independent certifier.

30. FAIRR Initiative, International

The FAIRR Initiative is a global network of investors that raises awareness of the environmental challenges and opportunities in the food sector. They focus on providing research and coordinator policy action for their members so that investors can make informed decisions and unlock the resources needed for food systems transformation.

31. Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), United States

FLOC empowers farm workers to have a voice in decisions that impact them. What began as a small group of farm workers in northwest Ohio has since grown to include thousands of workers around the country. The union educates farm workers on their labor rights, resolves grievances on farms, and creates community organizing committees.

32. Fed By Blue, United States

As a science-based communications initiative, Fed By Blue aims to transform blue food systems through empowerment, education, and policy and practice. In 2024, PBS will air Hope in the Water, a three part documentary series that is part of a larger impact campaign led by the organization. The series uncovers creative solutions that can protect threatened seas and fresh waterways while feeding future generations.

33. First Nations Development Institute, United States

The First Nations Development Institute works to empower Native economies and promotes economic development for individuals and communities. With diverse support, the institute focuses on financial empowerment, investment in youth, stewarding native lands, and fostering sustainable growth for Native Americans.

34. Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), International

FOLU’s global community of change-makers strive to revolutionize the system by promoting equitable access to food, fostering social justice, and strive for a net-zero, nature-positive world. The organization relies on evidence and science-based solutions to empower farmers, policymakers, businesses, investors, and civil society in driving widespread change.

35. Food Chain Workers Alliance, United States & Canada

The Food Chain Workers Alliance is a coalition of labor-focused organizations working to improve working conditions and wages for those employed in the food chain. The Alliance advocates for fair compensation and recognition for all food workers, to ensure livable wages, promote cooperative ownership, and healthy and affordable food production.

36. Food Is Medicine Institute, United States

This year, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University launched its Food is Medicine Institute. With a focus on Food is Medicine interventions, the Institute will serve as a catalyst to drive change, improve health, reduce health disparities, and establish a more equitable health system that prioritizes the power of food.

37. Food Recovery Network, United States

This collective of youth-led chapters engage college students in food recovery efforts. By redirecting surplus food to those in need, the organization strives to fight hunger, reduce food waste, and promote equity in food and agriculture systems. They operate on 179 campuses in 44 states and Washington D.C.

38. Food Systems for the Future, International

Food Systems for the Future envisions a world free of malnutrition where environmentally and economically sustainable food systems provide equitable access to affordable, nutritious food for all. Their work focuses on business acceleration, public policy and education, partnerships and community engagement, and investment capital. “It is essential to unlock the capital that is necessary for food systems transformation as well as the capital for a humanitarian response,” says Ertharin Cousin, President and CEO of Food Systems for the Future.

39. Forum For Farmers and Food Security (3FS), International

3FS is a global coalition dedicated to driving tangible action to transform food and agriculture systems. Together, we seek to improve global food and nutrition security while illuminating the inextricable link between food systems, both on land and sea, and climate resilience. “Let’s make sure the farmer is making money and living well,” Craig Cogut Founder, Chair, and CEO of Pegasus Capital—a partner of 3FS—tells Food Tank, “and then we can have nutritious, reliable food for all.”

40. Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), United States

FFAR supports collaboration to advance scientific research that provides every person with access to affordable, nutritious food produced on thriving farms. The Foundation funds research on topics including soil health, urban food systems, and sustainable water management in agriculture. They also offer fellowship, grant, and award programs to invest in developing the future scientific workforce.

41. Future Economy Forum, International

Launched by NOW Partners, the Future Economy Forum is a global platform working to raise awareness and scale solutions to create a new economic mainstream. Working together with partners, they develop Solutions Initiatives, which model and scale solutions to address critical challenges. Some of these Initiatives help to scale regenerative agriculture and B Corp Certification.

42. Future Food Institute, International

The Future Food Institute sees food as the primary form of cultural expression and a catalyst for change. The Institute has identified themes that must be to create prosperous food systems. These include circular systems, water safety and security, climate, nutrition security, and sustainable cities. At COP28, Sara Roversi, Director of the Future Food Institute joined Food Tank for a conversation on healthy and sustainable diets. Watch here.

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

GAIN works to advance nutrition outcomes by improving the consumption of nutritious and safe food for all. They are one of the organizations behind the Initiative on Nutrition and Climate Change (I-CAN), which aims to accelerate transformative action at the intersection of climate and nutrition. During COP28, I-CAN released a baseline report to track solutions that integrate climate and nutrition.

44. Global Alliance for the Future of Food, International

By uniting philanthropic foundations, the Global Alliance for the Future of Food looks to build food systems that are renewable, resilient, equitable, healthy, and diverse. During COP28, the Global Alliance and their partners launched a toolkit to help countries translate global commitments into ambitious local action. “We’ve turned a page on climate denial. Now we must be careful not to submit to climate doomism and climate dithering,” says Anna Lappé, the organization’s Executive Director.

45. Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), International

Active in more than 50 countries, GFN uses food banking to nourish eaters and contribute to a world free of hunger. By supporting the capacity of food banks, they also work to reduce food loss and waste and strengthen the resilience of communities.

46. Global Seafood Alliance, United States

The Global Seafood Alliance is the nonprofit behind two certifications helping consumers choose more sustainable seafood: Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and Best Seafood Practices (BSP). They also engage in advocacy and education to advance better seafood production practices and host the annual Responsible Seafood Summit.

47. GRACE Communications Foundation, United States

GRACE Communications Foundation aims to advance solutions to the greatest challenges in the food, environment, and public health sectors. GRACE is behind FoodPrint, a project that raises awareness of food systems issues through reports and other resources. One of FoodPrint’s latest publications looks at the impact of forever chemicals on food systems.

48. GRAIN, International

Working across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, GRAIN supports small farmers and social movements trying to achieve community-controlled food systems that prioritize biodiversity. Their programs aim to deepen public understanding of the forces shaping food systems by focusing on corporate control, land grabs, people’s control of seeds, and food sovereignty as a solution to the climate crisis.

49. Green Bronx Machine, United States

Green Bronx Machine offers health, cooking, culinary, and gardening programs to foster students’ interest in STEM, address food insecurity, support workforce development, and inspire healthy living. The nonprofit has partnered with EXPLR to support the 2024 National STEM Challenge, which will celebrate student-developed innovations that bring positive change to communities.

