A3. Agroecology

A new report from WWF highlights how we still have time to protect global biodiversity. While the decline in biodiversity worldwide shows no sign of slowing, according to a new WWF report, the organization believes that nature recovery is still within reach.

“Nature underpins our economies…It’s our life support system,” says Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International. But it “continues to be degraded at an alarming scale.”

The new Living Planet Report, which covers more than 35,000 populations and 5,700 species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, shows that not all regions are affected evenly.

Biodiversity decline is highest in Latin America and the Caribbean, followed by the African continent. But Andrew Terry, the Chief Conservation Officer for the Zoological Society of London, is careful to note that the results don’t mean regions like North America and Europe haven’t seen significant population decline. Rather, the biggest drop-off took place before 1970, when scientists established a baseline to measure against.

WWF points to food and agriculture systems as the largest cause of habitat loss and degradation. They’re also a major contributor to the climate crisis and the overexploitation of species. Together, these make the sector the leading driver of biodiversity decline.

“Habitat loss driven by agriculture is a threat to over 80 percent of all threatened terrestrial bird and mammal species,” Rebecca Shaw, Lead Author of the report and WWF’s Chief Scientist, tells Food Tank. “Overfishing is the leading cause of biodiversity loss in marine ecosystems and water extraction for agriculture.” She also adds that polluted runoff is responsible for 50 percent of all freshwater biodiversity loss.

But WWF still finds reason to remain hopeful. “Nature can rebound especially when we work together,” Schuijt says.

The report highlights the green sea turtle—they became the first marine turtle to ever be downgraded on a conservation list. After 50 years of collaborative efforts spanning 80 countries, it has been recategorized, moving from an Endangered species to one of Least Concern.

Atlantic and Pacific bluefin tuna are another example. Decades of overfishing brought populations to the brink of collapse. But concerted efforts to protect and replenish stocks mean that neither is considered threatened today.

“Targeted conservation action works, and it works really well, but it can’t overcome the threats to nature alone,” says Shaw. She argues that lessons from these projects can be taken and applied to address the root causes of biodiversity loss and drive systems change.

To reach a positive tipping point in food and agriculture systems, WWF argues that change is needed in three major areas. They call for the wide-scale adoption of nature-positive farming practices, a shift to healthy and sustainable diets, and a reduction in food loss and waste.

These changes “could have a dramatic impact on decreasing biodiversity loss,” Shaw tells Food Tank. “At the same time, it would also have extraordinary human health and economic benefits. The potential is huge.”

The transition to renewable energy sources must also continue to accelerate, the report states. Meanwhile funding must flow away from systems that harm ecosystems and toward those that regenerate them.

To make this transformation possible, WWF believes it is essential to uplift bright spots that prove efforts pay off.

“Hope is not an abstract thing. It’s based in science,” Schuijt says. And as long as people believe change is possible, she is adamant people will be willing to act —an attitude that is particularly important for the next generation. “Young people need to feel they can still contribute to a better future.”

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

Photo courtesy of Shelley Pauls, Unsplash

The post WWF Shows Turning the Tide on Biodiversity Loss Is Still Possible appeared first on Food Tank.

A new rule recently released by the Trump Administration would give political appointees new powers to cancel funding agreements at will for a huge number of federal programs, including some USDA funding that goes directly to farmers.

The post Proposed Rule Threatens Farmer Funding and Undermines USDA Programs appeared first on RAFI.

When Albert Betoudji’s family—who are from Chad—visited him in Utah, he took them to his farm. They were surprised to see maize, squash, okra, and other familiar Central African crops growing so far from home.

“My mom was very, very happy,” says Betoudji. “They showed me [how to farm] at a young age, and I continue doing the same thing here in the United States.”

Growing up in Chad, Betoudji’s grandparents taught him to plant seeds and harvest crops when he was just five years old. He would later return home during school breaks to farm with his parents, learning to pay attention to and time planting around the seasons’ climates.

But in 1979, civil war forced Betoudji to leave Chad, and he traveled to West Africa in search of safety. He eventually settled in Burkina Faso, where he earned his high school diploma, studied management accounting at the University of Ouagadougou, and started teaching accounting. And in 1999, he emigrated to the United States.

For several years, Betoudji helped other refugee families settle into life in their new communities—everything from navigating public transportation systems to using American kitchens and toilets. Then in 2005, he began growing food again, starting simply with corn, tomatoes, and peppers in his backyard.

Betoudji soon became one of the first farmers in a Salt Lake County, Utah, community farming effort that would eventually become the International Rescue Committee’s New Roots program, which supports refugee and immigrant farmers as they build sustainable livelihoods through agriculture.

Betoudji was able to expand to growing crops he remembered from home, including okra and roselle, a type of hibiscus native to Africa that cannot fruit in Utah’s cooler climate, but he grows it for its edible leaves.

Eventually, with help from the New Roots staff, he began selling produce to stores and restaurants and at farmers’ markets. There, Betpoudji says, he and fellow refugee and immigrant farmers sell food while sharing the stories behind it—where they come from, how they arrived in the United States, and how to eat the crops they grow.

The income from farming can be limited, Betoudji says, but the work is meaningful: “Working at the farm makes me happy, because it is a physical activity; you use all your body.” This includes not only the arms and legs but the mind, Betoudji says, which “helped me with my mental and physical health.”

The farm also connects Betoudji to a community of people who, like him, have arrived in Utah from different places and backgrounds: “I came to Utah as a refugee, and I met other refugee families with different backgrounds, different cultures, but we farm together.”

For him, these relationships are at the heart of New Roots: The name reflects the experience of people who have left one place and built lives in another, bringing their knowledge, traditions, and foodways with them.

“We come from different backgrounds, but we farm together in the same place, and we grow food for family and for community,” says Betoudji.

Watch Betoudji’s story below and find others from our farmer storytelling events on Food Tank’s YouTube channel.

This article is part of Food Tank’s ongoing Farmer Friday series, produced in partnership with Niman Ranch, a champion for independent U.S. family farmers. The series highlights the stories of farmers working toward a more sustainable, equitable food system. Niman Ranch partners with over 500 small-scale U.S. family farmers and is committed to preserving rural agricultural communities and their way of life.

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 For Refugees in Utah, Farming Is a Connection to Home appeared first on Food Tank.

Three storms at once

Today is World Food Day. This year it finds African farmers caught between three storms at once: a super El Niño, a war in Europe and a war in the Gulf.

None of these storms began in Africa. Africa did not heat the Pacific Ocean. It did not start the war in Ukraine or the war around the Strait of Hormuz. Yet it is African farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk and families who will pay the highest price, in empty granaries, dead livestock and children going to bed hungry.

That is what I want to say plainly today. These crises are not creating Africa’s vulnerability. They are exposing it. And that vulnerability was not an accident. It was built.

A super El Niño that hits Africa hardest

The El Niño now under way is one of the strongest on record. The World Food Programme warns it could push at least 49 million more people into acute hunger by the end of 2027. Around 24 million of them are in Africa: more than 18 million in East and Southern Africa, and nearly 6 million in West and Central Africa.

The damage is already visible. The June to September rains failed across Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda’s Karamoja. South Sudan and Karamoja are on track for their driest year on record. Now the Horn of Africa faces the opposite danger: heavy rains and floods along Somalia’s rivers, where famine is a real risk.

In Southern Africa, forecasters expect late, poor rains and long dry spells over the season that is starting now. Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Angola, Madagascar and Lesotho are of greatest concern. The worst hunger will come not now but in the lean months of 2027 and early 2028, when the food from a failed harvest runs out.

For a farmer who depends on rain, one failed season can mean selling the last goat, pulling a child out of school or eating seed meant for next year. A family can take years to recover.

Wars far away, hunger at home

The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered a new phase on the Black Sea. Both sides are now striking each other’s grain ports. Russian wheat exports fell by more than half in August. The FAO Food Price Index reached its highest level since November 2022. African and Middle Eastern countries, among the biggest buyers of Black Sea wheat, are low on stocks and will have to buy at higher prices.

The war in the Gulf has hit even closer to the farm. Since 28 February, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked. About a third of the world’s seaborne fertiliser normally passes through it. Urea more than doubled in price, from about US$400 to over US$850 a tonne in April.

World prices have since eased, but African farmers have not felt the relief. In July, urea still cost about US$975 a tonne in Malawi and US$933 in Tanzania, more than double the world price. Weak currencies, freight costs and port delays keep it high.

Fuel tells the same story. Ethiopia lost more than 180,000 tonnes of fuel deliveries, halving its daily diesel supply. In Kenya, record fuel price rises pushed transport fares up by about a quarter. Zimbabwe’s fuel import costs rose 40% in under a month.

