Jordan Chamberlin, an agricultural economist and a principal scientist at CIMMYT, works with his colleagues to understand the constraints farmers face and how they allocate their resources. All of this helps the team target “the bottlenecks for unleashing the potential farmers have,” he tells Food Tank.

In Kenya, producers are working in rainfed systems, which are “inherently risky,” Chamberlin explains. He notes that many solutions being developed for farming systems aim to harness big data and analytics to provide better predictions and site-specific advice that will help producers thrive. But these tools don’t account for everything. 

CIMMYT’s researchers acknowledge that each suggestion provided by these new and emerging tools demand investment from farmers upfront. But recommendations to adopt a new technology or follow a set of practices to grow their crops doesn’t offer the full picture. Farmers may not understand the potential or the risks associated with that approach, making them reluctant to make a change. Knowledge can empower them to make more informed choices. 

“We’re trying to ask: How do we think about the information that we present to farmers to clarify what the value proposition is if we’re trying to encourage technology change on smallholder farms that don’t have a lot of resources?” Chamberlin says. 

In agriculture, however, the return on investment can take years to see and in the face of inconsistent rainfall patterns, pests, and price uncertainty, it’s not always easy to predict. That’s why Chamberlin’s modeling is trying to “better characterize that kind of variability.”

Once researchers have the information, the next step is to share it with farmers who are often coming from different educational backgrounds. 

“Some of the work that we’ve done indicates that farmers respond better to information about the variability of financial returns,” Chamberlain tells Food Tank. And they’ve seen that presenting this clearly can help producers “overcome some of the inertia in the face of all this uncertainty.”

Listen to or watch the full conversation with Jordan Chamberlin on Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg to hear more about how we can better mitigate risks for farmers, what CIMMYT is doing to help producers improve soil health, and the effects of funding shocks and conflict that are rippling through communities. 

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The post In Kenya, Better Information Helps Farmers Manage Risk appeared first on Food Tank.

After fierce debates over issues including the year-round sale of E15—a fuel blend of 15 percent ethanol—and pesticide provisions, reports emerged that the vote on the legislation would be delayed. But lawmakers were able to reach a consensus and passed the Bill with a bipartisan vote of 224-200. 

Anti-hunger advocates had hoped the House would revisit changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) seen in the tax and spending bill last summer, but those have remained in place. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that one in eight participants will lose access to some food relief as a result. 

“People don’t understand how bad it’s going to be,” Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University, tells Food Tank. Across her home state of Arizona, food pantries are already seeing lines grow longer. But because the worst won’t be felt for months to come, it will likely take a while for the effects to sink in. “A lot of people who are going out to vote in November won’t realize that the safety net is pulled out from under them.”

Representatives did, however, remove a provision designed to shield pesticide manufacturers from health-related lawsuits tied to their products. 

“I don’t like a lot of what’s in this Farm Bill. It doesn’t excite me,” Merrigan tells Food Tank. “But I have to say that pesticide victory was sweet.” The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement likely played a role in this win, she acknowledges.

“We’re seeing this pesticide issue being a tipping point right now in food and agriculture policy,” Merrigan says. “And a lot of this has really bubbled up through the MAHA movement.”

From here, the Senate will take up the Farm Bill, with a markup expected in late May or early June. If they succeed in passing the legislative package, it will be the first Farm Bill since 2018. “They typically are on an every five year timeline,” Merrigan explains. “We’re very much overdue at this point.”

But Merrigan believes that a new Farm Bill isn’t something to celebrate if it’s compromised, and she hopes that lawmakers will act to protect farmers and eaters. “I would say the costs of having success in the Farm Bill—if the Farm Bill looks like what just passed in the House—is not worth it. We need to stand tall.”

Listen to the full conversation with Kathleen Merrigan on Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg to hear more about what else may change with this legislation, the impending impacts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s reorganization plans, and what lies at the heart of a successful Farm Bill. 

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The post What the House Farm Bill Means for SNAP, Pesticides, and U.S. Food Policy appeared first on Food Tank.

Despite their size, arthropods, which refer to insects and other invertebrates including ticks, spiders, and centipedes, have a significant impact on food systems. They can “cause a huge amount of damage in the agricultural value chain,” by destroying crops in the field or post-harvest, Sunday Ekesi, icipe’s Deputy Director General for Research for Development, tells Food Tank. Some species are also vectors for disease that threaten the wellbeing of humans and animals along with the livelihoods of farmers. 

icipe’s research addresses these challenges, but they also see the “beneficial aspects of insects,” Ekesi says. This might mean using insects to fortify cereals or create a high-protein animal feed, supporting the ecosystem services offered by pollinators, or creating opportunities to improve the livelihoods of those in the food and agriculture sector. 

This last point is particularly important for future farmers and researchers, Ekesi explains. “We have a very young generation on the continent compared to our colleagues in the Global North,” he tells Food Tank. Sensing a responsibility, icipe feels they have a “huge role” to play in supporting young people. This requires the institute to leverage new technologies, train young people in entrepreneurship, and invest in capacity building. 

Ekesi is clear that this work isn’t about getting young people any job. Rather, it’s about “creating a dignified job.” icipe wants to see the next generation use their careers to support their livelihoods while strengthening the broader ecosystem. They hope it will lead to the development of even more economic opportunities that will support the sustainable growth of the African continent. 