50. GrowNYC, United States

Through farmers markets, waste collection sites, educational programs, and more, GrowNYC aims to help New Yorkers lead healthier lives. They operate more than 50 farmers markets and 16 farm stands across New York City’s five boroughs. Earlier this year, GrowNYC workers successfully formed a union with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

51. Gwassi Integrated Farmers Advocacy, Kenya

Working in Homa Bay County in Kenya, the Gwassi Integrated Farmers Advocacy works to improve agricultural practices for improved food security and nutrition. The organization focuses on community organizing and grassroots advocacy, with an emphasis on youth involvement to support the next generation of farmers.

52. Harlem Grown, United States

Harlem Grown brings hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition to youth. The nonprofit is working to inspire the next generation to lead healthy lives. They currently have 13 urban agricultural facilities, school gardens, hydroponic greenhouses, and soil-based farms.

53. HEAL Food Alliance, United States

HEAL Food Alliance is a coalition of 55 multi-sector organizations working to build a more sustainable and equitable food system. They strive to build collective power that supports food producers while protecting the air, water, and land that everyone depends on. The organization recently released a report to advocate for value-based food purchasing to challenge corporate control in institutional procurement.

54. Healthy Schools Campaign, United States

The Healthy Schools Campaign develops program and policy recommendations that support healthy schools at the local, state, and national level. They also offer support to parents, students, and school staff and administrators to develop their leadership skills and help them advocate for health and wellness in the education sector.

55. Heifer International, International

By supporting and investing alongside local farmers and their communities, Heifer International is working to end hunger and poverty. Through the development of local partnerships, the organization supports farmer trainings that contribute to economic empowerment, particularly among women producers.

56. Heirloom Collard Project, United States

The Heirloom Collard Project is bringing attention to collards to ensure that they receive the recognition and respect as an important component of U.S. food culture. The researchers, farmers, chefs, artists, gardeners, and seed savers who contribute to the project work to preserve the seeds and stories of dozens of collard varieties.

57. IndigeHub, United States

Chef Bleu Adams founded IndigeHub to help Indigenous communities develop self-sufficiency and long-term success. “We thrive when we’re in balance, the Earth thrives when she’s in balance,” Adams tells Food Tank. “And that’s what we need to strive for.” To achieve this goal, the organization focuses on farmers and producers to address food insecurity and reintroduce Indigenous crops.

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

IICA works to encourage, promote, and support their 34 Member States achieve agricultural development and rural wellbeing. During COP28, the agency facilitated the Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion, which featured conversations with food systems leaders including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Manuel Villalobos Arámbula, and Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross.

59. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kenya

ICIPE conducts research on insects and other arthropods to develop and communicate affordable, accessible solutions to tackle crop pests and disease. At the start of 2024, Dr. Abdou Tenkouano, formerly the Executive Director of CORAF, will become the organization’s new Director General.

60. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International

The research center of CGIAR, IFPRI focuses on providing research-based policy solutions to address poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Their work encompasses five research areas: a climate-resilient and sustainable food supply, healthy diets and nutrition for all, inclusive and efficient markets and trade systems, the transformation of agricultural and rural economies, and strengthening institutions and governance.

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

To address the widening gap between the rich and the poor, the specialized U.N. agency IFAD supports rural communities’ efforts to increase their food and nutrition security and their incomes. The organization recently helped launch the Decent Work for Equitable Food Systems Coalition to tackle poverty and inequality for food systems workers.

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

IPES-Food brings together an international group of researchers to inform the debate on global food systems reform. Recent reports from organization cover the relationship between the debt crisis and global food insecurity and the ways local governments are tackling the climate crisis through food. “Local governments…offer a blueprint for real people-centered climate action,” writes Nicole Pita, a Project Manager for IPES-Food.

63. James Beard Foundation (JBF), United States

JBF works to celebrate American food culture while pushing for new and better standards in the restaurant industry. They help chefs engage in policy advocacy around issues they are passionate about through opportunities including their Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change and lobby days. JBF also celebrates achievements in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system through their restaurant and chef, media, and leadership awards.

64. Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, United States

Operating out of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Center for a Livable Future is working to transform food systems and protect public health. Their work tackles a range of food systems issues including food equity, animal agriculture, urbanization, food waste, seafood, and healthy and sustainable diets. They also conduct research and outreach to reduce the negative impact of food systems on the environment and support climate resilience and adaptation strategies.

65. K’allam’p, Ecuador

By offering support to Indigenous communities, K’allam’p is working to inspire resilient food systems while strengthening the sovereignty of the Andean people of Ecuador. Their goal of K’allam’p is to spread its regenerative framework, and the sovereignty that follows, across the Andes region and beyond.

66. Kitchen Connection Alliance, International

The Kitchen Connection Alliance engages youth as protagonists of food systems change through advocacy, events, and educational resources. They aim to empower eaters and help them contribute to a better food empowerment. To educate young readers about the food system, they are planning the release of a new children’s book. The Alliance’s Director Earlene Cruz recently joined Food Tank at the Food and Agriculture as a Solution to the Climate Crisis Summit, held during NYC Climate Week—watch here.

67. La Via Campesina, International

Composed of more than 180 organizations across 80 countries, the international peasant movement La Via Campesina advocates for food sovereignty, environmental justice, and peasants’ rights. “If people don’t control the food, they don’t control the power,” Morgan Ody, the General Coordinator for La Via Campesina, tells Food Tank. This year, they officially expanded into the Arab and North Africa region, establishing the organization’s 10th region.

68. MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, United States

MAZON is an anti-hunger organization guided by Jewish values and ideals. They tackle food insecurity through policy advocacy, community engagement, community response fund, and strategic partnerships. In 2023, they launched their virtual Hunger Museum, which explores the history of food insecurity in the U.S. to inspire hope for a hunger-free future.

69. Milken Institute’s Feeding Change Program, United States

Feeding Change brings together food systems experts within the Milken Institute to build more nutritious, sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems. Their Food Is Medicine Task Force aims to integrate food is medicine interventions into policy and finance to support nutrition security.

70. Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP), Haiti

With approximately 60,000 members, MPP is the largest peasant movement in Haiti. The grassroots organization advocates for the rights and interests of the country’s peasant farmers and rural communities. They are a recipient of the 2023 Food Sovereignty Prize.

