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about highlighting stories of hope, innovation, and success to help
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From women’s land access in Chad and urban green spaces in Australia
to chefs in the United Kingdom and the United States implementing
local and sustainable food sourcing—there are hundreds of innovations
giving us hope about the future of food.
Today, Food
Tank is featuring 101 bright spots in the food system that we hope
will inspire eaters, businesses, researchers, scientists, funders,
donors and policy makers to create—and support—a more sustainable food
system. Please share this list by clicking HERE.
1. Biologist Roger Leakey’s book, Tree
of Life, highlights the ability of trees to help feed the
planet. Through agroforestry—growing trees along with
crops—communities can increase crop productivity and overcome global
hunger and poverty, contributing to the livelihoods of more than 1.6
billion people.
2. According to Solar
Cookers International, solar
ovens help reduce toxic emissions and reduce greenhouse gases,
improving both human and environmental health. Solar
Cooker at CantinaWest provides resources to find solar cooking
classes in 18 states.
3-5. Chefs like Jose
Andres, Barton
Seaver, and Dan
Barber are making headlines for their innovative visions of
sustainable food production:
Seaver has evolved from a
seven-time restaurateur to an emerging explorer for National
Geographic. His restaurant, Hook, was named one
of the top eco-friendly restaurants in America for their
sustainable fishing practices, by Bon Appetit. Seaver is also
the co-author of Foods for Health, which will be released in
September.
Andres, who owns ten restaurants, heads the Think
Food Group, empowering healthy food advocates around the globe.
An executive chef, Barber is the co-owner of Blue Hill and
Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and the author of his forthcoming book, The
Third Plate, written to inspire Americans to think
sustainably about food and agriculture.
6. The EAT
Forum, held in Stockholm this year, brought together leading
scientists, business leaders, and political minds through a series of
lectures and information sharing.
7. The
James Beard Food Conference aims to break down the silos that
exist among public health practitioners, foodies, farmers, and chefs
in New York City; October 27 and 28, 2014.
8. According to
the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
raised bed “keyhole” gardens improve the nutrition
of at risk communities in AIDS/HIV affected regions of Africa.
These vegetable beds use compost and recycled waste water to grow
crops, even in dry months.
9. The World
Food Program’s (WFP) School Meals program works across the globe
to provide meals to 18.6 million children, often in the
hardest-to-reach areas.
10. The municipality of Jakarta,
Indonesia, recently planted 40,000
fruit trees to provide free food to citizens and help tackle air
pollution.
11. Over the last decade, the area of organic
farmland in the European Union increased by 500,000
hectares each year.
12. Women make up 24
percent of organic farm managers in the European Union and 41
percent in Latvia.
13. According to Olivier De Schutter,
U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food from 2008 to 2014, most
international agencies such as the World Bank and the U.N. Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), now “acknowledge
the necessity for each country to ensure its food production and to
invest in local food systems.”
14. In 2013, French
Minister for Food and Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, announced he
wanted France to be a leader in agroecology. He hopes half of
all French farms will adopt agroecological methods by 2025.
15. In December 2013, the European
Union banned neonicotinoid pesticides for two years.
Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides that are suspected to kill
bees in large numbers.
16. The U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) proclaimed 2014 the International
Year of Family Farming. There are 500
million smallholder farms worldwide and more than two billion
people in the world depend on them for their livelihoods.
17. The expansion of urban agriculture projects and initiatives like
Incredible
Edible in the United Kingdom, Growing
Power in Milwaukee and Chicago, and Sydney
Green Square in Australia, show the growth of vibrant and
sustainable urban environments.
18. In India, Navdanya
conserves more than 5,000 heirloom crop varieties including vegetables
and medicinal plants, helping preserve agricultural biodiversity and
improving resilience to climate change.
19. The
organization, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF),
organizes work exchange programs in more than 60
countries, allowing would-be gardeners to learn organic and
sustainable agricultural practices while traveling around the
world.
20. Eaters are becoming more active in the link from
farm to fork. LocalHarvest
lists more than 30,000 family farms and farmers markets, along with
restaurants and grocery stores that feature local food.
21.
More and more young people in the United States are deciding to become
farmers. John
Agostinho’s path to farming full-time took him from a
technological career in New York City to an ever-growing flock of
sheep in the Hudson Valley.
22. In October 2013, 83
non-governmental and international organizations joined the Global
Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative, which “seeks
to make agricultural and nutritional data available, accessible, and
usable for unrestricted use worldwide.”
