El Valle de Guadalupe is an area of Ensenada Municipality in Baja California, Mexico. The region contributes to more than three quarters of the country’s total wine production, according to a paper in Wine Economics and Policy. And wine-related tourism brings in US$180 million of annual revenue to Baja California.

Between 2014 and 2019, 18 percent of the agricultural and wine region in El Valle de Guadalupe was lost to urban development, members of Rescatemos El Valle report. The land has been subdivided and sold for the construction of private homes, businesses, and concert venues. The Municipal Institute for Research and Planning (IMIP) of Ensenada expects that less than half of the 5,445 arable hectares that existed in 2017 will remain by 2027. And if urbanization is not halted, IMIP predicts the region will cease to be known as “wine country” by 2037.

In a virtual press conference, members of Rescatemos El Valle–including President of Baja California State Council of Vine Producers Fernando Pérez Castro and winemaker Natalia Badan–emphasized the impacts of deforestation on the land. “In general terms, the uncontrolled growth of human settlements is identified as the main cause of the problem in Valle de Guadalupe,” a Spokesperson said, “which results in direct effects on water, soil agriculture, the community, and the landscape.”

In 2010, a Sectoral Program for Urban-Tourism Development of the Wine Valleys (PSDUT) was created to conserve 95 percent agricultural land for the next 30 years. But officials considered the plan a failure and replaced it with an updated version which reduced the declared area of conservation.

Rescatemos El Valle, howerever, wants more regulation. They are calling for the creation of federal agencies to protect the agricultural and biocultural heritage of the land. The campaign also proposes the naming of El Valle de Guadalupe as a “zone of natural and cultural beauty.”

“The campaign was to emphasize the importance of agricultural land use,” Ileana Espejel, campaign member and Professor of Ecosystems Management at Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, tells Food Tank. “Only 9 percent of the soil of Baja California is suitable for agriculture. We cannot yield an inch of this valuable land, even if its use is to produce alcoholic beverages. These beverages greatly increased the state’s income and put Ensenada on the world map.”

Espejel and her team have prepared regional plans to order land use laws in El Valle de Guadalupe since the 1990s. Espejel says she sees the valley as a “transdisciplinary laboratory” where different members of the community, with varying backgrounds and expertise, unite to advocate for the land.

Espejel says the campaign has helped restrict concerts in the valley, end illegal constructions, and support a project to update the aquifer data and build green infrastructure this summer.

Members of Rescatemos El Valle hope that the concrete and immediate actions to protect this national heritage will be used as an example to save other agricultural areas in the country.

“Cities can be built in so many other places,” Espejel tells Food Tank, “but losing fertile soil is unforgivable.”

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Photo courtesy of Boudewijn Boer, Wikimedia Commons

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A citizen eater is engaged in food systems, active in pushing policy forward, and focused on building policies where everyone is nourished and can access and afford healthful food. So many of the local food system wins we’re tracking at Food Tank are made possible thanks to tireless advocates working in the communities where they live.

Just as one example, let’s highlight the city of Atlanta—where we’ll be next week for a Summit on Sunday, April 14, starting at 1:30PM, in partnership with Emory University and Spelman College and in consultation with the CDC Foundation, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. And please feel free to forward this message to your networks in Atlanta! It’ll be an unforgettable afternoon.

There, many leaders and organizations are working hard to support local food producers and food economies, provide educational resources and agricultural training, and—at the heart of it all—make sure their neighbors are nourished.

Open Hand Atlanta, for example, delivers meals free of charge to folks in Atlanta and around the state with the goal of eliminating diet-related chronic illnesses, and they operate a teaching kitchen to offer nutrition support. Mariposas Rebeldes focuses on building access to ecology and community gardening for queer folks, and The Grocery Spot exemplifies a sustainable, community-first model for a nonprofit grocery store.

There are many inspiring organizations working across Atlanta, so I hope you’ll read the full list HERE. So many citizen eaters, stepping up as changemakers!

The Acres of Ancestry Initiative and Black Agrarian Fund work to restore land ownership by boosting food and fiber economies across the South and connecting people with financial resources through the Black Belt Justice Center—and Tracy Lloyd McCurty, the center’s Executive Director, will be at our Summit.

Wholesome Wave Georgia works to increase access to nutritious food options and help folks enroll in assistance programs—and Will Sellers, their Executive Director, will be at our Summit. Save Our Legacy Ourself, or SOLO, works to uplift heirloom crops and preserve the heritage of the Saltwater Geechee people—and Maurice Bailey, the organization’s President, will be at our Summit. Diversity Dietetics fosters collaborations to build a more diverse field of nutritionists and dietitians—and the Co-Founder and Executive Director, Tamara Melton, RDN, will be at our Summit.