71. Movement for Community-led Development in Liberia, Liberia

The Liberia chapter of the Movement for Community-led Development (MCLD) launched in 2020 to develop home-grown solutions to the country’s most pressing challenges. Through land redistribution and training programs, they are working to strengthen community bonds and increase producers’ collective power.

72. Muloma Heritage Center, United States

The Muloma Heritage Center is being developed to honor the past, present, and future of African Atlantic culture, cuisine, and traditions on St. Helena Island in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The project was co-founded by a group of chefs, agriculture experts, and artists including Adrian Lipscombe, Michael Twitty, and Tonya and David Thomas. Through the Center, the founders hope to make St. Helena an eco-tourism destination that can promote African Atlantic culture worldwide.

73. National Black Food and Justice Alliance (NBFJA), United States

A coalition of Black-led organizations, NBFJA is dedicated to developing Black leadership, supporting Black communities, organizing for Black self-determination, and creating the infrastructure needed for Black food sovereignty and liberation. Their work focuses on self-determining food economies, land, and Black food sovereignty.

74. National Young Farmers Coalition, United States

The National Young Farmers Coalition is working to shift power and change policies to empower the next generation of farmers. Their work addresses issues including land access, mental health, student loan debt, immigration and labor, and the climate crisis. Through their One Million Acres for the Future Campaign, they are calling on Congress to make a historic investment in the equitable access of 1 million acres of land for the next generation of farmers.

75. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), International

NRDC works to defend all life on Earth and the natural systems that support it. As part of their food systems work, they engage in advocacy to stop food loss and waste. They also launched the Chefs for Healthy Soils Program, an initiative that engages chefs to raise awareness of the link between soil health and resilient food systems. “Chefs are a compelling voice who can use their influence for good by advocating for policies that promote soil health,” Lara Bryant Deputy Director of Water and Agriculture for NRDC tells Food Tank.

76. Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation, United States

Niman Ranch established the Niman Ranch Next Generation Foundation to help the children of farmers and ranchers continue their education. The Foundation has provided almost US$500,000 in grants to farmers like Aaron Williams, a sixth generation pig farmer.

77. North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS), North America

Chef Sean Sherman, the 2023 recipient of the Julia Child Award, created NATIFS to re-establish Native foodways and address the economic and health crises affecting Native communities. The organization recently established the Indigenous Food Lab, a professional Indigenous kitchen and training center, which also runs the Indigenous Food Lab Market.

78. One Fair Wage, United States

One Fair Wage works to eliminate sub-minimum wages across the United States and improve the working conditions for workers in the private sector. With their 25 by 250 Campaign, the organization is advocating for legislation and ballot measures in 25 states that will raise wages for millions of workers by 2026, which marks the 250^th anniversary for the U.S.

79. Participant Media, United States

Participant Media is behind Oscar-nominated and Emmy-award winning documentary Food, Inc. and its sequel Food, Inc. 2. The films underscore the influence of corporations on the U.S. food system and the innovative leaders pushing for a more sustainable, equitable, resilient food future. Participant also helps eaters inspired by the films get involved through calls to action.

80. Planet Forward, United States

Planet Forward is a project of the Center for Innovative Media at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs. Because they believe that environmental and science communication is needed now more than ever, they teach and celebrate environmental storytelling by college students.

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

By cultivating a network of producers across the state of Iowa, PFI is working to build resilient farms and communities. They support farmer-led research and education, offer personalized assistance to help farmers reach their goals, and conduct outreach to raise awareness to diversify the state’s agriculture system.

82. Project Bread, United States

Project Bread is on a mission to end hunger in Massachusetts through a combination of advocacy and programmatic work. Thanks to the advocacy work of Project Bread and their partners, Massachusetts became the 8th state in the U.S. to implement permanent universal free school meals.

83. Project Drawdown, United States

Project Drawdown aims to help the world stop and reverse the effects of the climate crisis as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible. They do this using three key strategies: advancing effective and science-based climate solutions; fostering bold, new climate leadership; and promoting new narratives to promote stories of possibility and opportunity.

84. ProVeg International, International

By 2040, ProVeg International wants to reduce the consumption of animal products globally by 50 percent. They hope to do this through awareness campaigns that will help consumers understand the impact of their dietary choices on the environment and embrace plant-based protein alternatives to meat and dairy products.

85. ReFED, United States

ReFED uses data-driven solutions to help end food loss and waste in the U.S. In the last year, the organization updated their Insights Engine, a tool that provides insight into the latest data on food loss and waste in the country as well as a database of solutions.

86. Regen10, International

Guided by 10 core principles that aim to center farmers, equity, and inclusion, Regen10 was established to create regenerative global food systems. They believe the most effective way to scale regenerative food systems is to build evidence and create a shared understanding of how to deliver positive outcomes in different contexts.

87. Regenerate America, United States

Launched by Kiss the Ground, Regenerate America is a coalition of farmers, businesses, and nonprofits working to include more resources for regenerative agriculture in the next Farm Bill. Through the widespread adoption of these practices, they believe it’s possible to improve food and water security while strengthening climate resilience.

88. Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ), United States

For 10 years, TFFJ has used school-based hydroponic farming to reduce hunger, improve nutrition education, and engage youth in New York City. Working in 19 schools, they distribute more than 20,000 kilograms of student-grown produce and offer more than 97,000 servings of leafy green vegetables.

89. Rainforest Alliance, International

The Rainforest Alliance works at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests to create a new standard for business operations. They work with companies along the agricultural, food, and forestry supply chains, helping them implement practices that are better for workers and the planet. Their Rainforest Alliance seal signifies that certified ingredients were produced in a way that supports social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

90. Rodale Institute, United States

Since 1947, the Rodale Institute has led research on regenerative organic agriculture. Together with Dr. Bronner’s and Patagonia, they launched the Regenerative Organic Certification, a new certification program that encompasses soil health, animal welfare, and workers’ wellbeing.

91. Rural Mental Health Outreach Program, United States

Created by Ted Matthews, the Rural Mental Health Outreach Program provides mental health services to farmers, ranchers, and farming families in Minnesota to help them grapple with the unique pressures and challenges of the agriculture sector. The services are offered at no cost to producers thanks to funding from the state.

92. Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), India

RySS is an organization developed to build farmers’ empowerment in India. They are implementing Andra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF), a training program that helps producers farm in harmony with nature. Hear from Vijay Kumar, Executive Vice-Chairman of Ryss at COP28 here.

93. Senegalese Association for the Promotion of Development at the Base (ASPRODEB), Senegal

ASPRODEB is an association of farmers and fishers working to strengthen food systems across West and Central Africa. They help to facilitate farmer-to-farmer sharing and connect producers with agricultural innovations. “Farmers are knowledge producers,” Ousmane Ndiaye, Director of ASPRODEB tells Food Tank. “Not only doctors have knowledge.”

94. Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, International

Since 2010, the SUN movement has worked to end malnutrition in all its forms. They unite stakeholders from across the food system including civil society, U.N. entities, the donor and philanthropic communities, businesses, and researchers to achieve this goal by 2030.

95. Seed Savers Network, Kenya

Seed Savers Network Kenya is working to strengthen communities’ seed systems to conserve agrobiodiversity and improve food sovereignty. The organization operates their Farmer Training Centre and community seed banks. They also promote equity for women farmers through gender mainstreaming and advocate for farmers’ rights by amplifying their needs.

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

Established in 1972, SEWA unites 2.5 million self-employed women workers in the informal economy. The Association recognizes the essential role its members play as food producers, distributors, vendors, cooks, and caregivers, and seeks to transform food and agriculture systems to increase their collective strength.

97. Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative (SFSI), United States

The Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative is a community-based effort to indigenize the food system. Their core projects include a community garden, farmers market, and local food subscription program, which support food security; an internship program to introduce youth to local food production; and community events that center the preservation of traditional Lakota food knowledge and practices.

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

Slow Food is a global movement that is advocating for everyone to have access to high quality, sustainably produced food. Through their work, they try to defend biological and cultural diversity, educate and inspire eaters, influence policies and programs to support food systems transformation, and develop Slow Food’s network. Slow Food USA is the national movement in the U.S. working to advance the Slow Food mission.

99. SMART Training Platform, Canada

The SMART Training Platform emerged as a collaborative project that is engaging student researchers who want to build more resilient food systems. The Platform focuses on the implementation of the scientific method and allows students to create scalable solutions to real world challenges including food insecurity and food waste.

100. Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajà, Mexico

Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajà is a conservation organization that has worked for more than 30 years to preserve water resources. Their Marine Conservation Program works with a variety of stakeholders to manage and protect marine ecosystems. And their Sustainable Fishing program works closely to develop sustainable fisheries.

101. Solidaridad, International

Solidaridad is a civil society organization working to create fair and sustainable supply chains to make sustainability the norm, not the exception. Their Small Farmer Atlas is a new report informed by interviews with small-scale farmers in 18 countries, which looks at issues including prosperity and income, bargaining power, and land use.

102. Soul Fire Farm, United States

Soul Fire Farm is an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm that strives to uproot racism and establish sovereignty in the food system. They offer educational programs and distribute fresh produce to end food apartheid. This year, Soul Fire Farm’s Co-Founder Leah Penniman released her second book Black Earth Wisdom, a collection of essays and interviews that explores Black people’s spiritual and scientific connection to the land.

103. Sustainable Food Trust, United Kingdom

The Sustainable Food Trust aims to create the necessary policy, economic, and cultural environment to accelerate food systems transformation. Their key focus areas include True Cost Accounting, sustainable livestock, food security in Britain, antibiotic use in the animal agriculture sector, measuring sustainability, and local food systems.

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

At Arizona State University, the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems is working to drive social progress, economic productivity, and ecosystem resilience through food systems transformation. They advance organic research and policy, enable True Cost Accounting, educate the next generation of food systems leaders, and engage the private sector.

105. The Nature Conservancy (TNC), International

TNC is an environmental organization working around the world to create a world where all life thrives. To help feed the world sustainably, their goal is to conserve 10 billion acres of ocean, 1.6 billion acres of land, and 620,000 miles of rivers. As part of their work on aquatic ecosystems, TNC partnered with shellfish farmers to create the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition to help producers take climate action.

106. The Rockefeller Foundation, United States

The Rockefeller Foundation is working to advance more regenerative, nourishing, and equitable food and agriculture systems. The Foundation’s food systems work includes initiatives focused on school meals, food is medicine, procurement, and regenerative agriculture. And through their Periodic Table of Food Initiative, they are building a global ecosystem and providing tools, data, and training to catalog the biomolecular composition of the world’s food supply. In 2023, they co-hosted Pre-COP Food Day at the U.N. General Assembly to build momentum around food systems in the leadup to COP28.

107. Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA), United States

UCFA is a collective of new and established growers who cultivate and distribute heirloom seeds and grow culturally meaningful crops. Through this work, they hope to provide more opportunities and support for growers from historically oppressed and marginalized communities. To support their efforts, they also sell seeds through their business, Ujamaa Seeds. “Seeds are living things,” Ira Wallace, a seed saver and advisor to Ujamaa tells Food Tank. “You can’t just put them away.”

108. U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), International

UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. They work with countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, and more. They operate 10 programs and initiatives dedicated to supporting the transformation of food and agricultural commodity systems, which they believe is essential to sustainable development.

109. U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), International

UNEP aims to inspire, inform, and enable people to improve their quality of life and conserve natural resources for future generations. Their work encompasses a range of issues including oceans and seas, forests, youth and education, and gender. UNEP’s food systems work includes efforts to address food loss and waste and support for farmers through strategic partnerships.

110. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International

Working in more than 130 countries, FAO is the specialized agency of the U.N. that leads international efforts to end hunger and improve food and agriculture systems worldwide. During COP28, the FAO launched the first part of its Global Roadmap, which outlines a path for investors and policymakers to reduce the negative environmental impact of food and agriculture systems.

111. U.N. Global Compact, International and U.N. Global Compact Norway, Norway

The U.N. Global Compact is a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles. They work with the private sector to achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, including those to end hunger, promote sustainable consumption and production, and protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The U.N. Global Compact Norway is one of the country-level, local networks that has seen the greatest growth. This network is tackling solutions focused a range of issues including health and sustainable food systems.

112. U.N. World Food Programme, International

The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, has a presence in more than 120 countries and territories to bring food to those in need. Their work encompasses a range of focus areas from emergency relief and nutrition to climate action and resilience building.