23. An
increasing number of participatory online tools such as, Fruitmap
and PlantCatching,
are making it easier for people to access fresh, locally grown food in
their communities.
24. Permaculture, along with other
agroecological techniques, have the potential to reverse
the process of desertification in extremely dry areas.
25. Aquaponic ventures, such as The
Plant in Chicago, may have the potential to sustainably intensify
food production by combining plants and fish in an energy-saving,
efficient way to grow lots of food in a small amount of space.
26. Underexploited indigenous foods, like jackfruit
and sand
rice, are offering solutions for food security in the face of
climate change by surviving in degraded and nutrient poor soil
conditions.
27. Several global organizations, including Young
Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) and the Global
Fund for Women, are working to empower
women and youth by giving them confidence to lead their
communities, express their rights and opinions, and become engaged in
leadership positions in local governance.
28. Food rescue
initiatives like the Pig
Idea in London are working to recycle food waste from supermarkets
and restaurants.
29. Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens in the United Kingdom operates a vast seed
bank project, which preserves wild relatives of crucial crops to
protect food security against the threat of climate change.
30. Farmer’s markets are continuing
to grow across America. With 8,144 farmers’ markets in the U.S. in
2013, an increasing number of eaters are able to put a face to their
food.
31. Youth worldwide are rising to promote sustainable
food systems. The Slow
Food Youth Network started Disco
Soup: events that embody how youth can collectively act in order
to tackle global issues such as food waste.
32. According
to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), insects
have promising potential as an alternative protein food source,
with both environmental and health benefits.
33. Brazil’s
National School Feeding Program run by the Ministry of Development
has proven to be an effective tool to ensure the right to adequate
food. To date, the program has reached 45 million students in almost
250,000 schools. Similar programs are now being adopted in various
African countries.
34. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, students
from the University of Sarajevo are conducting intercropping
and hydroponics field experiments in order to improve the quality
and quantity of food produced in the country.
35. Family
farming accounts for at least 56
percent of worldwide agricultural production.
36. In
Syria, raising
backyard poultry has helped citizens find a sustainable way to
sustain local food security and nutrition.
37. The U.N
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is implementing projects in
the western Chad region of Kanem that give land
access to women groups for food production. Greater access to land
has led to improved agricultural production, higher incomes, and a
decrease in malnutrition.
38. The SAVE
FOOD initiative, led by the U.N Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), has gathered more than 150 public and private sector partners
to address the issue of food loss and waste in developing
countries.
39. Young
Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) is one of many
networks across the world connecting young people and promoting
agriculture as a career option. YPARD has developed e-services for
information dissemination as well as mentorship programs, workshops,
and trainings for youth.
40. The Global
Soil Biodiversity Initiative is recognizing the importance of soil
to sustainable agriculture and committed to understanding what happens
beneath our feet. They’ve developed a platform for promoting and
translating expert knowledge on soil biodiversity into policy and land
management.
41. The
Savory Institute advocates for healing the land through holistic
livestock management and promotes the creation of a symbiotic
relationship between animals and the land.
42. Community
Supported Fisheries (CSF), like Skipper
Otto, connect consumers to small-scale fishermen, help local
communities, and promote sustainable fishing. “There is an intrinsic
value on keeping more eyes on the ocean,” says Shaun Strobel, Skipper
Otto Product Director.
43. In Wisconsin, United States,
Keil High School’s new Agricultural
Research Center wing enables high school students to learn
agricultural skills and connect with the source of their food.
44. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture
in the Classroom program brings guest speakers into schools to
teach about agriculture. In 2013, 45,000 students were reached.
45. The Uganda
Rural Development and Training Programme (URDT) is the first
African university initiative dedicated to providing technical
agricultural training women.
46. The World Agroforestry
Centre
has discovered that diverse
forestry systems—forests that contain different types of trees—are an
effective measure against soil erosion.
47. Vermont became
the first state to sign a GMO
labeling law, which will go into effect July 2016.
48.
More chefs are beginning to serve sustainable seafood in 2014, like Red's
Fresh Seafood House and Tavern in Southwest Florida and Surair
Catering Services in South America.
49. Mazingira
Institute and Nairobi and Environs Food Security, Agriculture, and
Livestock Forum (NEFSALF), are transforming urban agriculture in
Nairobi through workshops and trainings.
50. Slow Food
USA's Slow
Meat Program, will hold a conference June 20-22, 2014 in Denver,
to highlight sustainable meat production and identify and develop
points of intervention between the journey from field to fork.