Every one of these numbers reaches the farm. Diesel moves the harvest to market. Fertiliser that a farmer cannot afford means a smaller harvest next season. And the bread, rice and cooking oil that city families buy cost more each week.

Same storm, different shelter

The same shocks are hitting the whole world. What differs is who has shelter.

When fertiliser prices jumped, India raised its fertiliser subsidy by 11%, to 415 billion rupees for the summer season alone. The European Union proposed €540 million in emergency relief for its farmers, which member states can top up to about €1.5 billion. France added its own fertiliser aid. These governments had the money, the institutions and the political room to act within weeks.

Most African governments did not. Many entered this year already squeezed by debt. In nearly four in five sub-Saharan African countries, governments now pay more in interest than they spend on health or education, according to the World Bank. A treasury that sends its money to creditors cannot shield its farmers. Countries such as Ghana, Malawi and Sudan could not even pay cash for fertiliser imports.

So the shock that a rich country absorbs as a budget line falls on an African family as hunger. That is not a difference in weather. It is a difference in power.

A vulnerability that was built

Africa is not weak by nature. Its vulnerability was built over generations, and it is still being built today.

• Colonialism reshaped African farming for export. The best land, roads, railways and research went to cotton, coffee, cocoa and groundnuts for European factories. Food for Africans came second. Many of those patterns remain.
• Structural adjustment dismantled our defences. From the 1980s, loan conditions pushed governments to close grain reserves and marketing boards, cut extension services and open markets to subsidised imports. We lost the buffers that once carried us through bad years.
• We were taught to import our food. Sub-Saharan Africa’s food import bill was projected to reach about US$65 billion in 2025. Every rise in world prices and every weak currency now lands directly on our tables.
• We were taught to import our soil fertility. A farming model built on purchased fertiliser and hybrid seed ties the fertility of African soils to gas fields and shipping lanes thousands of kilometres away. The Strait of Hormuz has shown what that means.
• Debt keeps the cycle going. Money that should build irrigation, storage and rural roads goes to pay interest. Climate finance, when it comes, too often arrives as loans, adding new debt to repair damage Africa did not cause.
• The rules are written elsewhere. Trade rules, seed laws, intellectual property regimes and credit ratings are largely set by and for the powerful. They narrow the policy space African governments need to protect their own farmers.

These are not separate problems. They are one system, and it was designed to keep Africa supplying raw materials and buying finished goods. El Niño and the wars did not create this system. They have simply shown us, once again, how it works.

What must change

This year’s World Food Day theme is “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.” The innovation Africa needs most is not another imported package. It is the courage to rebuild food systems that Africans control.

1. Act now on El Niño. Governments and agencies must move before the lean season, not after it. Pre-position food, protect livestock and seed, and get cash to families early.
2. Rebuild public food reserves. National and regional grain reserves, run in the public interest, are a basic defence that structural adjustment took away.
3. Invest in agroecology and healthy soils. Compost, manure, legumes, trees and diverse crops build fertility that no blockade can cut off. Public money now spent on imported fertiliser should shift steadily towards them.
4. Protect farmers’ seed. Farmer-managed seed systems hold the drought-tolerant varieties we need. Laws that criminalise saving and exchanging seed must change.
5. Feed Africa from African farms. Support territorial markets, local processing and public procurement, including school meals, that buy from our own producers.
6. Cancel unjust debt and pay climate finance as grants. No country should have to choose between paying creditors and feeding its people. Adaptation finance must reach farmer organisations directly.
7. Give Africa its policy space. Trade and investment rules must allow African governments to protect their farmers and their food.

Africa can feed itself

Africa has the land, the water, the seed, the knowledge and the farmers to feed itself. Our small-scale producers already grow most of the food Africans eat, often with little or no public support.

What we lack is not ability. It is control over our own food systems, and freedom from the debts, rules and dependencies that keep us exposed to every storm.

On this World Food Day, I call on African governments, the African Union and our international partners to stop treating each crisis as a surprise. The next El Niño, the next war and the next price shock will come. Let them find Africa ready, fed by its own farmers and standing on its own soil.

Million Belay (PhD)
General Coordinator, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA)
16 October 2026

Three words can change the world!

“Food is medicine” is a complete sentence. It’s an unequivocally true statement. And it’s a movement that can achieve so much more than many of us even realize.

In a couple weeks, our Food First Health Summit in Philadelphia is exploring the wide range of collaboration, legislation, and creative innovation that prioritizes our dietary well-being and illuminates the ways food systems nourish our bodies and our societies at large.

I hope you’ll join us at 2:00PM ET on Tuesday, October 27 (CLICK HERE or livestream at FoodTank.com)—in partnership with FareRx and the College of Public Health at Temple University at WHYY-NPR Studios’ Dorrance H. Hamilton Public Media Commons—for discussions with food systems leaders, policymakers, community organizers, health practitioners, and more to launch long-term solutions.

“Philly’s food as medicine leaders are coming together, and the country should be paying attention,” says Mike Cangi, Founder and CEO of FareRx. “We’re using that momentum to launch the Philadelphia Food Is Medicine Coalition, giving this work a bigger platform and creating more ways to work together. This is Philadelphia’s chance to show what a city can accomplish when it puts food and health first.”

The Food Is Medicine movement sits at the crossroads of nutrition security, local agriculture, and healthcare. Some initiatives focus on social well-being through food access and education; others are rooted in clinical care with programs including produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals.

And it works: When we eat with our well-being in mind, our health improves. The healthcare cost savings from medically tailored meals alone to be around US$23.7 billion, according to research from the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University.

Here’s a peek at the amazing lineup of speakers, alphabetically by last name, who are joining us in Philadelphia: Val Arkoosh, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services; Mike Cangi, FareRx; Sue Daugherty, MANNA; Rep. Madeleine Dean, U.S. House of Representatives; Lauren Eberly, University of Pennsylvania and Indian Health Service, Navajo Nation; Evan Ehlers, Sharing Excess; Beatrice Forman, The Philadelphia Inquirer; Freeway, Philadelphia-Based Rapper and Food for Health Advocate; Steven Jennings, Ahold Delhaize USA; Loree D. Jones Brown, Philabundance; Julia Koprak, The Food Trust; Jenn Ladd, The Philadelphia Inquirer; Karen Lin, Temple University; Briana Mills-Walker, FarmerJawn; Kae Lani Palmisano, Philadelphia Magazine; Chris Rabb, Pennsylvania House of Representatives; Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, U.S. House of Representatives; Rep. Lloyd Smucker, U.S. House of Representatives; Maiken Scott, WHYY; Julia Weatherly, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service; and more to be announced soon!

We’re so proud to help showcase the ways Philadelphia is leading the charge toward a better food system. Food rescue organization Sharing Excess is proof that committed young people can make meaningful change. With medically tailored meals and other interventions, MANNA and FareRX are showing how Food is Medicine is a sustainable, transformative model. And inspiring organizations like Philabundance and The Food Trust are building food security and food access through upcycling, cooking education, and other creative approaches.

“Philadelphia is home to an incredibly rich and diverse food culture. The largest possible umbrella is needed to include all of the companies, community groups, and individuals dedicated to providing the healthiest of foods to the citizens of the city and region,” says David B. Sarwer, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean and Professor at the College of Public Health at Temple University. “The time is right to bring all of the players together to move the Food is Medicine agenda forward in Philadelphia to improve the health and well-being of our citizens.”

HERE is the link one more time to grab your FREE ticket before seating fills up for good! And for Food Tankers who don’t live in or near Philadelphia, plan to visit FoodTank.com at 2:00PM ET on Tuesday, October 27 to join our livestream.

(Want to learn more about Food is Medicine? Check out our “Food Tank Explains” column about it, and tune in to recent episodes of our Food Talk podcast HERE. You can also be part of even more discussions about it at our 2nd Annual Food and Agriculture Policy Summit Week in Washington, D.C., later this year!)

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 Mariana Medvedeva, Unsplash

The post You’re Invited: What Can We Achieve When We Put Food First For Health? appeared first on Food Tank.

On World Food Day, African chefs unite to reclaim the continent’s culinary heritage, champion agroecology and put African food at the centre of Africa’s future.

On World Food Day 2026, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) calls on African citizens, governments, chefs, farmers, young people and food system actors to reclaim Africa’s rich food heritage and place healthy, culturally appropriate and ecologically produced food at the heart of the continent’s future. Under its Pan-African campaign, My Food Is African, AFSA is advancing a powerful message: Africa’s food is a source of identity, dignity, health and sovereignty, and its future must be shaped by the people who grow, prepare and consume it.