And many of the most amazing food system leaders, farmers, researchers, scientists, journalists, lawmakers, food bank leaders, and others are joining us at the Empowering Eaters Summit next Sunday, April 14.

I hope you’ll join us, too. The event is completely free and open to the public, whether in-person or via livestream! So please CLICK HERE to secure your spot at the event.

Here’s a partial list of speakers, which you definitely won’t want to miss: Maurice Bailey, SOLO; Fedele Bauccio, Bon Appétit Management Company; Ravi Bellamkonda, Emory University; Kelliann Blazek, Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture and Rural Policy; Caree Cotwright, USDA; Andre Dickens, Mayor, City of Atlanta (via video); Rachel Ferencik, CDC Foundation; Diane Harris, Centers for Disease Control; Dr. Nik Heynen, University of Georgia; Kevin Holt, H&H Hospitality ; Dr. Kimberly Jackson, Spelman College; Steven Jennings, Ahold Delhaize USA; Sabrina Li, Emory University; Tracy Lloyd McCurty, Black Belt Justice Center; U.S. Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-07); Will McIntee, The White House; Beth McKibben, RoughDraft Atlanta; Tamara S. Melton, Diversify Dietetics; Alastair Pullen, Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School; Karuna Rawal, Nature’s Fynd; Tambra Raye Stevenson, Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture (WANDA); Rose Scott, NPR-Atlanta; Pamela Scott-Johnson, Spelman College; Kashi Sehgal, Rataaza; Will Sellers, Wholesome Wave Georgia; Arthur Tripp, USDA Farm Service Agency; Kyle Waide, The Atlanta Community Food Bank; and Raphaela Ysrael, Atlanta Harvest, and many more!  More info is HERE.

We will also have breakout sessions, where discussions will inform a policy report submitted directly to the White House, and an amazing reception with our food and beverage partners.

As I mentioned: Progress in the food system comes down to empowering eaters, today and for generations to come.

That idea is at the core of discussions at the Summit around food and land justice, healthier school foods, food is medicine, procurement and business solutions, student best practices, and so much more.

HERE’s that registration link, so we know you’ll be joining us.

I look forward to seeing you next weekend! And, as always, my inbox at danielle@foodtank.com is open to Food Tankers around the world—send me the questions and concerns on your mind, and let’s keep the conversation going.

One last note: What’s amazing about the food movement is that every city in the world has so many amazing projects we can learn from! This week, we highlighted these fantastic 20 organizations just in and around Atlanta, including Acres of Ancestry Initiative/Black Agrarian Fund; Atlanta Community Food Bank; Community Farmers Markets (CFM); Diversity Dietetics; Friends of the Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill; Food Well Alliance; Georgia Foundation for Agriculture; Georgia Organics; Giving Kitchen; Global Growers Network (GGN); Mariposas Rebeldes; Open Hand Atlanta; Recovery Eco Agriculture Project; Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO); Slow Food Atlanta; The Common Market; The Grocery Spot; Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture (TLW); Umi Feeds; and Wholesome Wave Georgia. I hope you’ll read more HERE about the many best practices and replicable models in Atlanta.

And at the same time, I hope you’ll find some organizations carrying out these best practices in your community! We can’t take these local organizations for granted—it was not always the case that our cities had thriving food networks, so let’s celebrate empowered eaters!

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

Photo courtesy of Markus Spiske, Unsplash

The post Progress in The Food System Means Empowering Eaters—Today and for Generations to Come appeared first on Food Tank.

These organizations are supporting local food producers and regional economies, offering educational resources and agricultural training, and working to ensure that their neighbors don’t go hungry.

On April 14, Food Tank is heading to Atlanta to partner with Spelman College and Emory University for the Summit “Empowering Eaters: Access, Affordability, and Healthy Choices.” Held in support of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the event will celebrate the city’s local food movement and uplift the health and wellbeing of future generations in policy.

Panels will explore food and land justice, healthier school food, student-led food systems research, food as medicine, and the power of procurement. Learn more about the Summit, which is free and open to the public, and register now by clicking HERE.

And check out some of the amazing changemakers working to transform the local food system in and around Atlanta.