51. The
Food Chain Worker Alliance and Restaurant
Opportunities Centers (ROC) United work on improving workers'
wages through a list of policy recommendations, including indexing
federal wages for tipped employees.
52. American
Heritage Livestock Conservancy ensures the health and biosecurity
of heritage and traditional livestock and poultry breeds.
53.
AVRDC- The World Vegetable Center improves crop varieties and
production methods in developing countries. Their two improved tomato
varieties are at the heart of increasing harvests, production, and
processing in East Africa, which in turn, raises incomes and creates
jobs.
54. New farmers’ organizations that match young
farmers with seasoned mentors are growing in popularity, such as Iowa
State’s volunteer mentor program and the National
Farmers Union’s Beginning Farmer Institute.
55. The Rainforest
Alliance now provides grade-specific
curriculum to educate young people about biodiversity conservation
in the world’s rainforests.
56. In Vermont, according to Brattleboro’s
Equitable Buying Club, food sharing programs make local food more
accessible to hungry populations.
57. The Barilla Center
for Food & Nutrition’s Double Pyramid allows eaters to
compare the nutritional aspects of food along with their environmental
impact.
58. In California and Iowa, sisters Ruth
and Shauna Rabinowitz manage their family’s farm using
conservation agriculture methods. They represent a model of women,
operating a business while also incorporating environmental
stewardship including no till, prairie strips, and timber
management.
59. Eaters can now screen the film Terra
Firma, a story of three female veterans with posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), who found healing through farm life.
60. FarmNet,
in New York, provides prevention and crisis assistance measures for
farmers facing mental health issues, such as depression. They offer
free, confidential consulting services and operate a hotline for
farmers in distress.
61. Slow
Food Cycle Sunday in Pemberton, British Columbia, is an annual
bicycle tour of regional farms, connecting “town folk and city folk,
consumers with their food, and people with the land.” In 2013, the
tour had more than 4,000 participants.
62. Chefs and
farmers are forging new partnerships to bring local, quality food to
consumers. Food
Shed in California, Noma
in Denmark, and Bondir
in Massachusetts are among many of these farm-to-table restaurants.
63. National Geographic investigates the Future
of Food in an eight-month series about strategies to feed a
growing population “without
overwhelming the planet.”
64. Restaurant Opportunities
Centers (ROC) United’s 2014
Diners Guide to Ethical Eating highlights the employee standards
of the most popular restaurants in America and encourages consumers to
engage with restaurant management about raising the minimum service
wage.
65. This April 2014 the International
Institute for Environment and Development in London held a seminar
to discuss how providing energy services to smallholder farmers in
developing areas could help to increase food security.
66.
Australian
Women in Agriculture (AWiA) has created a network connecting women
in the agricultural industry to each other and to useful resources.
67. Poor children in the U.S. are especially vulnerable to
issues of hunger and malnutrition when school is not in session.
Fortunately, programs like the Summer
Food Service Program provide kids with school lunch programs
during summer vacation.
68. Thanks to the USDA’s
Food and Nutrition Service, it’s now easier for consumers to use
SNAP benefits at their local farmer’s market.
69.
Sustainable breweries like Full
Sail Brewing Co. in Oregon filter out brewing wastes to feed to
livestock who wind up on plates at their brewery pub.
70.
Share-a-Share
programs in Nebraska provide underprivileged families with
community support agriculture (CSA) scholarships, giving them the
opportunity to eat locally-grown produce throughout the year.
71. Brooklyn’s Food
Book Fair brings well-known authors, chefs, publishers, and
designers together to discuss hot food topics.
72. Chef and
food justice activist, Bryant Terry’s, fourth book, Afro-Vegan:
Farm Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Food Remixed
defines good food as being an everyday right, not just a privilege.
73. Nineteen-year-old author, Emily
Abrams, inspires young adults to embrace climate activism through
food consciousness. Her book, Don’t
Cook the Planet, has tips for eaters about how to reduce
carbon footprints while eating more sustainably.
74. Two
state prisons, in California and New York, will begin
farm-to-table programs that hire inmates to grow food on site.
75. Panera
Bread’s new
food policy proposes to eliminate artificial ingredients in its
1,800 locations by 2016.
76. Region-specific food labels,
like ASAP’s
Appalachian Grown, now allow consumers in Western North Carolina
and the Southern Appalachian Mountains to identify foods that are
grown locally and organically.