113. Urban Growers Collective, United States

Urban Growers Collective works in Chicago, Illinois to build a more just and equitable local food system. Through urban agriculture, they aim to address the inequalities that persist in food and agriculture systems. “You can’t unpack food justice without addressing structural racism, historic inequities,” says Erika Allen, Urban Growers Collective’s Co-Founder & CEO – Strategic Development and Programs.

114. U.S. Hunger, United States

U.S. Hunger is a hunger relief organization that is leveraging the power of technology to connect people in need to healthy, nutritious food by delivering it to their front door. The organization’s CEO recently joined Food Tank at the “Advancing Food as Medicine Approaches” Summit to discuss the importance of both qualitative and quantitative data in solving the hunger crisis.

115. US Food Sovereignty Alliance, United States

The U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance brings together organizations across the United States that are pushing for food sovereignty. Every year, they award the Food Sovereignty Prize, which recognizes two grassroots organizations dedicated to advancing food sovereignty and justice. The 2023 Prize went to Black Dirt Farm Collective and Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP).

116. Volgenau Climate Initiative (VCI), United States

VCI is a leadership program dedicated to accelerating nature-based climate action. They convene small groups for retreats designed to bring people together in natural settings, develop strong networks, and encourage new ways of thinking. Events topics have included diet and climate, land stewardship, and scaling diversified regenerative agriculture.

117. Wholesome Wave, United States

Wholesome Wave is an organization that strives to address diet-related diseases by helping low-income Americans buy and eat healthy fruits and vegetables. The organization recently launched the for-profit brand Wholesome Crave to provide plant-based meal solutions to large scale dining facilities and bring in revenue that can support Wholesome Wave’s work.

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

Founded by Tambra Raye Stevenson, WANDA is working to achieve nutrition equity in the U.S.by uplifting the voices of Black women and girls in food. The organization recently conducted the Black Food Census to collect better data on Black foodways in the country. Stevenson hopes the data will inform positive changes in the U.S. food system.

119. Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty, Canada

The Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty (WGIFS) works to increase awareness and mobilize communities around Indigenous food sovereignty. The WFIGS organizes regular meetings and discussions and facilitates capacity building within communities. “To have sustainable food and sustainable water means having a sustainable world for all of us to coexist with each other,” says Lisa Kenoras, Communications Coordinator for the WGIFS.

120. World Central Kitchen (WCK), International

World Central Kitchen (WCK) provides chef-prepared fresh meals to people around the world affected by humanitarian, climate, and community crises. In recent months, WCK has worked in dozens of areas including in Mexico, the state of Tennessee, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, and Ukraine. The recent film “We Feed People” documents the work of WCK’s Founder, Chef José Andrés.

121. World Farmers Market Coalition, International

Since launching in 2021, the World Farmers Market Coalition has grown to represent more than 20,000 markets and 60 associations from more than 50 countries to highlight the role of farmers markets in sustainable food systems. This past year, they held their first General Assembly of the World Farmers Market Coalition in Rome.

122. World Resources Institute, International

A global nonprofit, the World Resources Institute (WRI) uses research-based approaches and coalitions to protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. Their food systems initiatives include projects on climate-friendly diets and food loss and waste. At COP28, WRI’s work was featured in several panels on food waste.

123. World Wildlife Fund (WWF), International

WWF works to conserve the Earth’s natural resources and help people around the world make more climate-friendly decisions. They advocate for eaters everywhere to reconsider food and agriculture systems to produce enough to feed the growing population in a sustainable way. WWF recently released a new framework to drive food systems transformation forward.

124. WorldFish, International

WorldFish is a research and innovation organization focusing on the role that aquatic foods play in supporting the livelihoods and wellbeing of millions of women, men, and children. They produce evidence-based solutions that target six intersecting themes: nutrition, gender, climate, sustainability, economy, and COVID-19.

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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Noosa Youth Advocacy Group (NYAG) is a collective of young individuals who are working to further embed concepts of sustainability and cultural viewpoints into school curricula. Their 2024 Custodians of Place – Youth Climate Conference will focus on the climate crisis and sustainability for students of all ages.

Students will have the opportunity to share ideas, present, and celebrate the actions they have taken in their schools and communities. This summit will serve as a follow-up to the first youth-led climate summit held by the Noosa EEHub in 2021.

“This upcoming conference is shaping up to be a day full of education, collaboration, inspiration, and celebration; as the outcomes of the 2021 conference, in combination with the progress being made in schools and the community, are brought together,” Ashley Sinclair, Youth NYAG Member, tells Food Tank.

During the 2021 summit, attendees had the ability to create target actions to reach zero net emissions, zero emissions transport, nature based solutions, and zero waste.

“The solutions-based approach gives young people hope that there are things we can do within our power and that collectively these make a big difference,” Dalia Mikhail, Managing Director at the Noosa Environmental Education Hub, tells Food Tank. “They are embracing the ideas and connecting the dots around Reconciliation and Climate Action and influencing their school communities to make meaningful change.”

Sinclair says that “the outcomes of projects, Noosa Youth Advocacy Group meetings, and the 2021 conference are helping us to identify what is most needed in these youth climate conversations and what has and needs to be prioritized in our community.”

The Noosa EEHub delivers immersive and community relevant environmental education programs, engaging students in real-life projects tailored to the local ecosystem. In 2021, these programs were honored with the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation Award for People & Economy. They provide students with opportunities for hands-on learning, and empower students to meet curriculum requirements while making a positive impact on their community and environment.

“Having a space to meet like-minded youth, discuss our aspirational visions, concerns, and projects, and have opportunities to bring a youth perspective into other groups such as the Noosa Council, has made me feel less alone, less anxious about the state of the world, and more hopeful than ever,” says Sinclair.

As the conference takes shape, the organization hopes to establish it as an annual event and “build on our previous work till we reach net zero emissions, reduce waste and improve biodiversity across our region,” Mikhail tells Food Tank. “We are working to bring the community values in line with the tourism expectation that Noosa is a green and environmentally valued location.”

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 Dalia Mikhail

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They produce around 30 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. They suck water resources, and they contribute to pollution. At the same time, they are weakened by climate-related events, which are increasing in frequency and severity. And other supply interruptions, such as conflicts and pandemics, send both food prices and food insecurity soaring.