1. Acres of Ancestry Initiative/Black Agrarian Fund

The Acres of Ancestry Initiative/Black Agrarian Fund is a multidisciplinary, cooperative nonprofit ecosystem that aims to regenerate custodial land ownership, ecological stewardship, and food and fiber economies in the American South. The Black Agrarian Fund helps to secure land for landless, returning generation farmers, while their Black Belt Justice Center serves as the fiscal sponsor for this work and is the lead organization for the Initiative and Fund.

2. Atlanta Community Food Bank

One in twelve people — and one in ten children — in the area served by the Atlanta Community Food Bank experience hunger. The Food Bank works with almost 700 community-based nonprofit partners to distribute more than 9 million meals across metro Atlanta and north Georgia every month. They also work with their partners to support school breakfast and summer feeding programs to ensure children have access to nutritious meals.

3. Community Farmers Markets (CFM)

Serving as an umbrella organization, CFM was established to meet the demand for more efficiently managed, community-based and sustainable farmers’ markets in Atlanta. They enable food distribution through their markets, organize educational programming and events, provide financial incentives to make fresh food more affordable, and offer resources to their vendors. CFM reports that in 2023, they served more than 65,000 in-person shoppers and over 160 vendors at weekly markets.

4. Diversity Dietetics

Co-Founded by Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Tamara Melton, Diversify Dietetic brings together students, professionals, and educators who are committed to creating opportunities to encourage a more diverse field of dietetics and nutrition. They do this through scholarships and grants, mentorship programs, application support, and educational resources.

5. Friends of the Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill

In 2016, The Conservation Fund, The City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Resilience, and the Department of Parks & Recreation partnered with residents from the Browns Mill neighborhood to create an urban food forest in Atlanta. Friends of the Urban Food Forest was established to ensure the sustainability of the Forest with a community centered focus. The organizations’ programs work to eliminate hunger in the area, improve awareness of healthy behaviors, and provide career and training opportunities for adults and youth.

6. Food Well Alliance

Food Well Alliance brings together leaders of the local food movement to support more than 300 community gardens, urban farms, and orchards in metro Atlanta. Through their Resource Center programming, the Alliance offers trainings and workshops; volunteer and labor support; compost, tools, and equipment; and capacity building grants. They also bring local government leaders together to develop plans that integrate urban agriculture into city planning processes.

7. Georgia Foundation for Agriculture

By developing a pipeline for the next generation of farmers and agriculture leaders, the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture strives to equip people with the tools and knowledge they need to preserve the future of farming. The organization reaches students, teachers, and farmers across the state. Through their programming, the Foundation offers an agricultural STEM curriculum for teachers to use in classrooms, agriculture scholarships, apprenticeship opportunities, and support for local producers to ensure their success.

8. Georgia Organics

Georgia Organics promotes the work of organic farmers across the state to support the health of communities and the planet. Through their farmer services program, the nonprofit provides small and organic farmers with training and resources to help them build and maintain strong agricultural businesses. And in their Farm to School initiatives, they engage children with local, healthy food in cafeterias and classrooms.

9. Giving Kitchen

Giving Kitchen provides emergency financial support and community resources to food service workers in need. Those who meet the criteria can apply for monetary assistance from the network. And the Giving Kitchen’s Stability Network serves as a referral program that connects workers with social services. Their efforts reach workers in restaurants, catering, concessions, food trucks, cafeterias, bars, and taprooms.

10. Global Growers Network (GGN)

Working with a network of 175 families, many of whom are resettled refugees, GGN connects food producers to sustainable agriculture resources and quality farmland. They support 10 farm, community garden and orchard sites in DeKalb and Rockdale Counties, helping communities grow fresh, culturally familiar crops. In 2021, they acquired a 23-acre property that will offer a home to farmers who face barriers of access to land and capital.

11. Mariposas Rebeldes

Mariposas Rebeldes works to make community gardening, ecology, and cultural education more accessible for queer, trans, and intersex people. They offer community events centering food and sustainable land stewardship. The group envisions a space where members can grow food, cook meals, and share resources while following Indigenous land management principles.

12. Open Hand Atlanta

Open Hand Atlanta distributes healthy meals to people in need, with the vision of eliminating diet-related chronic illnesses. The organization delivers meals directly to the homes of individuals in Atlanta and around the state of Georgia free of charge. They also operate a teaching kitchen, where they offer nutrition support programs.

