Participants recognized that family farming has long deserved a leading role in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as it contributes to at least 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, if not all of them. Policies, strategies, and ministries were called upon to recognize this role in contributing to the 2030 Agenda, and the need for family farmers must be part of the decision making process, including not only those that directly concern agriculture, but also those on climate change and food systems, among others.

President of the World Rural Forum, Martín Uriarte, spoke about the vulnerability of the food system to illnesses from lack of diversity and climate change. But he also acknowledged that “family farming is resilient and can and should face these challenges” with the appropriate support, including an international commitment, which he noted is fundamental to the future of the planet. 

Álvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) touched upon the importance of family farming for sustainability and food security. He noted that 70 percent of the rural population depends on small family farms of less than five hectares to have access to food.

The conference also examined the role that y​outh play in the transformation of the food system. Speakers addressed the critical need for new alliances to address environmental, social and food challenges and noted the importance of partnerships and collaborations, including public-private partnerships to strengthen systems. 

One panel, titled “New Alliances to Address Environmental, Social, and Food Challenges,” discussed how philanthropy can catalyze funds to move the needle and the need to focus on scaling deep rather than up or out. Panelists called on food system leaders to embrace diversity, value each other’s time, and position farmers at the center of systems and solutions to sustainability and food security and further recognized the leadership role of rural youth in generating employment and ensuring the stability and sustainability of family farms.  

Another session focused on innovative and effective public policies for young farmers, recognizing that the inclusion of youth is imperative to a sustainable and equitable food system. Given that family farming provides nearly 80 percent of the world’s food and the age of farmers is increasing worldwide, the need to provide youth with the political and socio-economic conditions to thrive as the next generation of farmers is critical to ensuring food security and gender equity, combating climate change, and creating a more sustainable planet.

The final day of the conference was committed to recognizing and empowering rural women and committing to gender equity in farming. Gender inequalities in rural areas need to be urgently addressed to advance female farmers, specifically in areas such as land tenure and access to funding and education, the speakers argued.

Women’s participation in the agricultural labor force varies from 20 percent in Latin America to 50 percent or more in parts of Africa and Asia, supporting the role of women can also help to achieve most of the 2030 Agenda. There is a need to both recognize the daily actions of family farmers and define them as localizing elements of the 2030 Agenda.

During the session “Family Farming Leading the 2030 Agenda: A Commitment from the Local to the Global Levels” speakers discussed how to further incorporate family farming’s contribution to the 2030 agenda, from the local to the national level. Panelists included Ms. Rossana Carolina Ayala, Vice-Minister for Family Farming, Paraguay; Ms. Fernanda Machiaveli Morão de Oliveira, Vice-Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture, Brazil; Mr. Leonard Mizzi, Head of Unit Sustainable Agri-Food and Fisheries Systems, DG INTPA, European Commission; Mr. Gabriel Ferrero, Ambassador of Food Security, Government of Spain; Mr. Minoru Nishi, President and General Director, Pacific Island Farmers Organizations Network; and was moderator Alexina Cather.

Participants shared how their governments were promoting the contributions of family farmers, the social impacts of policies, and how women can be empowered in local communities to encourage greater commitment to family farming at the most local levels of administrations and governments.

And a final declaration called on everyone to recognize the “vital” role family farmers play in the food system and the need for “catalytic actions that improve the lives of family farmers while ensuring a sustainable future for all.”

The post From Local to Global: Harnessing Family Farming for a Sustainable Future 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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The nation-wide challenge invited submissions of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) innovations, inventions, and research from students in grades 6-12. The projects covered six themes, including Future Food.

“As a STEM-Bassador, an EXPLR co-founder, and board member I believe this work to be the most important of my lifetime,” Chef Andrew Zimmern tells Food Tank. “Just look at what these current pioneering change makers are doing! Sustainable food wraps, bio fortifying eggs, remaking how we identify crop disease while we still have a chance to prevent massive losses, soil conservation and repair. These aren’t future changemakers, they are changing our world right now! And we are bringing them to the world, front and center.”