COP28 has shown a new level of commitment to changing food systems. As Mariam Almheiri, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment in the United Arab Emirates, said on COP28 Food, Agriculture, and Water Day, “Even if you were able to fix the just energy transition and go completely renewable, you still wouldn’t be able to reach the 1.5 degrees if you don’t solve the food systems issue. That’s how big of a cause this is. Food systems will now be center stage in all future COPs.”

And we know what is needed to turn food systems around. It starts with governments having a plan to transform their food systems in ways that incentivize the production, distribution and consumption of foods that are good for health and good for the environment. Despite knowing what to do in general, governments have not had the data to guide specific decisions or know if their actions are having any impact. Until now.

This week, The Food Systems Countdown to 2030 Initiative (FSCI) published the world’s first effort to monitor changes in our global food systems: The state of food systems worldwide in the countdown to 2030.

The U.N. Food Systems Summit in 2021 highlighted a gap in the evidence needed to navigate and monitor food system changes. So we brought together leading researchers from around the world to fill it. We went through a two-year process, selecting 50 indicators that cover critical aspects of food systems, organized into five themes.

1. Diets, nutrition and health, monitoring who has food security and access to food, and what people eat;

2. Environment, natural resources, and production, answering the questions of how food production uses land and water resources, affects biodiversity, and contributes to pollution and climate change;

3. Livelihoods, poverty and equity, monitoring the welfare of people who work in food systems, whether they have access to social protection and if human rights are respected;

4. Governance, addressing the roles of governments and civil society in developing an enabling environment for food systems change, and, crucially, how committed governments to making the necessary changes;

5. And resilience, monitoring how exposed food systems are to shocks, whether they have the capabilities to respond and the likely long-term outcomes.

What did we find?

First, all countries have food system challenges: not everything gets better as countries get wealthier. Yes, the countries of Africa and South Asia tend to have the biggest challenges on food security and adequate diets. But high-income countries have their own significant challenges with unhealthy diets that increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

High-income countries’ food systems are much larger contributors to emissions and environmental degradation, while low-income countries use resources like fertilizers and pesticides at more sustainable levels, though sometimes to the detriment of yield.

Low-income countries are more likely to have a food system plan. And they have less volatile food prices and variability in food supply. However, that simplicity also means fewer pathways for food to reach consumers and, therefore, greater potential for interruption.

What is very clear is that no one has a monopoly on challenges or solutions, and we can all learn from each other.

Our first call to action is for governments everywhere to form data-driven plans for food systems transformation, tailored to their specific needs.

However, we are only at the very beginning of the Countdown process. We might have assembled the most comprehensive, cross-cutting food systems data available to date. But ‘to date’ is an important caveat: we also identified a lot of gaps. Our 50 indicators represent just those that exist and have data available for enough countries.

No indicators met our criteria for critical topics like food loss and waste, which is a major contributor to environmental unsustainability, unaffordability, and unavailability.

Food production and supply indicators mostly omit aquatic and wild foods. And most environmental indicators focus on production, excluding loss and waste and pollution from processes further down the value chain, like packaging waste.

There are many gaps around livelihoods, including data about who works in food systems, their productivity and their welfare, including gender equity and violations of human rights. And we have had to rely on proxy indicators for governance and resilience that are not specific enough to food systems.

Our second call to action is for greater investment in food systems data, so decision-makers have the necessary information to facilitate the transformation we badly need.

Food systems determine so many facets of our lives and so many environmental processes. We desperately need change and for food systems to be part of the climate solution. The only way to make those changes, and to know there is improvement, is to have the highest quality data. Without that, all we have are opinions. In today’s polarized and politicized world, only quality data can guide us towards food systems that work for both people and our planet.

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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I’ve been reflecting on what happened at this year’s UN climate change conference, COP28. (And sleeping off jet lag!)

I was so heartened and impressed to hear so many strong voices advocating for a better food system, especially among young activists. Food Tank and our amazing partners and friends convened dozens of events, with literally hundreds of speakers, to shine the spotlight on how we can only solve the climate crisis when we take food systems seriously.

To make sense of the outcomes of COP28, I called on one of my favorite food system experts, WWF global food lead scientist Brent Loken. Our post-COP conversations have become a bit of a tradition over the past few years!

Was this COP perfect? No. But we made tangible gains in terms of recognizing the power of food systems on an international scale, he reminded us. The results of this COP are not a ceiling—they’re a floor, he said, paraphrasing Simon Steele, Executive Director of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Finally, we have a floor to stand on—and to build on.

In terms of the tangible outcomes of COP, there were some ups and some downs, Brent said.

One of the biggest disappointments was the breakdown of talks regarding an initiative called the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work, which centers on the implementation of climate action on agriculture. The stalled negotiations will not resume until next June—a far cry from the multi-year strategic plan we were hoping negotiators would produce during COP28 itself.

But we should see the Global Stocktake as a win, he says. The final text, adopted this week, does indeed recognize food systems for the first-ever time in a UNFCCC document of this variety. Granted, most references to food systems are related to adaptation, not mitigation; most of the food-related references in the mitigation section are around sustainable production and consumption, rather than systems-level analysis.

Global leaders still have a ways to recognize the power of food systems as a key climate solution—but the food movement has been successful in raising the profile of food in just a few short years.

At COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, two years ago, there was no dedicated food day nor any food pavilions at all! The extent to which the food movement has shown our strength over the past couple years has been unprecedented.

“When you take it all together, we should be optimistic,” Brent says. “It does give us something to move forward and really advocate for when we’re looking at implementation—and that’s really where the pivot needs to go moving forward. What does this look like in different countries? How can we start to scale efforts on the ground?”

COP28 gives the food movement some leverage, he says. And now, going forward, we need to use that leverage to make serious on-the-ground gains in individual nations. Our top priority has to be implementing country-level policies that center food as a climate solution and an invaluable way to mitigate the climate crisis.

After COP, “there’s a strong signal at the international level that food systems are at the table,” he says. “It’s our responsibility now to take up that mantle that they’ve given us and make that action happen.”

This means continuing to break down silos. Whether in one-on-one conversations or global conferences like COPs, we have to reach across sectors and build bridges.

We also need to advance the food movement’s goals by demonstrating the interconnections between food and other topics like fossil fuels, which other experts echoed as well.