13. Recovery Eco Agriculture Project

Recovery Eco Agriculture Project engages in education, research, and development work in support of sustainable and regenerative land use. These efforts encompass small scale farming, agroecology, agroforestry, and reforestation. They also offer horticultural therapy by providing accessible gardens for physically and developmentally disabled individuals. And they have children’s program that introduces young people to edible playground gardens.

14. Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO)

SOLO works to preserve the culture, heritage, and traditions of the Saltwater Geechee people. Through their agricultural program, the organization is incubating heirloom and heritage crops, which they plan to bring to market. They also operate a youth agricultural program to connect young people to the land and teach them about planting, harvesting, and preparing traditional foods.

15. Slow Food Atlanta

A local chapter of Slow Food USA, Slow Food Atlanta works to realize good, fair, and clean food for all. The organization educates the broader community on opportunities to support local food culture, advocates for biodiversity and a sustainable relationship with food producers and brings attention to food and land justice. Slow Food Atlanta also has events throughout the year to engage and educate residents and build community.

16. The Common Market

Working in four regional hubs, The Common Market is a nonprofit food distributor connecting urban communities with local food grown on family farms. Common Market Southeast works with more than 30 producers in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee to distribute food to the Atlanta area and build more resilient supply chains .

17. The Grocery Spot

Founded in 2021, The Grocery Spot first opened as a for-profit grocery store to help the local community access high-quality and affordable food. After connecting with and learning from residents, however, they converted their model into a nonprofit grocery store. The Grocery Spot now operates as a community-funded free grocery store that is open to all, with no applications or appointments required.

18. Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture (TLW)

Since 2006, TLW has worked to demonstrate how food can serve as a bridge to connect people of different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. They have agriculture training, nutrition, education, and job creation programs. And the organization regularly grows and harvests produce to provide the local community with a consistent source of fresh food. Their farm sites in Metro Atlanta, intended to demonstrate the transformative power of agriculture, produce fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and other value-added products.

19. Umi Feeds

A food rescue nonprofit, Umi Feeds works to meet the needs of people who are facing food insecurity and unhoused by serving healthy, nutritious meals. They rescue surplus food from consumers, farmers, events, restaurants, and other food businesses then redistribute it in the form of their weekly mobile dinners. They also provide people in need access to personal care items, blankets, clothing, and sanitary products.

20. Wholesome Wave Georgia

The organization operates under the belief that all Georgians should have access to healthy fresh, locally grown food. They work to increase access to and awareness of nutritious food options. Their programs also help residents enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other benefits, match SNAP/EBT dollars at participating farmers markets, and connect households on SNAP with gardening kits.

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

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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 In 2022, the number of farms with new and beginning producers in the United States increased by about 5 percent from 2017. The number of producers under the age of 44 also increased by 7 percent from 2017 to 2022.

New farmers and ranchers can help to improve the national food supply and the future of agriculture, according to Denis Ebodaghe, the National Program Leader for the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “Supporting new farmers and ranchers will ensure a safe and sustainable food supply,” Ebodaghe tells Food Tank.

The Census shows that farmers in the U.S. are, on average, aging. In 2012, USDA data revealed the average age of farmers to be 56.3 years; the latest report shows it is now 58.1. According to Ebodaghe, “there is the urgent need to ensure that strategies are in place to grow the next generation of farmers and ranchers.”

But the number of producers under the age of 44 is on the rise. This may be because of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Michelle Hughes, Co-Executive Director of the NYFC.

“The pandemic revealed cracks in our consolidated food supply chain. The urgency of the climate crisis and the need for racial justice transformation in our society are all motivators and issues we hear about very often from our members,” Hughes tells Food Tank. 

Of producers under 44 years old, those under 25 increased by the greatest amount.

However, as the number of new and young farmers increases, the total number of farms in the U.S. decreased by about 7 percent from 2017-2022, the Census shows.

To help new farmers and ranchers establish and sustain their careers, Ebodaghe says they need “education, mentoring and technical assistance…to help minimize farming risks and maximize farm profits.” With these, producers “cannot only survive but thrive to grow food and fiber for generations to come.”

The NYFC also advocates for programs and policies that can reduce barriers of entry to help new farmers. They seek to address access to affordable land, capital, housing, health care and production costs, student loan debt, and the climate crisis.

“All of these challenges are multi-faceted, and require planning, coordination, policy development, and program evaluation at every level of government,” Hughes tells Food Tank. “The challenges facing the next generation of young farmers are complex, but equitable land access is foundational to all of the solutions proposed in our work.”

Through the One Million Acres for the Future campaign, the Coalition advocates for the next Farm Bill to invest in 1 million acres of land accessible to new farmers.