Hao Li, an 11th grader from North Carolina, is one of the students being recognized for her award-winning submission in April. Looking to address food spoilage, Li sought to understand the science of food ripening. Through her research, she uncovered the role that the compound 1-Methylcyclopropene can play in counteracting the effects of ethylene gas, a natural hormone that speeds up ripening. To extend the shelf life of products, she developed a wrap prototype that she hopes can shape future approaches to preservation. 

Another STEM Champion, 11th grader Laasya Acharya from Ohio, focused her project on improving crop disease protection methods—an issue that results in the loss of 40 percent of global crops, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Acharya developed Ceres, a device that utilizes advanced imaging and neural networks to identify diseases in fruits, crops, and vegetables. As it develops, she is aiming for at least 85 percent accuracy and a detection time of under 10 seconds per image, while keeping costs below US$40.

And Shelby Scout Hoobler, an 11th grader from Wyoming being recognized for her submission, sought to rejuvenate overgrazed riparian areas. Through detailed soil sample analyses that pinpoint nutrient deficiencies, Hoobler hopes to restore these vital ecosystems and develop a scalable model for environmental recovery efforts globally. 

“This is a big topic in Wyoming and the west, so it is exciting for the National STEM Challenge to elevate this type of research,” Hoobler tells Food Tank.

Li, Acharya, and Hoobler, along with 123 of their peers, will gather at the National STEM Festival from April 12-13, 2024, co-presented by EXPLR and the U.S. Department of Education. The event will spotlight their innovative projects to a wider audience but also facilitate interactions with leading figures in government and industry. Organizers hope that this will help to lay the groundwork for future collaborations and breakthroughs. 

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 Shelby Hoobler

The post Pioneering the Future of Food: Student Innovators Lead the Way in National STEM Challenge appeared first on Food Tank.

The PTFI is a global project that aims to create an open-access platform that will support molecular analyses on food items and standardize the way that data is collected and distributed.

“By providing standardized tools, data, and training to map food quality, we are enabling a common language among a global ecosystem to better understand our food—so we can collectively better manage food systems for people and the planet,” Selena Ahmed, the Global Director of the PTFI through the American Heart Association, tells Food Tank.

As part of a two-day event in New York City around the initiative, the PTFI and partners including Food EDU, The Rockefeller Foundation, the American Heart Association, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and Food Tank are organizing a celebration of food diversity, scientific advances, and community innovation.

Registration is free and open to the public for livestream and in-person tickets for Day 1 on April 23, 2024.

Read more about the PTFI on Forbes by clicking HERE. And claim your tickets to celebrate the initiative by clicking HERE.

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

Photo courtesy of Shelley Pauls, Unsplash

The post The Periodic Table of Food Initiative: Illuminating the Mysteries of What We Eat appeared first on Food Tank.

We’re reaching out to keep you in the loop on the amazing All Things Food Summit next week in Austin, Texas, as part of the SXSW festival. It’s going to be a mega-event, and we hope you’ll join us for free, whether in person or from home!

Next Thursday, March 14, Food Tankers will be at the beautiful Barr Mansion in Austin, in partnership with Huston-Tillotson University and Driscoll’s. We’ll be taking over multiple stages with 60+ speakers, plus film viewings, live performances, delicious food, and so much more.

We’re starting at 10AM CT on Thursday, March 14, and you can reserve your spot in person or via livestream by CLICKING HERE.

And we’re calling this event All Things Food because we’re convening discussions on such a wide range of urgent issues in the food system: From sustainable seafood to accessible food environments, from food is medicine to private sector action, from chocolate to outer space (for real)!

Our lineup of speakers—including farmers, advocates, researchers, filmmakers, actors, policymakers, chefs, business leaders, and more—is incredible, if I do say so myself.