Across Africa, traditional food systems that have sustained communities for generations are increasingly threatened by industrial agriculture, the expansion of ultra-processed foods and changing dietary habits that undermine indigenous knowledge and local food cultures. Traditional African foods, despite their extraordinary diversity and cultural significance, are too often portrayed as inferior, outdated or incompatible with modern lifestyles. Meanwhile, the smallholder farmers, women, seed custodians and traditional food producers who sustain Africa’s food systems remain insufficiently recognised and supported.

For AFSA, reversing this trend requires a fundamental shift in how African societies understand and value food. My Food Is African is a call to reclaim our food, our health, our culture and our power. It challenges the notion that progress must come at the expense of African food traditions and asserts that the continent’s food future lies in embracing its rich culinary diversity, strengthening agroecological production and restoring the connection between people, land and food.

African Chefs Take the Lead in Reclaiming Our Food

This year’s World Food Day carries particular significance as African chefs across the continent come together to translate this vision into action. From 12 to 16 October 2026, the My Food Is African Chefs Network is leading the first continental MyFIA Chefs Week, celebrating indigenous ingredients, traditional recipes, African food knowledge and the farmers and communities who keep these traditions alive.

The initiative builds on the historic First African Chefs’ Gathering and Policy Convening on African Food Systems, organised by AFSA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 2025. Bringing together participants from 23 African countries, the gathering adopted the Declaration of African Chefs, affirming a collective commitment to elevate African cuisine, defend indigenous food systems and strengthen the role of chefs in advancing food sovereignty.

That commitment is now taking shape through a growing continental movement of chefs who recognise that their responsibility extends beyond preparing and serving food. African chefs are educators, cultural ambassadors, storytellers and advocates who can reconnect consumers with the origins of their food, celebrate forgotten ingredients, preserve ancestral recipes and promote food grown through agroecological practices.

Throughout Chefs Week, participating chefs are sharing stories from their kitchens, farms and local markets, highlighting the relationship between indigenous seeds, healthy soils, traditional food preparation and African culinary identity. The week culminates in an online gathering on 16 October, bringing together chefs, farmers, seed custodians, journalists and other food system actors to celebrate their collective efforts, discuss the future of African cuisine and consider the adoption of the MyFIA Chefs Network Charter.

The significance of this initiative goes beyond culinary celebration. It represents a growing recognition that the transformation of Africa’s food systems must also take place in our kitchens, restaurants, schools and everyday food choices. By bringing traditional African foods into contemporary culinary spaces, chefs can help challenge perceptions that equate imported and industrially processed foods with modernity, while demonstrating that African culinary heritage offers opportunities for creativity, innovation, livelihoods and entrepreneurship.

Healthy Food Begins with Healthy Soil

At the heart of the My Food Is African campaign is a principle that AFSA considers fundamental to Africa’s food future: what we eat cannot be separated from how our food is produced.

African food is deeply connected to the land, the seeds and the ecological knowledge that have sustained generations of farming communities. Its value cannot be measured by taste and cultural significance alone. It must also be understood through the health of the soil, the diversity of crops, the integrity of production systems and the well-being of the people who produce it.

AFSA therefore calls for a transition towards agroecological food systems that restore soil fertility, protect biodiversity, safeguard farmer-managed seed systems and strengthen resilience to climate change.

The campaign also draws attention to the growing public health concerns associated with unhealthy dietary transitions and the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods. Reviving diverse African diets, including indigenous grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and traditionally prepared foods, is an important part of promoting healthier food environments and protecting the continent’s nutritional heritage.

Healthy soil, healthy seeds, healthy food and healthy people are inseparable. Protecting African food therefore means protecting the ecological and cultural systems that make it possible.

Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow: Africa’s Knowledge Must Shape the Future

As the international community commemorates World Food Day under the 2026 theme, “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow,” AFSA emphasises that meaningful innovation must recognise and build upon the knowledge, practices and resources that African communities have developed over generations. The global theme highlights the importance of combining forward-looking solutions with traditional knowledge and inclusive approaches to ensure nutritious food for all while protecting the planet.

For Africa, innovation must begin by recognising the enormous potential already present in its food systems. Indigenous crops, farmer-managed seeds, traditional food preservation methods, agroecological farming practices and culinary knowledge offer opportunities to improve nutrition, strengthen local economies and respond to environmental challenges. These resources must be protected, developed and passed on to future generations.

AFSA believes that African chefs, particularly young culinary professionals and women food entrepreneurs, have an important role in this transformation. By combining traditional ingredients with contemporary culinary creativity, strengthening relationships with local farmers and bringing African cuisine into new markets, they can help create livelihoods while preserving the integrity and identity of African food.

But innovation must also extend beyond the kitchen. It requires supportive public policies, investment in agroecological enterprises, stronger territorial markets, greater recognition of women’s contributions and education systems that teach African children the value of their own food heritage.

A Call to Reclaim Africa’s Food Future

On this World Food Day, AFSA calls upon African governments and institutions to recognise food sovereignty as a foundation of sustainable development. This requires policies that protect farmer-managed seed systems, support smallholder food producers, promote agroecology and integrate indigenous African foods into national nutrition strategies, school curricula and public food procurement programmes.

AFSA also calls upon chefs, restaurants, culinary institutions and food entrepreneurs to become active champions of African food sovereignty by celebrating indigenous ingredients, sourcing from local agroecological producers, preserving traditional recipes and introducing younger generations to the extraordinary diversity of African cuisine.

To African citizens, particularly young people, the message is equally clear. Our food heritage deserves to be celebrated, protected and carried forward. Every traditional recipe preserved, every indigenous seed protected, every local farmer supported and every African meal prepared with pride contributes to a larger movement for healthier people, thriving communities and a more sovereign Africa.

My Food Is African is a declaration of identity, a commitment to ecological responsibility and a call for collective action. It reminds us that our food connects us to our ancestors, sustains our communities and carries the possibilities of our future. Reclaiming African food means reclaiming the knowledge, resources and choices that determine how Africa feeds itself.

As African chefs unite this World Food Day, AFSA reaffirms its commitment to building a continental movement that celebrates African culinary heritage, strengthens the relationship between farmers and consumers, and advances food systems rooted in justice, health, biodiversity and dignity.

Our food. Our heritage. Our health. Our future.

My Food Is African.

Grow with Nature. Eat with Pride. Live with Dignity.

Campaign: #MyFoodIsAfrican | #JeMangeAfricain | #WorldFoodDay2026

The Washington D.C.-based organization FRESHFARM is working to strengthen food access, support local farmers, and improve food education in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

The nonprofit runs the third-largest farmers market network in the country as well as a food hub, “which is really all about providing farmers, especially small and mid-sized farmers, an opportunity to get into the wholesale market,” Cat Oakar, FRESHFARM’s Executive Director tells Food Tank. This allows nonprofits the ability to purchase fresh, local produce, “which they’re often shut out of.”

To connect more eaters with healthy food, the organization also operates two extensive food access programs, Produce Plus and FreshMatch, which offer qualifying shoppers additional dollars to spend at farmers markets. 

Oakar believes these programs are essential, arguing that there should be more investment and support to help families buy and prepare fresh produce. But, she is seeing the opposite, with federal cuts affecting initiatives like Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed). 

The loss of funding is particularly confusing to Oakar when the Trump-Vance Administration is doing so well to bring the link between food and health into national conversations, says Oakar, who previously served as Special Assistant to the President for Public Health and Disparities under the Biden-Harris Administration. “They’re succeeding “in a way that, frankly, we…couldn’t do.” But she believes the actions of the federal government represent a contradiction. 

“If we really want to make people healthy, investing in the food system, investing in local farmers, investing in programs that have been cut is the way to make a healthier society,” she tells Food Tank. “It’s the way to make a more resilient, stronger food system.”

The idea of building a healthier society is one that FRESHFARM takes seriously. Farmers markets aren’t just connecting people to fresh produce, Oakar explains. They are also “essential community infrastructure” that serve as economic engines and gathering places. “Our farmers markets are something that are so powerful and such a beautiful and necessary part of strong, resilient communities.”

Listen to the full conversation with Cat Oakar on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear about Oakar’s transition from the White House to FRESHFARM, the challenges facing local farmers, and how the organization is getting students excited about food systems. 

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 Building Stronger Communities Through Farmers Markets appeared first on Food Tank.

It’s early morning outside Perryville, Arkansas. A scissor-tailed flycatcher is perched on the fence, cattle are grazing in the bottoms, and Sam Noble begins her day in the chicken brooder at the Heifer Center for Regenerative Agriculture.

There is nothing unusual about a woman starting her day this way. Women have always farmed. They have raised livestock, managed farms, saved seed, sold food and cared for the land. What has changed is that we are finally getting better at seeing them.