These interventions are particularly important to support producers who identify as Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or more than one race, the Census shows. The data reveal that they represent just 7.6 percent of all producers in the United States. A survey of young farmers by NYFC also finds that BIPOC growers experience the most common challenges for young farmers at higher rates.

But these young farmers are also very likely to be motivated by intersectional issues including conservation, anti-racism, and food sovereignty and security, the NYFC shows. Of the Black farmers surveyed, for example, 74 percent say they are primarily motivated by anti-racism work and healing from white supremacy.

“Young Farmers are stewarding and providing the infrastructure for food system transformation that ripples across food access, public health, and environmental and climate outcomes,” Hughes tells Food Tank. “All these values and priorities are demanding a shift in U.S. agriculture and we hope policymakers will invest in this more resilient food system that the new generation is leading.”

More new and young farmers may also aid the environment, according to research published in Organic Agriculture. The study shows that this group is more likely to employ regenerative and organic practices than their established peers. And the NYFC survey reveals that 83 percent of young farmer respondents were primarily motivated by conservation or regeneration.

The number of producers under 44 years old with certified organic status or exempt organic status—meaning the farm meets requirements to represent their products as organic without obtaining certification—also decreased from 2017 to 2022. But the Census does not evaluate regenerative agriculture practices.

According to Hughes, young and BIPOC farmers “are leading the way, modeling solutions at the community level to produce and distribute high quality, fresh, affordable products…As we have clearly seen the connections between small-scale agriculture and the stability of our food systems, as well as our collective well-being, we must do more to invest in and support farmers selling into local and regional markets and directly to consumers.”

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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CORAF, the largest sub-regional research organization in Africa, works in 23 countries in West and Central Africa, supporting farmer-led research to overcome the hunger crisis. “Farmers are knowledge producers, not only doctors have knowledge,” says Ousmane Ndiaye of ASPRODEB, an association of farmers and fishers across West and Central Africa that collaborates with CORAF.

The organization believes that it is essential to leverage the knowledge of producers and bolster their relationships with nonprofits and small and medium sized enterprises to transform food systems in West and Central Africa.

Read more about CORAF’s work and the need for local solutions on Forbes by clicking HERE.

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

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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

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Despite this richness, our current globalized approach tends to favor top-down solutions when it comes to policy and innovation. This results in backlash from consumers and farmers who often feel marginalized and undervalued. Recent events, including ongoing farmers’ crises in Europe and previous uprisings in Asia and South America, underscore this disconnect.

Arnaud Rousseau, President of France’s largest farming union, has spoken pointedly about why such protests are erupting across Europe. He emphasizes the lack of understanding between the reality on the ground and the decisions taken by governments. 

Coincidentally, he shares his last name with another Rousseau, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the well-known French philosopher from the 18th century. He believed in the inherent goodness of humans and argued for a society where people collectively shape their destinies, suggesting that genuine change originates from the grassroots level rather than from top-down governance. 

What would a Rousseauian approach to food system leadership look like in today’s context?

This was the type of question and deep reflection that 19 leaders from 16 countries took on as part of the The Rockefeller Foundation-Acumen Food Systems Fellowship in 2023. This yearlong program aimed to equip leaders working on driving transformational change within various parts of the food system with the essential skills and a supportive community to advance our work on the ground. 

By integrating our cohort’s wide-ranging expertise and frontline experiences, the Food Systems Fellowship allowed us to delve into the insights and teachings of historical figures such as Rousseau, as well as Thomas Hobbes, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, and leverage them to enrich the discourse and broaden our perspectives around managing the complex challenges inherent in food systems today to handle the polarities and challenges today’s world presents.

We believe that an inclusive approach for systems-wide transformation must balance global and local perspectives, incorporate place-based innovation, foster collaboration between top-down and bottom-up approaches for policy and finance, and integrate modern science with traditional knowledge and practices. Inclusivity means bringing together a multitude of perspectives, including smallholder farmers, global research and development, finance, startups, activism, community mobilization, and non-profit organizations. 

The African origin Ubuntu Philosophy on collectivism and interconnectedness of humanity—“I am because we are”—rings similar to Rousseau, providing us with a foundation for inclusive dialogue. “Ubuntu Food Systems” ensures that the most impacted stakeholders are integrated, not just as a token placeholder at the table, but through meaningful collaboration and mutual respect in addressing the complex challenges of our polarized world. Effective leadership in this regard, requires an emphasis on the urgency of action, long-term persistence, boldness, humility, and empathy.