Here’s who will be joining us (alphabetically): Bleu Adams, IndigeHub; Joke Aerts, Tony’s Open Chain, Tony’s Chocolonely; Robert Nathan Allen, Little Herds; Daisy Berg, New Seasons Market; Jayson Berryhill, Wholechain; Carmen Blackwood, EarthRise LLC; Gary Blackwood, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Keliann Blazek, Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture and Rural Policy; A-Dae Briones, First Nations Development Institute; Janaya Bruce, Environmental Defense Fund; Katherine Bryar, BioMar; Peter Byck, filmmaker; Sweta Chakraborty, We Don’t Have Time; Joi Chevalier, Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board, The Cook’s Nook; Andrea Chu, Vital Farms; Ben Collier, The Farmlink Project; Sonya Cote, Eden East Farm and Restaurant; Chaz Daughtry, Sweetwater Farms HTX; Simon and Oliver English, filmmakers and celebrity chefs; Erin Flynn, Green Gate Farm; Larry Franklin, Black Lives Veggies; Luis Guardia, Food Research & Action Center; Anamaría Gutiérrez, Este Garden Manager; Natasha Harper-Madison, Austin City Council; Olivia Hernandez, Hernandez Hospitality; Sarela Herrada, SIMPLi; Jay Huang, Chef; Pat Hudson, farmer, Tilghman Seafood; Steven Jennings, Ahold Delhaize USA; Mark Kaplan, Wholechain; Kimya N. Kavehkar, Texas Monthly; Admiral Rachel L. Levine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Adrian Lipscombe, The 40 Acres Project; Chaunte Lowe, President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition; Amanda Masino, Huston-Tillotson University; Melanie McAfee, Barr Mansion; Kerri McClimen, Niman Ranch; Will McIntee, White House; Liz Mella, Farmers Fridge; Mike Meyer, The Farmlink Project; Judith Monroe, CDC Foundation; Lamar J Moore, celebrity chef and restaurateur; Charlie Morrison, Salad and Go; Paul Newnham, Chefs Manifesto network; Abe Ng, Sushi Maki; Chris Ninnes, Aquaculture Stewardship Council; Michel Nischan, Wholesome Wave; Genevieve Padalecki, actress; Leah Penniman, farmer and food sovereignty advocate; Nicole Portwood, Salad and Go; Saba Rahimian, Austin Monthly; Karuna Rawal, Nature’s Fynd; Erin Russell, food journalist; Alejandra Sanchez, Driscoll’s; Michael Saing, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Shreela V. Sharma, Center for Health Equity, University of Texas Houston; Patricia Sugui, CJ Selecta; Josh and Rebecca Tickell, filmmakers, Common Ground; Toni Tipton-Martin, best-selling author; Clayton Tucker, rancher; Kate Warren, Devex; Matt Welch, The Farm at Mirasol Springs; and Rick Whitted, U.S. Hunger, plus more to be announced soon.

We truly cannot wait to be able to learn from all these smart and inspiring folks!

Attendees will also have the amazing opportunity to see excerpts and screenings of films including “Roots So Deep,”“Farming While Black,” “Abundance,” “Feeding Tomorrow,” “Making Waves,” and “Field Among Fields,” plus a special featured full viewing of the film “Common Ground.”

If you don’t want to miss out, get FREE TICKETS HERE!

Of course, as always, we’re making this event accessible via livestream, so you can tune in from wherever in the world you are. Be sure to click the link and grab your spot, too.

There’s just one thing that only in-person attendees can do with us—eat! And thanks to so many mission-driven brands, those joining us at SXSW will be eating well.

All day, we’ll serve amazing food—breakfast, lunch, and dinner!—including Nature’s Touch smoothies, Parlor Coffee, Traditional Medicinals tea, Vital Farms/Taco Deli breakfast tacos, Applegate spicy chicken bites and waffles, Strong Roots cauliflower hashbrown toasts, Nature’s Fynd yogurt and breakfast patties, Driscoll’s fresh berries, Nature’s Path rice puffs, Impossible spicy sausage gravy, bagels and Nature’s Fynd dairy-free cream cheese, Acme Smoked Fish Co. smoked salmon, Farmer’s Fridge salads and grain bowls, Impossible meatballs over Gotham Greens pesto, Tindle sope, Salad and Go, paella and peach cobbler from Texas Parks and Wildlife, Floofy’s Fluff popcorn and cotton candy, Daily Harvest popsicles, Little Sesame hummus and veggies, a Niman Ranch charcuterie table, Riverence Trout, Certified Origins olive oil ice cream, and snacks and take-home gifts from Rä Foods, Daily Crunch, Saffron Road Foods, Yolele Foods, Brass Roots Food, Dr. Bronner’s, Hu Kitchen, Guayaki, Bored Cow, Tony’s Chocolonely, and more.