77. The Missouri
Botanical Gardens Herbarium Collection of plant species just
discovered a new type of flower, bringing their collection to 6.5
million specimens.
78. Tristram Stuart’s organization,
Feeding the 5000, will highlight the importance of eating ugly
vegetables and food that otherwise would have been wasted at an event
in Nairobi later this year.
79. Palau, a small Pacific
island country, may decide
to ban fishing vessels from it entire Exclusive Economic Zone, in
an effort to improve the sustainability of tuna populations.
80. A new app called
PareUp helps to minimize food waste by providing restaurants and
food shops with a forum to announce when they have excess food and,
rather than throw it away, offer the food to app users at a discounted
price.
81.
Chipotle has made the decision to voluntarily disclose the
presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their food, with
a long-term goal of removing them to the fullest extent possible.
82.
Grow Dat Youth Farm in New Orleans creates job opportunities for
high school students in the field of urban agriculture through a
19-week program, during which youth participants learn a variety of
skills related to growing, cooking, and selling organic vegetables and
fruit.
83.
India will help Kenya bring down production costs for smallholder
farmers by providing inexpensive farming equipment, for which Kenya
currently has a deficit.
84. In an effort to curb endemic
food waste, British retailer
Waitrose will start selling a “weather-blemished” fruit
line—rather than throwing out the ugly fruit, it will be sold at
discounted prices.
85. Writer and farming activist, Gary
Paul Nabhan,
proposed that farmers adapt to new climate conditions by planting
drought-resistant crops.
86. Launched by former Trader
Joe’s president Doug Rauch,
Daily Table is a market for expired food in Massachusetts, which
takes tax-deductible food donations from other grocery stores and
provides produce and other perishables for consumers who could not
otherwise afford them.
87. Sainsbury, the second largest
chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, has partnered with Google
to create
Food Rescue, which provides recipe inspiration for using up old or
forgotten ingredients in an attempt to prevent food waste.
88.
The Green Bronx Machine is dedicated to growing, re-using,
resourcing and recycling landscapes, and teaches inner-city kids and
adults from the Bronx, New York, about urban farming.
89.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)
Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program will provide US$48
million in funding to help rural businesses across the U.S., including
farmer-owned cooperatives, to establish rural-urban partnerships and
make infrastructure upgrades.
90. Fair Trade tea company,
Bhakti Chai, invests in female tea pickers in India who belong to
the
Self-Employed Women’s Association and give 90 percent of earnings
back to their families and communities so that their daughters can
receive an education.
91. The
Land Institute is rethinking agriculture by developing perennial
grains, a multi-year alternative to soil-eroding annual crops.
92. GrowNYC provides a venue for over 230 small family farms
to sell local products directly to consumers in Greenmarket,
a network of outdoor urban farmers markets.
93. Sustainable
Rural Development improves and implements efficient and
sustainable farming practices throughout Vietnam, bolstering community
organizations and empowering local farmers.
94. A Voluntary
Drought Initiative has been recently created by the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, to protect and recover sensitive species
of salmon.
95. The Sustainable
Agriculture Project in Haiti has planted four model farms in the
regions of Cap-Rouge and Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite, which offer
organic farming training to aspiring farmers.
96. The
Bangladesh Federal Agriculture Organization (FAO) is currently
working on a project to promote food security in the country through
enhanced agricultural production as well as the promotion of
diversified sources of income and value addition.
97. The
Slow Food Foundation recently
held a training meeting for their Thousand Gardens in Africa
project in Mbour, Senegal. The project aims to propose sustainable
agriculture models that most effectively use the available resources
of nations.
98. The Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto, a
conference for the world’s food communities,
will be held on October 23-27 in Turin, Italy. Hundreds of
delegates and small-scale farmers from around the world will connect
to build relationships and develop innovative ideas to address their
countries’ challenges.
99. Food
security challenges for the 21st century were recently addressed
at the Global Food Security Symposium hosted by the Chicago Council on
Global Affairs. The Symposium is dedicated to finding sustainable
solutions to problems in the food system.
100. The
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
hosted a conference in May 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, about
how to strengthen resilience for both food and nutritional
security.
101. Chef and activist, Alice Waters, was named
one of
Time Magazine’s most interesting people, for her work on the
Edible Schoolyard Project to empower children and teach them life
skills through education about food.
SHARE
this list! What bright spots do you see in the future of food? Send
Danielle your comments and suggestions at Danielle@foodtank.com!
All the best,
Danielle Nierenberg
President, Food Tank
foodtank.com
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