Here, we present a few illustrative case studies from our cohort’s work together that embody the power of place-based innovation and grassroots empowerment in driving positive change within food systems. We hope to inspire other actors with tangible examples of inclusive approaches that balance the necessity of food security within a changing climate, nature based approaches that bridge global and local, top down versus bottom up, and scientific versus cultural.

Producers Direct, led by Claire Rhodes, empowers smallholder farmers through farmer-owned cooperatives, championing farmer leadership and collective action. Since their founding in 2009, Producers Direct has improved the livelihoods of 1.37 million smallholder farmers and their families across East Africa and Latin America, focusing on strengthening resilience, increasing incomes, and building farmers’ leadership. Producers Direct ensures that smallholders have a central role in all decision-making processes, including negotiating better market access and jointly owning their enterprises by championing farmer leadership in governance, program design, and delivery. Leveraging pioneering technology, Producers Direct blends farmer-led solutions with innovation to continue championing farmer leadership and advancing the resilience and prosperity of smallholder farming communities. Looking ahead, Producers Direct will expand its impact by growing an international, smallholder-owned cooperative that amplifies the collective voice and power of smallholder farmers.

Mama’s Kitchen, an initiative by Good Food Fund in China, led by Melinda Hou. Mama’s Kitchen is a space that connects all stakeholders from farm to table, including farmers, nutritionists, chefs, and sustainability experts. Mama’s Kitchen advocates for a plant-rich diet and underscores the importance of food provenance. The organization swiftly gained momentum in 2020 by launching a dynamic public engagement campaign in Dali, China, which included over 25 livestream programs and 80 short films that reached millions on social media. Subsequent initiatives in 2022 and 2023 expanded their impact, leading to widespread media recognition and solidifying their role in driving healthy and sustainable eating practices, both locally and globally. Despite initial challenges and pushbacks, Mama’s Kitchen successfully promoted plant-forward eating in China by aligning with the National dietary guidelines but further adapted to the local requirements and sensitivities. This approach not only addressed cultural sensitivities but also paved the way for broader adoption of sustainable food practices in China, making people’s food choices more conducive to personal and planetary health.

Garda Pangan, spearheaded by Eva Bachtiar, addresses Indonesia’s food loss and waste problem by redistributing safe, edible surplus food and converting organic scraps into animal feed. The organization has firsthand experience of how the absence of supporting regulations hinders many grassroots efforts to rescue edible food and distribute it to those most in need. Recognizing this gap, Eva voiced her aspirations to the government by writing and publishing a comprehensive policy brief. She has since continued the bottom-up advocacy process with Indonesia’s national government for two years. The effort has borne fruit, as the government recently announced they are drafting the first food loss and waste reduction bill.

MA’O Organic Farms, led by Cheryse Kaui Sana Kaui, has a mission to grow organic produce and empower youth leaders in Waianae, Hawai’i. Kaui manages a 281 acre certified organic farm while mentoring 40-50 young adults that participate in a Youth Leadership Training Internship and a staff team of 30 full-time staff. Their mentorship and training include learning about organic farming practices, community engagement, and indigenous leadership development. Hawaiʻi is currently importing 85-90 percent of its food into the islands. MAʻO Farms’ goal is to increase its organic produce production 10-fold to decrease Hawaiʻi’s dependence on imports. The farm is in the middle of a 10-year expansion plan that will increase farm operations to meet this goal. They are building a future of māʻona, of plenty, by connecting people and land through the daily practice of aloha ʻāina (loving/caring of the land), empowering youth to succeed in college and secure sustaining careers, and growing organic produce that yields individual and communal vitality.  

These are just a few examples. In fact, each of the cohort members has a story to tell of Rosseauian leadership and Ubuntu Philosophy lived day to day in their work and throughout their change-making organizations. 

We would like to put forward and pose the following questions to food systems leaders reimagining food systems: 

1. Which issues in the global or local food system are you most passionate to address?

2. What tensions and polarities need to be balanced?

3. How can you create the space for multiple perspectives to be genuinely heard and for collaborative action to emerge?

4. What do you imagine for the future?

Leaning in, we would love to hear from you on your views, experiences. Join us in building bridges, breaking silos and developing more collaborative leadership by sharing your views and insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the authors are personal opinions and do not reflect the views of any specific organization.