Following the amazing day, we’ll have an evening reception with Bonterra Organic Vineyards wines, Vista Brewing beers, cocktails from Makers Mark and Still Austin, delicious mocktails, and even more amazing snacks and desserts from our wonderful and sustainable partners.

We’re getting more excited every day to head down to Austin for SXSW!

But again, you don’t need to be in Texas to join All Things Food! Spend time with us virtually by CLICKING HERE.

And if you’ll be there in person, say hello! Let us know you’ll join us for All Things Food by registering here—we’re excited to see you.

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 Ryan Duffy, Unsplash

The post Is it Possible to Talk About All Things Food in One Day? We’re Doing it Next Week! appeared first on Food Tank.

It’s time to take bold, decisive, and impactful action toward the health of people and our food systems!

Over the past few years, the White House’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health has been making important strides toward improving access to affordable, nutritious food. The Administration is working to strengthen bipartisan support for important initiatives including the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC); programs that provide groceries to low-income families with kids when schools are closed for the summer; ways to reduce added sugar in school meals; and more.

These goals are central to Food Tank’s work, too. Last year, we held two Summits tied to the National Strategy, and we have several more coming up this year to get into the nitty-gritty of building a better food system.

The first is coming up in just over a week! On Sunday, March 3, we’ll be in Durham, North Carolina, alongside Duke University’s World Food Policy Center, to discuss precisely what I mentioned earlier: The urgency of creating policy solutions that prioritize the health and well-being of generations to come.

We’ll be joined by North Carolina legislators including U.S. Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, senior White House officials, Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman, labor leader Baldemar Velasquez, and more.

The Summit is free to attend in-person or online! If you’ll be able to join us in North Carolina, use the code FoodTankVIP to unlock tickets HERE. And the link for virtual attendees to register for the event is HERE.

I am so excited to learn alongside our 35+ amazing speakers, including bipartisan policymakers at all levels of government, health care experts, researchers, chefs, business innovators, food sovereignty advocates, and more.

Here’s the lineup (in alphabetical order): Craig Albanese, Duke University Health System; Alice Ammerman, UNC-Chapel Hill; Kelliann Blazek, Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture and Rural Policy; Sean B. Cash, Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; Chris M. Collins, Duke Endowment; Roy Cooper, North Carolina Governor (via video); Don Davis, U.S. Member of Congress (via video); Lauren Davis, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; Merry Davis, Blue Cross Blue Shield NC Foundation; Rachel Ferencik, CDC Foundation; Gavan Fitzsimons, Duke Fuqua School of Business; Valerie Foushee, U.S. Member of Congress; Maggie Funkhouser, Carrboro Farmers Market and NC Farmers Market Network; Luis Guardia, Food Research & Action Center; Debbie Hamrick, Farm Bureau; Jeff Jackson, U.S. Member of Congress (via video); Steven Jennings, Ahold Delhaize USA; Debra Clark Jones, Duke Health; Rob Kinneen, Native Alaskan Chef + NĀTIFS; Ken Kolb, Furman University; Matt Lardie, Freelance Journalist; Kathy Manning, U.S. Member of Congress (via video); Will McIntee, White House; Greg Murphy, U.S. Member of Congress (via video); Jennifer Norka, American Frozen Food Institute; Mary Oxendine, Potlikker Capital; Luke Saunders, Farmers Fridge; Sean Sherman, award-winning chef, educator, author, and activist; Baldemar Velasquez, Farm Labor Organizing Committee; Eric Wiebe, Emanuel Food Pantry; Leonardo Williams, Mayor of Durham; and Norbert Wilson, Duke World Food Policy Center.