That visibility matters.

Sam is Heifer USA’s Poultry Coordinator, and she is part of a growing number of women farmers and ranchers across the United States. Since 2002, the percentage of women producers has increased steadily. According to the USDA, women represent over 36 percent of all U.S. producers.

Some of that increase is about how we count. In 2012, the USDA changed the way it collected census information, allowing farms to identify more than one primary operator. That simple change made women’s contributions more visible in the official numbers.

But the numbers are catching up to something many of us working in agriculture have known for a long time: women are already doing the work… and have been doing so for a long time.

Being counted is one thing. Being recognized is another. Even today, Sam and the other women livestock managers at Heifer USA encounter the assumptions that come with being women farmers. Sam’s response isn’t to try to prove that she can farm like a man.

“To me, being a woman farmer doesn’t mean proving that I can farm like a man. It means I get to define what a good farmer looks like.”

Agriculture doesn’t need women to change who they are. The world needs to make room for different ways of knowing, different approaches to managing land and livestock, and different concepts of what a successful farm looks like.

The critical role rural women play in agriculture is evident across the Americas, and it is important to hear their voices. We recently spoke with women farmers in parts of Ecuador, Honduras, and Mexico.

Their stories are different because their circumstances are different. But the common threads and challenges are there. Access to land and markets, the effects of a changing climate, the importance of family and community. These women are making their way even if the systems around them don’t make it easy.

In the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico, land is never just land. Yumara Salas Ramírez is helping raise the visibility of women coffee producers. Chiapas produces 41 percent of Mexico’s coffee, but women hold only about a quarter of the land rights. Women also face challenges that range from sexism and violence to the effects of a changing climate.

At the Sierra Azul Cooperative, Yumara is the first woman to serve as the cooperative’s secretary and handles incoming green coffee. But she also works with women producers to market coffee under their own brand.

Yumara remains connected to the land and to the knowledge passed down through her family: “Every time we work with coffee, we reflect what we were taught and keep a family tradition alive.”

On the Galápagos Islands, part of Ecuador, over half of the food consumed is shipped in from the mainland. For an ecosystem as fragile as the Galápagos, that dependence creates its own problems, including the introduction of invasive plants and pests.

María Espinoza is using agroecological methods to raise livestock and grow crops for local markets on land cleared of invasive blackberry bushes. She and other farmers have increased the percentage of locally sourced food available at their market from 10 percent to 40 percent since 2019. It is an example of how local food production can play multiple roles: providing income and strengthening food sovereignty.

María doesn’t pretend the work is easy: “The most difficult part? There isn’t one. With dedication, you just have to overcome the difficult challenges.”

The challenges these women face vary, but one issue affects them all: a changing climate. Women farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts. They often have fewer resources available during droughts, extreme weather or other disruptions.

Milexy Rodriguez, a farmer in El Nance, Honduras, lost 15 of her cattle during a drought in 2024. It was a call to action to build a more resilient livelihood. With support from a community savings group, she drilled a well and diversified her production, growing chili peppers and keeping bees.

Milexy’s experience is a reminder that resilience isn’t some abstract concept. It may be a well, or another crop, but sometimes resilience is challenging assumptions about who belongs in agriculture.

“Many people thought that a woman couldn’t manage a cattle farm. However, with consistent work, I’ve proven that it is possible.”

Working at the Heifer Center for Regenerative Agriculture, I get to see women like Sam doing this work every day. I see it in the way our entire livestock team cares for the animals, makes land-use decisions, and tries new things.

And I see something else, too.

The women I know in agriculture aren’t waiting for someone to tell them they belong. They are already doing the work. That is what struck me as I learned more about these women across the Americas. All of our farms and lives vary, but the underlying questions are familiar.

How do we care for the land and still make a living?

How do we pass knowledge on to the next generation?

How do we build communities and food systems that can withstand difficult times?

For too long, women have had to answer these questions while also proving that they belong at the table. The most important change is that we are noticing what has been happening all along. Women have been farming, ranching, building markets, raising families and caring for the land for generations.

The numbers are finally catching up with that reality. And that is a good thing. If we are serious about building resilient farms and food systems, we need the knowledge, experience and leadership of everyone.

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 Lys Arango / Heifer International

The post Op-Ed | Women Farmers Are Shaping the Future of Food and Agriculture Systems appeared first on Food Tank.

The third quarter of 2026 showed AFSA operating across the full landscape of Africa’s food systems transformation. From parliamentary chambers and continental policy processes to farmer fields, media spaces, youth platforms and international forums, the work moved steadily between ideas and action. The Pan African Parliament’s decision to advance a continental Model Law on African Food Policy created an important opening for greater coherence in how Africa governs food, agriculture, health, trade and the environment. At the same time, AFSA strengthened advocacy for farmer managed seed systems, challenged provisions in the proposed East African Community Seed and Plant Varieties Bill, and continued pressing for laws that recognise farmers not as beneficiaries of seed systems, but as their custodians and rights holders.

The quarter also placed difficult questions about finance and agricultural development firmly on the table. At the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, through the release of The Green Revolution Has Failed Africa, and in AFSA’s support for the Food, Land & Money report, a consistent question emerged: who controls the resources shaping Africa’s agricultural future, and whose interests do those investments ultimately serve? These interventions were matched by practical alternatives. In Yaoundé, 198 participants from the six Congo Basin countries adopted a regional action agenda for agroecology, biodiversity and climate justice. In Kenya, farmers, scientists and development partners advanced plans for an African agenda on locally produced biofertilisers. In Tanzania, researchers, farmer organisations and policymakers examined how evidence can better influence policy, while a new urban agroecology learning series began connecting practical experiences from African cities.

Climate action was another defining thread. In Ethiopia, AFSA connected negotiators and civil society directly with agroecology in practice before convening more than 130 participants from 33 countries to shape a common African civil society position towards COP31 and COP32. In Harare, AFSA entered the technical spaces where the next decade of CAADP implementation will be measured and financed, defending the place of agroecology in national and regional investment plans. At the same time, 24 journalists from 15 countries were equipped to investigate the science, seed politics and financial flows behind African food systems, while young agroecology entrepreneurs used International Youth Day to demonstrate that ecological farming can also generate livelihoods, innovation and opportunity. The Battle for African Agriculture podcast carried these conversations further, connecting science, policy, women’s experiences, environmental leadership and African knowledge with wider public debate.

This was also a quarter of profound loss. The passing of Sena Alouka, founding Chair of AFSA’s Climate and Agroecology Working Group, touched the entire movement. His life embodied many of the values reflected throughout this edition: belief in young people, courage in confronting harmful systems, faith in African knowledge and the conviction that organised communities can change their future. His absence is deeply felt, but the work carried across these pages is also part of the legacy he leaves behind. The third quarter therefore closes with both achievement and responsibility: important doors have opened, stronger alliances have been built and clearer alternatives have been articulated. The task now is to carry that momentum forward and ensure that Africa’s food systems are shaped increasingly by the people who grow, protect, prepare and depend on its food.

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This article is part of Food Tank’s primer series, “Food Tank Explains.” Each installment unpacks the ideas, innovations, and challenges shaping today’s food and agriculture systems, offering clear insights into complex topics. To explore more articles in the series, click here.

Water security refers to sustainable access to safe, affordable, and reliable water to support human well-being, livelihoods, economic development, and healthy ecosystems. It encompasses not only available water, but also water quality, accessibility, affordability, and reliability.

Although water covers approximately 71 percent of Earth’s surface, only about 3 percent is freshwater, and less than 1 percent is readily accessible for human use. Agriculture accounts for approximately 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, followed by industry at 15 percent and domestic and municipal uses at 13 percent.

In a January 2026 report, the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) warned that the term “water crisis” no longer adequately describes the state of global freshwater resources. The researchers conclude that the world has entered an era of “global water bankruptcy,” in which prolonged overuse has depleted and damaged freshwater systems beyond realistic prospects of full recovery.

“The term “water crisis” implies a temporary shock and deviation from the baseline,” Kaveh Madani, Director of the UNU-INWEH and author of the report, tells Food Tank. “But we are dealing with a new normal—a post-crisis state of failure.”

The report estimates that approximately 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), around 4 billion people experience severe water stress for at least one month each year.

Global freshwater withdrawals have more than doubled since 1960, as populations, economies, and agricultural production have expanded. And by 2050 the world is projected to demand 20 to 25 percent more water. WRI projects that the number of people experiencing severe water scarcity could rise by 40 percent by the end of the century.

According to the UNU-INWEH, water withdrawals in many river basins and aquifers have exceeded natural replenishment rates for decades. This prolonged overuse has depleted groundwater reserves and damaged rivers, lakes, wetlands, and other freshwater systems, sometimes beyond realistic prospects of full recovery.

Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are affecting water availability worldwide. Higher temperatures increase evaporation, while shifting rainfall patterns contribute to more severe droughts and flooding in many regions.

Agriculture is particularly vulnerable to water shortages, which can reduce crop yields, disrupt livestock production, and threaten the livelihoods of farmers and agricultural workers. These disruptions can also reduce food availability and contribute to higher prices, particularly in regions where agriculture supports a large share of employment.

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), water insecurity disproportionately affects low-income communities and smallholder farmers, who often lack the resources to secure alternative water supplies or adapt to prolonged shortages.

Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation also threatens public health. According to the World Health Organization, contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrheal diseases, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio.

And water shortages can prevent households from meeting basic needs and force changes in daily activities, including food preparation and dietary choices. Tools like the Water Insecurity Experiences (WISE) Scales measure how water insecurity affects daily life, evaluating whether households have had to change what they eat, go to sleep thirsty, or forgo basic activities because of inadequate water access.

FAO calls for more efficient agricultural water use, alongside policies that balance the needs of farmers, communities, industries, and ecosystems. Measures such as improved irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and soil moisture conservation can help farmers maintain production while reducing pressure on water supplies.

But the UNU-INWEH warns that efficiency improvements alone are insufficient where water use exceeds sustainable limits. Its 2026 report calls for stronger governance, enforceable limits on withdrawals, and protection of freshwater ecosystems, supported by cooperation within and across national borders.

In a Food Tank op-ed, Lee Recht, Founder of Table of Choices, Hosni Ghedira, Chair of MENA2050’s Water Security Committee, and Hakima El Haite, Chair of MENA2050’s Climate Action Committee, emphasize the need for regional cooperation, noting that water resources, food systems, and energy infrastructure are interconnected across national borders. They highlight emerging solutions in the Middle East and North Africa, including renewable-powered desalination and farming practices that improve water retention, and call for greater investment to expand their use.

“Water is not a resource like any other. It is the crux of human security, global food systems, biodiversity, public health, and peace,” Madani tells Food Tank.

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 Nishaan Ahmed, Unsplash

The post Food Tank Explains: Water Security appeared first on Food Tank.

Useful Tips on the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism (CSIPM) for Relations with the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) – (2026 edition)

The kit is an accessible tool for CSIPM participants and Coordination Committee members to find their way through the CFS and the CSIPM. We want to unpack these spaces for everyone carrying out the struggle at the local level!

Download the kit  and share it widely across your constituencies and sub-regions.

The post CSIPM Welcome Kit appeared first on CSIPM.

This Fall, Food Tank is highlighting 24 books that help us understand how food connects us to our communities, cultural heritage, and the natural world. Food is Medicine by Dariush Mozaffarian and Food Sense by Christopher Gardner both tackle pressing questions that will help us create systems that support mental and physical wellbeing. In Sugar Coated, Marion Nestle and Lisa Sutherland examine American breakfast cereals to expose the strategies big food companies have used to influence food policy and public health. And in Cooking Thai, award-winning chef Pim Techamuanvivit broadens readers’ understanding of Thai cuisine with 100 of her best recipes. Together, these titles offer inspiration and insights for creating a sustainable, more equitable food future.

1. A Practical Farmer’s Journey: A History of Community, Stewardship, and Resilience by Ronald L. Rosmann

More than 60 percent of Iowa farmland is dedicated to corn and soybean, according to research from Iowa State University. But the state is also home to another story—one of transformation. Ronald L. Rosmann traces the history of agriculture in Iowa, from when farming offered families promise and hope to the struggles driven by vertical integration. The book closes with a message of optimism, highlighting how Iowa’s farmers are rebuilding rural communities, tackling climate change, and restoring the unfulfilled potential of rural America.

2. All Hours: Crazy Good Food for Whatever, Whenever by Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein

The San Francisco Chronicle calls James Beard Award-winning Kwame Onwuachi “the most important chef in America.” In his new cookbook, he shares recipes that bring together unexpected flavors in dishes that can be enjoyed for any occasion and any time of day. It covers everything from breakfast to late night snacks, with dishes such as Corn Milk French Toast, Curried Chicken Patties, Brussels Sprout Suya, and Sticky Toffee Pudding.

3. Black Farm Boys: The Untold Story of the New Farmers of America by Bobby J. Smith II

Black Farm Boys unearths the history of New Farmers of America, the first—and overlooked—national organization for Black boys studying agriculture in segregated high schools. Sociologist Bobby J. Smith II details the growth of the NFA, its influence, and its swift decline as it was overtaken by the predominantly white Future Farmers of America. The book confronts the question of how an organization with 55,000 members at its peak was nearly forgotten from history in the United States.

4. Black Farmers in America: Fighting for an Equitable Food System by Mya O. Price

Mya O. Price’s research highlights how systems of oppression have shaped the experiences of Black farmers in the United States from slavery to the present day. It also uncovers the ways they are overcoming these barriers. Black Farmers in America brings these pieces together, grounding readers in history. And it offers case studies that show how models of restorative justice, cooperative farming, and urban agriculture are creating opportunities for Black food producers to build power and resilience.

5. Captive Consumers: Hunger, Violence, and Inequality in American Prison Food by Chin Jou

Captive Consumers questions assumptions about what a food system inside prisons can—and should—look like. Drawing from historical records and prison newspapers, author Chin Jou documents the challenges incarcerated people face, from chronic hunger to unmet dietary needs. She argues that these conditions perpetuate violence and endanger those inside these institutions, ultimately making the case for reform that centers dignity and humanity.

6. Cooking Thai: Heritage and Modern Recipes from My Kitchen Notebooks by Pim Techamuanvivit with Andrea Nguyen

When Pim Techamuanvivit moved to the United States from Bangkok, she encountered assumptions around Thai food she was eager to change. In response, the award-winning chef opened multiple restaurants to celebrate the richness and diversity of her culinary heritage. In Cooking Thai, Techamuanvivit brings together 100 of her best recipes like Massaman Curry with Beef Cheeks and a Grilled Shrimp and Lychee Salad, while providing tips to help cooks source ingredients at home.

7. Depression Cooking: Feeding Yourself When It All Feels Too Hard by Sonali Menezes

It can be challenging to feed yourself during difficult times. That’s what artist Sonali Menezes realized when she was struggling with mental illness and disordered eating. It drove her to look for easy, delicious ways to stay nourished, leaning into approaches that were non-judgmental, anti-diet, and approachable. In Depression Cooking, Menezes combines recipes, memoir, and illustrations to share lessons from these hard times. It serves as a guide to caring for yourself when you’re navigating grief, unemployment, or the stress of becoming a new parent.

8. Famine in World History by R. Douglas Hurt

Douglas Hurt offers an overview of famines throughout history, from antiquity to the present day. While acknowledging that not all cases are alike, he points to patterns that emerge in examples from western Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Hurt also delves into the roles that policy and war play, how environmental issues intersect with hunger crises, and what happens to communities after famines end.

9. Food Heritage: Critical Perspectives edited by Loïc Bienassis and Fabio Parasecoli

“Does food heritage exist?” That’s the question historian Loïc Bienassis opens with in his introduction to this new anthology. The chapters that follow aim to understand what food heritage means and the ways that foods and food practices are defined, recognized, and mobilized as heritage. To unpack these questions, chapters span the globe, drawing on case studies from countries including Brazil, Catalonia, Japan, and Morocco.

10. Food Is Medicine: Healing Our Bodies, Nourishing Our Minds, and Transforming Our Food System by Dariush Mozaffarian (forthcoming October 20)

“Being a healthy American adult is an anomaly,” cardiologist Dariush Mozaffarian tells Food Tank. He believes food systems represent the biggest challenges facing humanity today. As Director of the Food is Medicine Institute, Mozaffarian says, “we really can actually fix our food system in a really short amount of time.” In Food Is Medicine, he explains the decisions that have shaped food systems today and offers a blueprint to help policymakers, physicians, communities, and individual eaters drive a nutrition revolution.

11. Food Sense: What to Eat and Why by Christopher Gardner

In Food Sense, nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner tackles myths about diet and health on to eaters make more informed choices about the food they put on their plates. He acknowledges that health claims can be confusing and contradictory, and he hopes to use his book to cut through the noise. His book addresses questions on everything from seed oils to plant-based proteins while pointing readers to some of his favorite recipes that support long-term health.

12. Fundamentals of Flavor: 100 Recipes for the Science of Better Cooking by Nik Sharma

Former molecular biologist Nik Sharma wanted to help eaters make delicious meals at home while understanding the science behind their food. The result is Fundamentals of Flavor, a cookbook containing 100 recipes, from Caramelized Shallot and Feta-Labneh Dip to Icelandic Rye Bread, that are accessible yet rich in flavor. It’s also filled with information on how different cooking techniques bring out the most in every dish.