This article was written by Dan Zook, Executive Director ISF Advisors – Financing Food System Transformation; Sanjoo Malhotra, Food Systems Consultant & Platform Manager WWF Global Action Platform on Sustainable Consumption and Diets; and Christine Gould, CEO and Founder of Thought For Food, Author “The Changemakers Guide to Feed the 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.

Photo courtesy of Producers Direct

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It sounds counter-intuitive, but it might just be true. The math is pretty simple. Despite all the bluster about Mexico’s February 2023 restrictions on GM corn, they affect a very small share of U.S. exports. After negotiations with the U.S. government over a more restrictive 2020 decree, Mexico dramatically limited its revised order, exempting GM feed corn from any mandated reductions. The restrictions apply only to the use of GM corn in tortillas and other products minimally processed for direct human consumption.

The restrictions were intended mainly as precautionary measures for a population that consumes more such corn products than anyone else on the planet. The corn for tortillas, and the minimally processed flour for tamales, enchiladas, and other Mexican staples, are overwhelmingly non-GM white and native varieties from Mexican producers.

Before the decree, Mexico was importing only about 600,000 tons of white corn from the U.S. each year, a tiny share of the 16.5 million tons of U.S. corn it imported last year. That means that barely 3 percent of U.S. corn exports are potentially affected by Mexico’s restrictions. But the share is actually closer to 1 percent, because only an estimated half of U.S. white corn are GM varieties, and barely half of U.S. white corn exports are destined for Mexico’s tortilla industry, according to USDA reports.

So just 1 percent of U.S. corn exports are potentially affected by Mexico’s policies. From the beginning, the Mexican government has asserted that its revised and less restrictive decree has little impact on U.S. producers. They are right, and the U.S. in the formal presentation of its complaint did not even attempt to quantify how many U.S. farmers are affected.

And here’s the thing: Those who are affected can always switch to non-GMO white food-grade corn and export to Mexico’s tortilla industry.

U.S. farmers who do that could earn premium prices, ranging from $0.25 to $0.50 per bushel for non-GMO white corn, according to industry sources. Such premiums could be particularly attractive right now to farmers who saw corn prices fall more than 30 percent last year.

U.S. trade officials have preferred not to discuss non-GM opportunities for U.S. farmers, but some farmers and grain suppliers would welcome them.

“I think the U.S. farmer would be delighted to have a market where they would get paid more by providing an identity-preserved, (non-GMO) crop,” says Lynn Clarkson, CEO of Clarkson Grain, a leading U.S. supplier of non-GM corn.

Graham Christensen, a fifth-generation farmer in Lyons, Nebraska, is one example. “Absolutely, if there’s a demand there, let’s find ways to partner with Mexico,” he says. “They’re that much closer, and they’re a trade partner. We should make it happen.”

Nate Belcher, co-owner of Hybrid85, a Nebraska-based non-GM corn seed company, says his state—the leading producer of white corn in the U.S.—could meet Mexico’s demand for non-GMO corn.

“There’s a US$450 million market in corn going from Nebraska to Mexico. We could fill the non-GMO demand from Nebraska and a good portion of the Midwest as well,” he says.

According to Farm Action, a farm advocacy group, “if the U.S. shifted 180,000 acres (0.2 percent of its corn acreage) of GM corn to non-GMO, it would generate US$7.75 million in additional premiums for U.S. farmers and successfully meet Mexico’s needs.”

The U.S. trade officials and farm commodity groups are ignoring basic business common sense: Give the customers what they want. Mexico wants non-GM corn, and U.S. farmers can supply it, creating a mutually beneficial relationship instead of the current animosity of the current trade dispute.

U.S. farmers would be better served if our government supported a smooth transition for farmers affected by Mexico’s corn policies to non-GM production to meet that country’s changing demand.

This piece is written by Ken Roseboro, the publisher of The Organic and Non-GMO Report and Timothy A. Wise, a Senior Advisor at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

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“It is possible to produce food in a way that’s good for our bodies, that doesn’t destroy the planet, that doesn’t contribute to the climate crisis,” Lappé tells Food Tank. “Those are possible pathways that we’re able to scale if we invest in them and support their growth around the world.” 

The Global Alliance has worked to unite foundations to leverage resources and networks in a way that promotes more regenerative and equitable food and agriculture systems. 

According to the organization, just 3 percent of climate finance goes toward food systems even though the sector contributes to roughly one third of greenhouse gas emissions globally. 

“There’s a huge funding gap,” Lappé says. She believes that a lack of understanding of the “systemic nature of food and hunger issues” is partly to blame. 