Again, HERE is the link to join us in-person with code FoodTankVIP, and HERE is the link to register to attend from home.

At the Summit, we’ll have discussions on community-based efforts to improve local food environments, how food businesses can increase access to healthy foods, how food procurement and purchasing programs can help farmers, eaters, and the planet, and more. I always love seeing the productive, detailed, and sometimes difficult—but necessary—dialogues that result from bringing a variety of perspectives to the table together.

But, of course, it’s not all talk. We have to prove we mean what we’re saying. After a Summit last year on food is medicine, for example, the day’s discussions became a report of formal policy priorities and recommendations submitted directly to the White House.

And we’re only getting started. In March, we’ll be at SXSW in Austin bringing together speakers, film screenings, and performances. In April, we’ll be in Atlanta alongside Emory University and Spelman College to continue discussions of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. And we have so much more in store for the rest of the year.

And a HUGE thank-you to those who joined us in Boston last night for the second debut workshop reading of Little Peasants, a play about the growing movement of union organizing among food workers. U.S. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley delivered such inspiring opening remarks, and it was amazing to meet so many Food Tankers for a really fun night of immersive theater and food advocacy!

As Food Tankers, we all care deeply about making sure future generations have a livable planet, a healthful food system, and access to the resources they need to thrive.

Let’s turn this into a tangible commitment!

Let’s use community-focused policy to write a love letter to the next generation.

I’m looking forward to seeing you in a couple weeks in North Carolina—whether in person or virtually—for more urgent discussions. And until then, let’s continue to chat about ways we can build meaningful policies that create a nourished future for people and the planet! Share your thoughts with me at danielle@foodtank.com.

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 Zoe Schaeffer, Unsplash

The post Good Food Policy Can Be Our Love Letter to the Next Generation appeared first on Food Tank.

“There is no time to waste for unlocking Food is Medicine’s great potential to advance health equity by improving nutrition security,” says Devon Klatell, Vice President for Food, The Rockefeller Foundation.

More than half of the new funding will go toward the Health Care by Food Initiative, a multi-year collaboration with the American Heart Association. Through the partnership they are working to identify effective Food is Medicine approaches that incorporate nutritious food into healthcare settings.

Additionally, The Rockefeller Foundation plans to invest in public, private, and nonprofit organizations to build better infrastructure to support the growth of FIM, educate for better policies to expand to accelerate action, and improve access to accurate information about FIM. 

During its inaugural Food is Medicine Summit, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also signed a memorandum of understanding with The Rockefeller Foundation to accelerate the adoption of FIM interventions. 

FIM solutions are designed for integration into the healthcare system to treat, manage, and prevent chronic disease, which affect roughly 6 in 10 Americans, according to the U.C. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Programs include medically tailored meals and produce prescription programs.

Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs at the Rockefeller Foundation said during the Summit that their latest announcements mark the next step in their investment in community wellbeing. “We’re in the next frontier of what we’re trying to do.”

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 Edgar Castrejo, Unsplash

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“Every problem has a solution,” says Josh Tickell, one of the filmmakers behind “Common Ground,” a new documentary that profiles farmers across the United States using regenerative agriculture practices to heal the Earth. “And so if a film isn’t conveying a solution, we’re in the old paradigm of environmental documentary storytelling.”

“Wild Hope,” for example, is a multi-episode series that follows changemakers around the world working to reverse biodiversity loss. “Abundance,” tells the story of the college students who mobilized at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to connect farms with surplus produce to food banks. And “Gather” portrays the growing movement of Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food.

For many of the filmmakers behind these documentaries, their goal is to energize and inspire viewers to take action. 

“The series was never supposed to be a series,” says Jared Lipworth, Executive Producer of “Wild Hope” and Head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios. “It was an anchor for a movement. And the movement was to get people to get activated.” On the series’ website, audiences can find action items tied to the theme of each episode. 