13. Foods of La Frontera: Recipes and New Taste Frontiers from Both Sides of the Border by Pati Jinich

In Foods of La Frontera, Pati Jinich offers 125 recipes to celebrate the region where the United States and Mexico meet. Rather than calling it the border, Jinich thinks about it as a frontier—a place of beginnings, opportunity, and rich, varied cultures. Dishes such as Tamales de Frijol con Chile Verde y Queso (Mashed Bean, Green Chile, and Cheese Tamales) and Enchiladas Navideñas de Pollo (Christmas Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas) demonstrate that the cuisine is more than traditional Tex-Mex, encompassing cooking styles and ingredients from across Mexico.

14. Happy Snacking, Don’t Die! Foraging and Vegan Recipes with Black Forager by Alexis Nikole Nelson

Alexis Nikole Nelson, also known as BlackForager on social media, uses her platform to educate others on foraging and cooking wild foods. In Happy Snacking, Don’t Die!—part foraging guide and part plant-based cookbook—Nelson shares her love for the outdoors and encourages people to safely embrace the abundance that surrounds them. Recipes include Magnolia Bud Tea, Stuffed Morels, and Potato Mugwort Pancakes.

15. How to Cook Everything Vegan: Build on the Basics for Exciting Plant-Based Meals by Mark Bittman

In the latest installment of the How to Cook Everything series, Mark Bittman makes plant-based cooking accessible and craveable. This collection of straightforward recipes covers everything from paellas and dumplings to ice cream and cookies. Bittman also includes technique and ingredient guides to help home cooks feel more comfortable and empowered in the kitchen.

16. Medicine for All People: Science and Ancient Wisdom for Revolutionary Healing by Geeta Maker-Clark

Integrative medicine physician Geeta Maker-Clark learned at an early age that food is medicine. But many people, she knows, didn’t have the experience. Even many doctors go without adequate nutrition training. “Food got pushed out of medical education,” Maker-Clark tells Food Tank. Medicine for All People encourages readers to embrace the healing properties of food, along with other medicines of the Earth, community, and the spirit that are ancient and urgently relevant. It also helps readers build their own kitchen apothecary, use breathwork to calm the mind, and integrate dance meditation into daily life.

17. Plant Teachings from My Auntie: Gathering Coast Salish Plants for Medicine, Textiles, Nourishment, and Ceremony by C’tasi:a, Geraldine Manson and Nancy Turner

Plant Teachings from My Auntie introduces readers to herbal remedies found in the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Geraldine Manson (C’tasi:a), a Snuneymuxw Elder and Traditional Knowledge Keeper, shares lessons from her aunt, Dr. Ellen White, to foster cultural understanding and ecological responsibility. Throughout the book are detailed descriptions of 65 different species and more than 130 beautiful color photographs to support accurate plant identification.

18. Reining in the Bulls: How to Stop Corporate Abuse in an Age of Unbridled Greed by Michael Marx

Corporations hold immense power that too often goes unchecked by government, leading to pollution, dangerous work environments, and defective or harmful products. In Reining in the Bulls, Michael Marx offers advocates practical guidance to challenge corporate abuses. Drawing from his experience pressuring companies to change their ways, he helps advocates understand, plan, and execute effective campaigns that can build more equitable and just systems.

19. Saved by Seeds: Embracing Diversity, Adaptation and Resilience by Chris Smith

In Saved by Seeds, Utopian Seed Project Founder Chris Smith makes the case for seed diversity. He explains how seed saving can build resilience, unpacks the beliefs holding us back, and offers guidance for farmers and gardeners of all backgrounds to play an active role in building adaptive, dynamic food systems. The book shows that seed saving isn’t just a practice of the past, but one that is still highly relevant and necessary to carry us into the future.

20. Seeding Hope: What Plants Teach Us About Being Human by Jack Algiere

As Director of Agroecology at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Jack Algiere has dedicated his career to scaling farming practices rooted in land stewardship, innovation, and community. In Seeding Hope, Algiere shares the lessons that he has learned along the way, highlighting how deeply connected humans are to the world around them. As Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns says, the book is ultimately “a portrait of the natural world as teacher, and an ethic for how to live, drawn from the ground up.”

21. Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food by Marion Nestle and Lisa Sutherland

Sugar Coated by nutritionist Marion Nestle and former Kellogg executive Lisa Sutherland, reveals the influence American cereal companies have on food policy and public health. The book digs into marketing tactics, from ads targeting children to health claims, that companies have employed to make these sugary foods the breakfast staple they are today. When did it become okay to feed kids vitamin-supplemented cookies for breakfast, “which is basically what kids’ cereals are?” Nestle asks.

22. Sustainable Agriculture in Ukraine: From Resource-Intensive Farming to Agroecological Systems by Sergiusz Pimenow, Olena Pimenowa, and Lubov Moldavan

Sustainable Agriculture in Ukraine helps readers understand how the country can transition to farming systems that are more environmentally sound and resilient—and why this matters for global food security. Economists Sergiusz Pimenow, Olena Pimenowa, and Lubov Moldavan break down the evolution of Ukrainian agriculture and how it fits into global food systems, while considering the trajectory of post-war recovery and offering a roadmap for a more sustainable future.

23. The Ecology of Food: Sustainable Food Systems and Diets edited by Nicolas Bricas, Damien Conaré, and Marie Walser

The Ecology of Food marks the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO Chair in World Food Systems, a platform created to increase and disseminate academic knowledge on world food systems. Broken into five parts, the anthology considers food as relationships, the dynamics of contemporary food systems, food and ecology, guiding principles of sustainable food systems, and the transformation of food systems. Together, these essays offer a well-rounded introduction to contemporary issues in food, farming, and nutrition.

24. Wine Liberated: The Ecological Revolution and the Vintners Inspiring Change by Adam Huss

Just a few grape varieties dominate the wine market today, a fact that prompted winemaker Adam Huss to ask if it’s possible to build something different. Several years ago, he launched the podcast “Beyond Organic Wine” to learn from producers who are rethinking wine. Now, in Wine Liberated, he takes a deeper dive into these questions to understand what it will take to transform the wine industry into one that is environmentally sustainable, diverse, and more delicious.

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 Food Tank’s Fall 2026 Reading List appeared first on Food Tank.

Framed as sustainable development, these projects restrict local access to traditional territories and resources, endangering livelihoods, cultural identity, and community rights.

The post Thailand : Luxury Tourism, Blue Carbon, and the Displacement of Small-Scale Fishers – Voices from Ao Kung Bay as Capital Advances appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

The 12th session of negotiations on a Binding Treaty opens in Geneva, aiming to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights violations and environmental destruction across their operations and value chains.

The post UN Binding Treaty process resumes in Geneva – Checkmate on Corporate Impunity appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

As the oil blockade cripples Cuba’s farms and food supply, the island is becoming a stark preview of what happens when fossil-fuel dependent agriculture collides with geopolitical and climate instability, and a powerful illustration of why an agroecological transition is becoming increasingly necessary.

In recent months, scenes from Cuba have become increasingly stark as access to energy, food, and water has become a daily struggle for most. The immediate trigger is fuel scarcity resulting from the de facto oil blockade imposed by the Trump administration since January 2026. But conditions on the island have been deteriorating for years, exacerbated by the decades-long blockade by the United States coupled with domestic structural challenges. Cuba, like most countries, depends heavily on imported oil to power its electricity grid, transport goods, and sustain its food system.

For ordinary Cubans, the consequences are dire. The state rationing system, once a pillar of food security, now covers only a small fraction of household needs. Market alternatives exist, but inflation has pushed them beyond the reach of many households. The average monthly wage is roughly US$20; a carton of eggs can cost half that. Food insecurity and malnutrition are no longer isolated concerns. They are becoming widespread.

Domestic food production has fallen for years. Staples such as rice, maize, and beans remain well below national demand. Farmers face acute shortages of diesel, fertilizer, animal feed, and spare parts. The consequences ripple across the food chain: land goes unploughed, irrigation systems sit idle, harvests are delayed, transport networks seize up, and food spoils before reaching consumers.

Today’s crisis is not a temporary disruption. It is part of a structural polycrisis in which energy scarcity, economic contraction, climate instability, and demographic decline reinforce one another. Cuba’s food system is not simply experiencing a bad moment. It is confronting the limits of fossil-fuel-dependent agriculture in an era of permanent instability.

Many proposed solutions—import more food, revive export-oriented industrial agriculture, restore fuel flows—remain trapped within the same agricultural paradigm that exposes it to crisis. They offer relief, but not resilience.