“There’s a significant amount of philanthropic dollars going to what I would just call charity…going to put a bandaid on the problem,” Lappé continues. And while she acknowledges that there is a need to address acute hunger, it is critical to ensure that funders are also investing in the root causes of these issues.

“If we really want to get to the roots of hunger, we need to look at who has power, who’s making decisions about how we grow our food, where we grow our food, what kind of food we’re growing, what we’re all eating, what we’re being taught is healthy,” Lappé tells Food Tank.

When the Global Alliance first formed in 2012, “we started with just a handful of foundations that were working, totally separate from each other but funding some aspect of food systems change,” Lappé says. “Some weren’t even using the term food systems.” But these organizations came together, she explains, because they realized that they could be more effective if they worked collaboratively.

Since then, the alliance of foundations has not only continued to grow; members are also increasingly taking a systemic approach to food systems. Philanthropic organizations recognize the connection between food, farming, climate, and biodiversity, Lappé says, and they are bringing this approach to leaders at events such as the U.N. Climate Change Conference. 

“We are talking about food and climate at the highest level, and I would say that is not only true in philanthropy but true in civil society as well. And that is a really exciting change.”

Listen to the full conversation with Anna Lappé on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear about the link between the food system and fossil fuel industry, the principles that guide the Global Alliance’s work, and the success stories that the organization is lifting up and amplifying. 

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The AfCFTA, which entered into force in May 2019, is one of the flagship projects of the African Union Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. As the largest free trade area since the formation of the World Trade Organization, the AfCFTA intends to advance trade in value-added production across all service sectors of the African economy. By contributing to the establishment of regional value chains in Africa, the African Union hopes to foster industrialization, job creation, and investment to enhance the continent’s position in the long term.

The draft protocol will apply to all categories of intellectual property, including plant varieties, genetic resources, and traditional knowledge. The specific objectives will aim to promote coherent intellectual property rights policy and a harmonized system of intellectual property protection in Africa.

But many small farmer associations and alliances for food sovereignty are questioning the implications of this protocol on seeds and rural communities in Africa.

“You cannot protect or help farmers rights when you are talking about plant breeders’ rights,” Susan Nakacswa, Africa Programme Officer at GRAIN, tells Food Tank. GRAIN is a small international non-profit organization that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggle for community-controlled and biodiversity-focused food systems.

There are an estimated 33 million smallholder farms in Africa, contributing up to 70 percent of the food supply, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Most of these smallholder farmers are women who work on less than two hectares of land, grow mainly subsistence crops, and rely on family labor, according to GRAIN.

“We are a continent where about 60 percent of the pupils depend on agriculture for their livelihoods,” Famara Diedhiou, Coordinator of Seed Working Group at Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), tells Food Tank. “So whenever a protocol, or whenever a policy is related to agriculture, we need to wake up and stand up to see what it is about.”

For the past 30 years, industrialized countries have been forcing governments of the global South to adopt laws that privatize seeds so that farmers have to pay for them and keep seed companies afloat, according to GRAIN. The 1994 World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights was the first global trade agreement that set international norms for private intellectual property rights over seeds. Because the notion of allowing patents on life forms, such as plants or animals, is widely contested, the WTO agreement aimed to create a compromise between governments. This allows countries to exclude plants and animals from their patent laws while requiring that they provide some form of intellectual property protection over new plant varieties.

Nearly half of all African countries have already introduced an intellectual property rights system on seeds. Most of them follow the model of the 1991 convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The UPOV system faces substantial criticism for promoting genetic uniformity of crops and preventing peasants from reusing seeds. The key question revolves around whether the AfCFTA will challenge this dominant system. According to Nakacswa and Diedhiou, the outlook is not optimistic.

“We’ve sort of looked at the whole conversation around free trade agreements as an extension of what we know as colonialism,” says Nakacswa. “It’s the power dynamics and control that is taking place because governments, corporations, foundations and development agencies want to commercialize and industrialize farming, especially African farming.”

As of August 2023, 47 of the 54 signatories (87 percent) have deposited their instruments of the AfCFTA ratification.

Looking ahead, Nakacswa and Diedhiou emphasize that raising awareness around the importance of farmers rights and local sovereignty are critical steps towards addressing the AfCFTA.

“The next step is now to create, to make it a public discussion, for any citizen to know this actor, including farmers and simple citizens,” Diedhiou says, “And then we start to denounce it.”

This article was written by Liza Greene.

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