And the team behind “Common Ground” is using momentum around the film to help build support for regenerative agriculture. They are currently offering resources to help consumers eat more sustainably and are pushing forward a movement to regenerate 100 million acres of land in the U.S.

Some speakers, including Sanjay Rawal, the filmmaker behind “Gather” are also excited for the documentaries that have yet to be made. “We need to find ways to get cameras into kids’ hands…and tell them that what they’re doing is going to be critical for their movement.”

Listen to a special series of conversations from the Summit, available on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg,” to hear more about the films that are highlighting food systems solutions, how chefs are taking on leadership roles in their communities, and the process of turning hours of footage into a full-length documentary. 

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 Ngobeni Communications, Unsplash

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On February 7 at 1:00PM ET, Food Tank and Traditional Medicinals will host a special herbal education webinar. The event will touch on topics including food as medicine; quality, efficacy, and medicine; wild harvesting; and the intelligence of the Earth.

Communities around the world have long used edible plants to promote health and healing. The event is designed to elevate an understanding around plant medicine and its role in food and agriculture systems.

Speakers will discuss the benefits of edible plants used for medicinal purposes and the value of dietary diversity, the natural intelligence of the Earth, and the story behind the growth, harvesting, and preparation of herbal medicine to yield products of the highest quality. They will also explore the practice of wild harvesting, the threat that human activity poses to flora and their environment, and sustainable approaches to support the growth of herbal medicine.

Speakers include Taryn Forrelli, chief science officer at Traditional Medicinals; Guido Masé, principle scientist and chief formulator at Traditional Medicinals; Deborah Vorhies, CEO of FairWild; Jocelyn Boreta, executive director of The Botanical Bus: Bilingual Mobile Herb Clinic; Dr. Nadja Cech, professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina Greensboro; Dr. Holly Johnson, chief science officer at the American Herbal Products Association; Dr. Kevin Spelman, renowned phytotherapy researcher at PhytoPharmacology Review; and moderator Chloe Sorvino, food journalist at Forbes.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required. For more information and to register for the event, click 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 Katherine Hanlon, Unsplash

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“Little Peasants” is written by Food Tank Co-Founder Bernard Pollack, directed by Dori A. Robinson, and produced by Elena Morris. The cast, all based in Boston, includes Christa Brown as Monique, Autumn Blazon-Brown as Ella, Lorraine Victoria Kanyike as Molly, Rob Cope as Craig, Ciera-Sadé Wade as Ashley, and Jake Mouchawar as Michael. The performances will take place at 7:00PM on February 7 and 21 at The Burren (247 Elm Street, Somerville, MA). 

Designed to be an immersive experience that puts audience members in baristas’ shoes, the play reveals the tactics employers use to thwart organizing efforts. 

“This is a rare opportunity to experience a heated food workers’ union campaign from the inside,” says Robinson. “The audience is invited to see the struggles from both sides of the table—the struggling workers, and the thoughtful organization.”

In March 2023, a one-act iteration of “Little Peasants” premiered at SXSW to critical acclaim. The new workshop is made possible thanks to support from the Somerville Arts Council. 

“Little Peasants” represents a continuation of Food Tank’s work situated at the intersection of food systems, the environment, and the arts. In 2021, they brought “WeCameToDance”—an interactive musical production that imparted an urgent message about the climate crisis—to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, where it was performed for a one-month sold-out run.

“To truly transform our food systems, we need the power of the arts,” says Food Tank President and Co-Founder Danielle Nierenberg. “‘Little Peasants’ is a unique opportunity for all of us to understand the momentum food workers are creating for just and fair treatment.”

For more information about “Little Peasants” and to purchase tickets for the workshop on February 7 or 21 click HERE. Food Tank members can also receive complimentary tickets to attend one of the upcoming workshops by emailing Kenzie Wade at kenzie@foodtank.com. To become a member, click 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.

The post ‘Little Peasants’ Takes Audiences Behind the Closed Doors of a Workers’ Organizing Campaign appeared first on Food Tank.