But Cuba’s story is not only one of crisis. It is also one of adaptation and resilience—and of a path not fully taken.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, Cuba abruptly lost access to fuel, fertilizers, and imported food. In response, the country embarked on an ambitious agroecological transformation.

Land was redistributed to cooperatives and family farmers who now manage more than 70 percent of agricultural land. Urban gardens spread through cities. Farmer-to-farmer networks trained more than 200,000 farming families in agroecological methods.

For a time, Cuba became a global symbol of what post-fossil-fuel agriculture might look like.

However, the transition remained incomplete.

As economic conditions improved intermittently, policymakers often shifted back toward conventional industrial agriculture. Agroecology was never fully institutionalized as the foundation of the food system. Instead, it was treated as an emergency substitute: embraced in crisis, sidelined in recovery.

That cyclical approach left Cuba with an unfinished transformation—and a food system still deeply vulnerable to external shocks.

Today, the constraints facing all types of farmers are immense. Beyond fuel shortages, they lack tools, seeds, equipment, refrigeration, processing facilities, and reliable transportation. Credit is scarce. Decades of outmigration have weakened the social fabric of rural areas. Bureaucratic hurdles remain high, and a centralized economy, coupled with state monopolies, leads to inefficiencies and stifles innovation. An estimated 40 percent of food produced in Cuba is lost before reaching consumers due to failures in harvesting, storage, transport, and processing.

And yet the productive potential remains considerable.

Critics often dismiss agroecology as idealistic or insufficiently productive. Yet the evidence increasingly points the other way. Global governance institutions now recognize agroecology as a comprehensive solution that goes beyond organic farming to redesign food systems around biodiversity, local knowledge, human health, and democratic governance, aiming to build resilience, equity, and local control rather than simply growing food differently.

Diversified agroecological farms in Cuba can produce around 7 tons of nutritious food per hectare annually—enough to meet the caloric and protein needs of roughly eight people. Scaling such systems across 200,000 family farms—covering just over two million hectares of the more than six million hectares of arable land—could enable Cuba to meet its national food requirements, with potential surpluses for tourism and export.

Recent reforms suggest renewed support for local agroecological food systems. Cuba’s 2022 Food Sovereignty Law and 2025 Agroecology Decree provide a framework for decentralizing food governance and supporting municipal food planning. But implementation remains uneven. After decades of centralized administration, many local governments lack the capacity and institutional culture needed to manage participatory, territorial food systems.

In June 2026, the government approved a package of 176 economic measures that open much of the economy to private actors. In July, it followed with a new Agricultural and Forestry Land Law that allows land rights to be inherited and transferred and opens idle state land to private businesses and foreign investors. Other new regulations give cooperatives the right to import inputs, export directly, set their own prices, form second-tier cooperatives, and partner with foreign investors. Decree-Law 161/2026 ends mandatory state intermediaries, lets supply and demand set prices, and creates an Agricultural Bank to finance the sector.

For cooperatives and family farmers, these changes could bring autonomy, fairer prices, access to credit, and secure land tenure. Second-tier cooperatives could pool resources for shared infrastructure, credit, and markets. But none of these measures explicitly prioritize agroecology. Without safeguards, they could concentrate land and capital in the hands of larger commercial players and pull production toward export and tourism markets instead of local food needs.

If agroecology is to move beyond rhetoric, it will require sustained investment in seed systems, irrigation systems, decentralized biofertilizer production, small- and medium-scale storage and processing facilities, transportation infrastructure, and renewable energy (solar, biodigesters, and wind turbines).

It will also require supporting the social infrastructure of transformation—farmer training, cooperative management, peer-learning networks, participatory governance, and local enterprises. And a rebalancing of roles across public institutions, new non-state actors, and civil society—each of which has a part to play in rebuilding a more resilient food system.

Funding that transition will require more than state spending or donor aid. Cuba must diversify its financing ecosystem – drawing on diaspora investment, impact capital, justice-oriented funds, climate finance, and local development banking alongside public and multilateral funds. But attracting that investment will require clearer rules, less bureaucracy, and more predictable economic governance. And of course, an end to the debilitating web of unilateral coercive measures imposed by the US for more than 60 years.

Done well, such investment could create rural jobs, reduce food waste, strengthen local economies, lower import dependence, and improve climate resilience—all while keeping wealth circulating within communities rather than flowing outward.

The lesson is clear. In a world of tightening constraints, resilience will not come from securing more oil and fossil-fuel fertilizers and pesticides. It will come from needing less of it.

For Cuba, that means embracing a transition already underway within its own agricultural traditions: toward agroecology, toward local production, and ultimately toward food sovereignty grounded in the strength of local ecosystems and communities.

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 Leidy Casimiro

The post Op-Ed | Blockade Against Cuba Exposes the Fragility of the Global Food System appeared first on Food Tank.

Concept Note and Programme 

Ahead of CFS 54 Plenary Session, the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism (CSIPM) for relations with the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is pleased to invite you to the closing of the  CSIPM Forum 2026. 

• Time and date: 18 October, 2026 at 16.00 CEST 
• Where: Università Roma Tre. Aula Magna, Dipartimento di Architettura. (Piazza Orazio Giustiniani 4, 00155, Roma)
• Modality: In-person 
• RSVP at cso4cfs@gmail.com

Why it is relevant 

Wars, occupations, violence, exploitation, the concentration of corporate power and climate disasters are tearing food systems apart. This is when multilateral institutions are needed most: they should be where governments cooperate, where rules are upheld and where power is held accountable guided by the principles of the United Nations, human rights and the 2030 Agenda.

Multilateralism rests on a principle: States are the duty-bearers for human rights, and their obligations apply to all. Today those obligations are being bypassed. Rules are applied selectively and double standards go unchallenged, while corporate power, including that of big tech, gains influence over public decisions.

What to expect

The session will bring governments, UN institutions and CSIPM organisations into dialogue on these questions. The first panel looks at the state of multilateral food governance, and the second at what the CFS should take up next. The session closes with the CSIPM’s key messages to the CFS 54 Plenary.

Consult the programme 

The post Human Rights, Not Rule of Might: Centring Grassroots Voices in Food Governance – CSIPM Forum 2026 Public Session appeared first on CSIPM.

SeaShare is working to transform donations from the fishing industry into meaningful nourishment for food banks across the United States. They are the only nonprofit dedicated solely to putting fresh seafood on the tables of families in need.

Through a nationwide network of fishers, processors, and distribution partners, donated seafood is helping to close the protein gap at food banks across the country. Donations span salmon and halibut to Alaska pollock, Pacific white shrimp, rockfish, catfish, and tilapia.

In all stages of life, from pregnancy to childhood to adulthood, there is strong evidence for health benefits of consuming seafood, reports the World Health Organization. Fish and other seafood can be excellent sources of protein, vitamins, and micronutrients. Seafood consumption during pregnancy is linked to improved birth outcomes, and adults who eat seafood regularly face lower risks of cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

A study in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics finds that the nutritional quality of donated food parcels in food banks is inconsistent. Food available at points of access like food banks often falls short of national dietary recommendations across developed countries, including the U.S.

“Protein can be expensive, and seafood is one of the more expensive forms of protein,” SeaShare’s Executive Director Hannah Lindoff tells Food Tank. “In general, protein makes up only about 2 percent of donations to food banks and is in huge demand.”

Since its founding 31 years ago, SeaShare has delivered more than 270 million seafood servings to food banks and feeding centers across the country. The organization grew out of the pollock industry in Alaska, where fishers chose to donate bycatch—which refers to fish that cannot be legally sold—rather than let it go to waste.

Relationship building and tax incentives have since encouraged regular donations of first-run, marketable seafood from the fishing and processing industry. Today, bycatch makes up just 8 percent of SeaShare’s total donations.

The nonprofit also works to ensure culturally relevant foods reach the right communities. Lindoff points to northern Washington as an example. “We have some surimi flake coming in so we reached out to an agency that serves a Korean community services center,” she says, “so we know that this product is going to people who know how to work with it and have a real love for the item.”

Seafood is obviously is highly perishable, requiring either canning or refrigerated transportation. SeaShare acts as a connector between fishers, processors, and food banks, ensuring donations move efficiently from source to consumer. In the contiguous U.S., SeaShare operates along established shipping routes, leveraging its partner Feeding America’s network of food banks to find distribution near the site of donation.

Nicole Candon, Director of Brand & Social Impact at Oddisea SuperFrozen, understands that distribution complexity. Oddisea SuperFrozen is a U.S. importer and distributor of seafood and a SeaShare partner. In 2025, they donated approximately 38,000 seafood servings through the partnership. Some of the seafood the company imports, though safe for consumption and high quality, cannot be sold commercially, leaving the organization in need of a responsible distribution channel.