My full debrief conversation with Brent Loken will be on this week’s episode of the Food Talk podcast, which you can subscribe to HERE.

After we stopped recording, I commended him on his ability to always see a clear pathway forward. It can be easy to feel hopeless, to fall into despair. His optimism is genuine, and that quality inspires me so much. Before we hung up, he made a poignant comment I want to share with you:

“We don’t have time to be negative anymore,” he says. “We can be disappointed, but I think being disappointed and being negative are different things.”

I couldn’t agree more. Negativity stops us in our tracks, but disappointment can fuel us. If we can imagine a better world—a world that’s not disappointing but actually empowering, sustainable, just—we can fight to make it a reality.

Brent is right: After COP28, the food movement has a floor to stand on.

Now, we need to get building.

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During the session, panelists Ertharin Cousin of Food Systems for the Future, Jeremy Coller of FAIRR, Mahesh Roy of IIGCC, and Zitouni Ould-Dada of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization underscored the importance of investing in food systems transformation. 

To advance this goal, Roy, IIGCC’s Director of Investor Strategies Programme, shared that the Net Zero Investment Framework (NZIF) will classify agriculture, forestry, and fisheries as a high impact sector. 

“IIGCC has upgraded agriculture, forestry and fishing to a high impact sector in the Net Zero Investment Framework, meaning global investors will have the same expectations of companies in these sectors as they do with fossil fuel firms,” Roy says. 

NZIF is the most widely used net zero framework for investors, helping them develop net zero targets and transition plans. The reclassification means that the agriculture sector is being recognized for the “substantial greenhouse gas emissions” created during operations. 

Launched in 2021, the Framework was developed by more than 110 investors representing US$34 trillion in assets helped to develop the Framework. NZIF outlines strategies for investors to decarbonize their portfolios and increase investment in climate solutions to achieve net zero emissions by or before 2050.

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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What an amazing day for food systems at COP28 on Food, Agriculture and Water Day!

All across the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the food movement showed our strength. We showed that there’s not just one single way to change the food system—there are countless starting points, pathways to follow, and impactful actions to take at the local, national, and global levels.

But one thing is clear: We need change now.

“We are at this reckoning point where we have to move away from pure awareness raising and actually start changing habits,” says Yvette Cabrera, the Director of Food Waste for the People & Communities Program at NRDC, during a discussion at the Nordic Pavilion.

During a morning fireside chat at the Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion, Karen Ross, the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, underscored why we can no longer afford to wait.

“Our future is happening right now,” Secretary Ross told me. “That’s why it’s so important that we work together and think about how we continue to nourish people in a changing climate. The status quo isn’t going to do it.”

Going forward, what sorts of real, meaningful, tangible actions should we be thinking about?

Buy from small farms that support resilience and food sovereignty.

“Big farms don’t build resilience to a system,” says Million Belay, the General Coordinator for Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, during a discussion at the Food & Agriculture Pavilion. To achieve real food sovereignty and regenerativeness, we need the long-term perspective that smallholders have.

“Food sovereignty asks where the food is coming from,” he says. “How is it produced? Is the food culturally appropriate? And it also goes beyond and asks generally: Who owns the food system?”

Elevate women across the globe.

Women still face significant challenges to accessing economic resources and knowledge. But these barriers are being dismantled: In West Africa, for example, Fairtrade International has created a women’s leadership school and is working to build financial empowerment.

By teaching students to negotiate, bargain, engage with commercial partners, and interact with the financial sector, the organization is helping them “to become women who are able to address challenges within their communities and… to become women in trade,” says Sandra Uwera, Global CEO of Fairtrade International, at the Food and Ag Pavilion.

In India, the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming initiative has been a success in this regard. Organizers have worked to remove barriers to entry, ensure scientific knowledge reaches women farmers, and build scalable partnerships with government.

Now, “women are driving this program,” says Vijay Kumar, the head of the program and the Vice Chairman of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, at the Food & Ag Pavilion.

Get serious about stopping food loss and waste.

Discussions about food waste often misunderstand a key reality: “Food loss in the Global South and the Global North are very, very different,” says Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, the President and CEO of Food Systems for the Future, at the Nordic Pavilion. In the Global North, she says, solutions are focused on consumers and retail—but in the Global South, we need better infrastructure around cold storage and refrigerated trucking.

The food industry also has a major role to play—but we need policymakers to help accelerate the change, says Marc Zornes, the CEO of Winnow Solutions. We also need serious investment to make it a strategic priority. When we get these factors aligned, he says, we can have an impact.

“This is in the economic interest of the hospitality industry to actually understand their waste in more detail and prevent it,” Zornes says. “It’s entirely possible to make substantial change.”

Make sure the food we eat aligns with our values.

Those of us who have the resources to do so need to make food choices that align with regenerative values, panelists said during a great discussion at the Food4Climate Pavilion.

The environmental impacts of certain types of livestock production and other industrial agriculture are well-known. If we’re not careful, experts said during another conversation there, our diets could become climate culprits.

By voting with our wallets and our forks, we can make sure sustainable food producers can survive in a climate-impacted world.

“It really is a very intricate dance between what happens on the land and what happens in the water, and the vulnerability of one amplifies the risks of the other and the challenges of the other,” Ledama Masidza, the Head of Partnership & Program Development at Oceans Alive Trust, said at the Food Systems Pavilion.

And most importantly, we cannot do any of these things alone.

“Cohesiveness is very critical when you’re attacked by a climate crisis,” Million Belay says. “You can mobilize together. You can help each other.”

His word choice is striking. The climate crisis is not something that’s happening passively: It’s an active threat to our future. By doing nothing—or even by not doing enough—we are choosing to sacrifice our planet. It sounds dramatic, but with every new data point, we see even more clearly that it’s true. We cannot give up.

The question is no longer if farmers should adopt more sustainable business models, says Daniela Chiriac, the Manager for Climate Finance at Climate Policy Initiative.

“There’s no alternative but to take that into account. It’s more the ‘How?’” Chiriac says at the Food & Ag Pavilion. “What are the practices, what are the technologies, that are able to bring those adaptations to the farmers? And how can they get the finance they need to expand their businesses?”