SeaShare identifies appropriate food bank partners for the business and arranges direct pickups from Oddisea’s warehouse. “From there, the product moves through the food bank’s distribution network and is delivered to local communities,” Candon tells Food Tank. “Because seafood is so rare, our product was usually fully distributed within days of pickup.”

In Alaska, one of SeaShare’s key service areas, those distribution logistics become considerably more challenging. At times, SeaShare donates to highly isolated communities accessible only by boat.

“If we have a 30-pound box of salmon heading to an elder feeding program on an island with 65 residents, that donation is moving well outside of normal shipping lanes,” says Lindoff. “We rely on good partners at the Alaska seafood plants and within the air or barge freight companies who take the time to do the right thing and make sure our elders get this fish.”

Lindoff tells Food Tank she has been moved to tears as she speaks with food bank managers who report being “overcome” by the impact of SeaShare’s donations. She says she’s happy to be part of the solution.

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 SeaShare

The post SeaShare Is Closing the Protein Gap in America’s Food Banks appeared first on Food Tank.

Each week, Food Tank is rounding up a few news stories that inspire excitement, infuriation, or curiosity.

Medically Tailored Groceries Improve Health Outcomes

A new peer-reviewed study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease looked at patients receiving free, plant-based medically tailored groceries from a food pantry connected to a community health center.

The groceries include fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, and foods like nut butter. Researchers found that people who received more of the grocery packages had improvements in diastolic blood pressure, weight, and BMI.

This was an observational study, not a randomized controlled trial, meaning the researchers can’t say the groceries caused those improvements. And they didn’t find significant overall improvements in systolic blood pressure or blood sugar. But the findings are encouraging they’re another reason to keep studying what happens when nutritious food is more accessible.

Food is Medicine isn’t a new idea. Indigenous communities and cultures around the world have understood the connection between food and health for centuries. What’s changing is that the healthcare system is finally beginning to catch up.

Food Scrap Collection Services Grow

The Associated Press reported this week on the growth of small food-scrap collection services across the United States.

In Detroit, the company Scrap Soils collects coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetable scraps, and other food waste from homes and businesses and turns it into compost for farms and gardens. And this isn’t happening only in Detroit. There are now more than 400 food waste collection programs around the country including in Baltimore.

Food waste is often framed as an enormous, almost impossible problem.But solutions don’t always need to be so big. They can be a truck, buckets, a compost pile, and people who understand that what we call waste can actually be a resource.

Companies Fail to Grasp Supply Chain Vulnerabilities Caused by Climate Change

A recent analysis from the Food and Land Use Coalition is warning that many of the world’s biggest food companies still don’t fully understand how vulnerable their supply chains are to climate change.

Companies may model drought or extreme heat, for example, but don’t account for what happens when drought, wildfire, pests, deforestation, and water shortages start interacting with one another. And that’s increasingly the world farmers are operating in.

Climate change doesn’t arrive one problem at a time. That’s why resilience isn‘t just about developing a new technology. The world needs healthier soils, more diverse farms, better water management, better data, and supply chains that aren’t built around the assumption that tomorrow will look like yesterday. And companies need to invest in that resilience alongside farmers, not simply push the risk down the supply chain.

FAO Pushes for Investment in Dryland Forests

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is highlighting the need for more funding to support the world’s dryland forests.

These landscapes support communities, livestock, biodiversity, and food production, but they’re under enormous pressure from climate change, degradation, and unsustainable land use.

This is sometimes forgotten when talking about food systems. Food doesn’t begin and end on a farm. Forests are part of our food and agriculture systems. Water is part of our food system. Biodiversity is part of our food system. Protecting those resources isn’t separate from feeding people. It’s fundamental to it.

African Union Calls for Support for Climate-Resilient Seeds

The African Union is calling for greater investment in affordable, high-quality, climate-resilient seeds as countries across the continent confront drought, floods, rising temperatures, and growing food insecurity.

But there’s an important distinction here. Innovation shouldn’t mean telling farmers that everything they’ve been doing is wrong and handing them a new technology. Farmers already hold extraordinary knowledge about their crops, their soils, and their communities.

The best innovation happens when researchers, policymakers, businesses, and farmers work together—combining that knowledge with new tools and making sure farmers actually have access to them. Because the goal isn’t technology for technology’s sake. It’s helping farmers grow food, earn a living, nourish their communities, and become more resilient in a climate that is changing faster than any of us would like.

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 Arthur Medeiros, Wikimedia Commons

The post Food Tank’s Weekly News Roundup: Medically Tailored Groceries, Dryland Forests, Climate-Resilient Seeds appeared first on Food Tank.

It wasn’t that long ago that bison were scarce in South Dakota.

In just six years, that’s changed dramatically. Now, more than 1,100 bison roam the grasslands, already the largest Native-owned bison herd in the world and still growing. The Sicáŋğu Food Sovereignty Initiative is also helping community members learn to grow, produce, harvest, and prepare their own food, while workforce development programs support farmers, ranchers, aspiring entrepreneurs.

The name of the organization speaks for itself: This is not only a success story for one Indigenous group; it’s a success story for efforts everywhere toward food sovereignty.

“When I first started, [people couldn’t] really articulate what food sovereignty was or understand the importance of it. But now, people are seeing the urgency and that importance,” says Matte Wilson, Deputy Director of the Sicáŋğu Community Development Corporation.

The urgency of building food sovereignty in Indigenous communities is stark. Food insecurity levels among Native households in the United States are significantly above the national average. Indigenous people are “up to three times more likely to die from cardiometabolic diseases compared to other groups,” a Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems report notes. And tragically, this is no accident. Over recent centuries, federal policies have restricted traditional food systems, disinvested in reservations, interfered in organizing efforts, and more.

But when Indigenous communities set the terms for their own food and agriculture systems, land management practices, economic structures, cultural expression, and health policy, things change for the better. There’s deep wisdom in these foodways—wisdom that’s lasted thousands of years and can continue to protect and nourish communities to this day.

Michael Kotutwa Johnson’s work at the University of Arizona’s Indigenous Resilience Center, for example works to advance Indigenous resilience research, education, and outreach. And Johnson’s work in particular has focused on bringing back traditional varieties of Hopi crops.

Without biodiversity, “we have no true sustainability,” he says. “[These seeds are] a backbone of our community. They’re the things that survived us, and it’s taken us years and years to cultivate. So to bring them back home, finally, is very important.”

Within Indigenous models of food sovereignty, we also see concepts like Food is Medicine and local foodways as inherent truths. This is why acclaimed Chef Sean Sherman is so frustrated with the U.S. government’s new upside-down-pyramid model of dietary guidelines, he told us at Climate Week NYC a couple weeks ago. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, he created the RING Diet (Regional Indigenous Nutritional Guide).

“We’re all different people and that’s what’s beautiful about this one because it’s regional, so you can make rings everywhere and it can go global quickly,” he said at Climate Week. “The more we eat for health, the better off we’ll be and the more understanding we have.”

Those benefits extend beyond food systems, to all parts of people’s livelihoods. I love seeing how the First Nations Development Institute works to not just invest in Native food and agriculture systems but also to strengthen research and advocacy for Native economic justice, support the stewardship of Native lands, and help protect and amplify Native arts, language, and knowledge systems.

And the organization Native Agriculture Financial Services (NAFS) provides capital to support agriculture production, rural business development, and rural infrastructure for Native American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural communities.

“Health isn’t just about individual choices. It’s about community, environment, and the systems around us,” says A-dae Romero Briones, a Vice President at the First Nations Development Institute.

Across the entire food system, we would all do well to continue elevating Indigenous voices—and, for those of us who come from different backgrounds, deeply listening. How can we learn from these traditions to build stronger local food networks and more resilient land management practices everywhere? How can we advocate for food sovereignty in even more communities? How can we embed this interconnected understanding of food and environment and health into all parts of our political and economic systems?

None of us has all these answers, of course—but there’s no question that, the harder we work toward a food system model rooted in local sovereignty, the better off we’ll all be!

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 Anne Preble, Unsplash

The post Celebrating Indigenous Food Sovereignty Efforts that Drive Wide-Ranging Change appeared first on Food Tank.

La Via Campesina, hosted by its member organisation, the Assembly of the Poor (Thailand), came together on 7 October to raise a strong collective voice against the debt crisis and the neoliberal policies promoted by the World Bank and IMF, which have devastated rural communities, food systems, and people’s livelihoods.

The post The Collapse of Rural Agrarian Societies under World Bank-IMF Policies – Seminar & Press conference appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.