I’m pleased to see that, finally, tens of billions of dollars have been pledged for food and ag since the beginning of COP28, according to Bloomberg. Governments, philanthropic interests and private funders have committed US$3 billion in official funding, alongside massive regional initiatives like the US$10 billion Africa and Middle East SAFE Initiative and a multimillion-dollar pledge to help smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia adapt to climate change. Financial needs for a sustainable and just food system transition remain significant, so we can’t stop here.

COP28 is coming to a close; today and tomorrow are designated for final negotiations between world leaders. We’ll debrief more fully after the conference ends, but here’s where we stand right now.

On the Global Stocktake, negotiations are now taking place behind closed doors, and it’s not clear how much the COP28 Presidency has been able to push holdout nations. An update is expected this afternoon.

Joao Campari, WWF’s Global Food Practice Lead, did not mince words: “A text that ignores food effectively tears up the Paris Agreement. It does nothing other than set us up for collective failure. Time is running out and negotiators need to act now.”

Among the many positive outcomes of COP28’s official Food, Agriculture, and Water Day yesterday:

A COP28 Agriculture, Food and Climate Action Toolkit was launched by a global taskforce and has a major potential to help countries translate global commitments into ambitious local action.

The Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation, consisting of Brazil, Cambodia, Norway, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, has come together to commit to using the “whole of government” to supercharge their approaches to food and climate progress.

And the Transforming Urban Rural Food Systems (TURFS) Consortium launched its Strategy for Food Systems Transformation at COP28 yesterday to empower and support cities to improve the way we produce and consume food in urban and rural areas.

Plus, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global Roadmap was released yesterday, and the consensus from experts so far is that it’s a good start—and incredibly useful to have in our toolbelt—but it stops short of making some of the transformative recommendations we need.

As we head home from Dubai, we’re thinking about what comes next. Over the next week, I imagine we’ll hear a lot of talk about COP29 next year. After last year’s COP, policymakers were already talking about this year’s COP!

But we cannot wait another year to continue meaningful climate action.

No matter what happens at the negotiating table, it’s up to all of us to make a difference.

We have to start now, and we have to work together. Together, we’ll build a more sustainable food system!

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

• “Agriculture, Food and Climate National Action Toolkit” — this new toolkit comes from a broad coalition of partners including WWF GAFF, Climate Focus, NDC Partnership, FAO, CGIAR, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT”
• Pledges from climate talks not enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, IEA says” — CNN reports that emissions pledges from COP28 would have some effect but are nowhere near enough to put the world on track to limit warming
• “Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation” — learn more about this strategic coalition of ambitious countries determined to act urgently, together
• “Climate negotiators urged to reach a consensus on curbing warming as COP28 talks near crunch time” — from The Independent, a look at what’s happening behind closed doors—especially as negotiators are being encouraged to narrow their options to at least make some agreement
• “Fossil Fuels on Our Plates” — this report from Les Amis de la Terre France clearly outlines what decarbonizing our diets looks like

Powerful Quotes from COP28 Discussions:

• “Nutrition comes from diversity and diversity is a source of resilience.” — Million Belay, General Coordinator, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa
• ““When you empower a woman, you empower an entire community.” — Sandra Uwera, Global CEO, Fairtrade International
• “The time for pilots is over … We need to get the funding right at the beginning so we can go all in and learn as we go.” — Dorothy Shaver, Global Food Sustainability Director, Unilever

Concrete Ways to Take Action: 

Heed the call:

• via The Nature Conservancy: We know our natural world is in crisis, but there is still time to turn things around. Join the call for a #NaturePositive, net-zero emissions and equitable world. Learn more HERE.
• via WWF: “We urgently need to see finance reaching the communities driving change on the ground – for every moment matters in the future of globally important ecosystems like the Amazon and the Congo rainforest, that humanity cannot afford to lose.” – Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International. Read more HERE.
• via FAO: Accelerated climate actions can transform agrifood systems and help achieve food security and nutrition for all, today and tomorrow. READ the FAO’s Global Roadmap to achieve #SDG2 without breaching the 1.5ºC threshold.

Encourage your country to become a champion:

• via GAIN: The #AllianceOfChampions has officially launched at #COP28 5 trailblazing countries will transform national #FoodSystems to deliver better outcomes for people, nature and climate. Find out more HERE. Become a champion today.

Don’t leave anybody behind:

• via The Global Alliance for the Future of Food: NEW toolkit: It’s vital we wean #FoodSystems off fossil fuels to prevent climate breakdown. Discover the essential tools, priority actions and case studies that governments need to enact ambitious food systems change.

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 Nathaniel Sison, Unsplash

The post Dispatch From The UN Climate Change Conference: Monday, Dec. 11 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.

According to research from the United Nations, if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind the United States and China. For years, panelists note, advocates have been working to bring attention to the issue of food loss and waste. But Yvette Cabrera, Director of Food Waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council, believes that the world has reached a “reckoning point where we have to move away from pure awareness and actually start changing habits.”

Ertharin Cousin, President and CEO of Food Systems for the Future says that solutions will not look the same in every region. “Food loss in the Global South and the Global North are very very different.” In the Global South, much of the food loss and waste stems from a lack of cold storage and refrigerated trucking. Countries require investment in infrastructure to keep food from perishing. 

On the other hand, in the Global North Cousin explains that “the solutions we talk about…are directly related to consumers and retail.”

One approach gaining momentum in the United States is legislation that seeks to address waste at these levels: a ban on organic waste. Cabrera says that nine states have implemented these bans, which prohibit organic waste from entering a landfill or incinerator. And because composting is typically more expensive than conventional disposal methods, it forces eaters and businesses to think twice about letting food go to waste. 

The private sector is also stepping up, with companies like Winnow and Tetra Pak thinking about ways to leverage technology to reduce food loss and waste. 

“This is in the economic interest of the hospitality industry to actually understand their waste in more detail and prevent it,” says Marc Zornes, CEO of Winnow. “It’s entirely possible to make substantial change.”

Companies in the hospitality industry are using Winnow’s technology to accurately measure and manage food waste. IKEA, for example, has cut food waste in half and saved US$38 million by using the company’s tools. 

Despite these promising changes, Zornes doesn’t believe that progress is moving at a fast enough pace. 

Cousin agrees, arguing that eaters haven’t yet grasped the urgency of taking action. “Unless we can build the urgency with consumers, we won’t move forward.”

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 From Awareness to Action: What’s Next for the Fight to End Food Loss and Waste appeared first on Food Tank.