Listen to the full conversation with Sunday Ekesi on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear about how icipe is working to control infectious diseases spread by insects, how their research can be used to improve global food and nutrition security, and what organization is doing to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of foreign development aid.

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The post Creating Dignified Jobs for Youth through Agricultural Research and Innovation appeared first on Food Tank.

The book focuses on the power of catch shares, a management strategy to curb overfishing that allocates a portion of a fishery’s catch to an individual or group. 

Rather than pressuring fishers to race into the waters each season, Leland says this system creates more flexibility for them to fish any time of the year. Fishers also see rewards for allowing stocks to replenish. As populations increase, what fishers can catch—and their potential income—grows with it. 

Leland, who serves as the Executive Director of the Environmental Defense Fund, calls this a “built in incentive program.” And she tells Food Tank that this solution represents “a fundamental change” for fisheries management. 

But Keith “Buddy” Guindon, the book’s protagonist, didn’t begin as an advocate of catch shares. Fisheries were collapsing around him in Texas as support for this new system grew, but he staunchly opposed it, believing restrictions would further threaten coastal communities.

As Sea Change explains, conservationists were not the greatest allies of fishers historically. It was “epically true” that the environmental community blamed them for the overfishing crisis, Leland tells Food Tank. “The argument was ‘this is all collapsing because of you’…when in reality they were stuck in a broken system.”

As researchers worked with the fishers to implement a catch shares program for red snapper, however, Guindon couldn’t deny the benefits that he was seeing. Fish populations were not just stable, but growing; and fishers around him were filling their boats while saving on time, labor, and operating costs. In the past, he had warned his children to avoid the industry. But the success gave him certainty that a different, more hopeful future was possible. 

“That creates a whole new way for them to think about the business and what kind of investments they want to make…and that’s better for the community because there’s a much more stable job force in Galveston.” 

Guindon “becomes the biggest champion” of catch shares, Leland says. And he begins pushing for the same approach to be applied to other species and regions, seeing the success spread. 

Leland acknowledges that there are still more challenges in global blue foods systems to tackle, but it’s important to recognize wins like those in Guindon’s community. “Celebrate the progress, recognize where there’s still work to do,” she tells Food Tank, “and focus on solutions that are going to address those continued issues.”

Listen to or watch the full conversation with Amanda Leland on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about the unlikely partnerships that led to the establishment of catch shares, how this solution has been scaled globally, and some of the emerging challenges that fishing communities are facing in the face of government funding cuts today. 

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The post From Collapse to Comeback: How Fishers And Environmentalists Are Restoring Oceans appeared first on Food Tank.

For more than 50 years, SEWA has fought for the self-reliance of women, advocating for fair wages, healthcare, insurance, housing and access to markets and training. Their network includes vendors and hawkers, producers, labor and service providers, and home-based workers.

“We come together as poor, as women, and as workers, no matter what caste, community, or religion they belong to,” Reema Nanavaty, Head of SEWA, tells Food Tank. “We come together to build our collective strength in our fight against poverty.”

In a country that remains an agrarian economy, more than half of SEWA’s members are farmers or agricultural workers. And as the climate crisis places a greater strain on food production, men in rural areas are seeking opportunities in cities, leaving women responsible for farms. “There’s a feminization of agriculture happening,” Nanavaty says. 

But SEWA reports that many women farmers are still constrained by gender discrimination, including the lack of land ownership and access to key resources. And the worsening heat and extreme weather events threaten to exacerbate the inequities further.

Unseasonal rains, floods, and cyclones are damaging crops and reducing working hours, leading to a reduction in income. “Everybody was thinking that the climate crisis would eventually come,” Nanavaty tells Food Tank, “but the reality is that climate stress happens twice or thrice in a month.”

Over time, household food security suffers, women are unable to pay their bills, and the risk of eviction mounts. This has forced many of SEWA’s members into the fields, even in life-threatening conditions. That’s why SEWA is making it a priority to build resilience to the climate crisis.

Parametric climate insurance offers one solution. When measurable indicators, such as temperature or rainfall, surpass a predetermined threshold, the women enrolled in the program receive a payout that keeps them both financially secure and safe. According to Nanavaty, 20,000 of SEWA’s members signed up for their program in 2022. Since then, awareness of the program and its impact has grown. By 2025, roughly a quarter of a million people were enrolled.

The Association also launched a climate school, where women can learn about the climate crisis and find new opportunities to support their livelihoods. The climate educators teach women about the climate crisis, the causes, and how they can mitigate its effects.

A second group Nanavaty calls “climate entrepreneurs” helps households move toward cleaner energy sources. They “generate the demand for adaptation” through solutions like solar-powered precision irrigation pumps and efficient electrical appliances. Women receive commission based on their level of involvement supporting the transition.

These solutions, SEWA believes, are essential. “We are not here to fight a government or a trader or a contractor,” Nanavaty tells Food Tank, “but how do we fight poverty and earn a life of dignity and self respect?”

Listen to the full conversation with Reema Nanavaty on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear about how SEWA is expanding on their parametric insurance program, the social and environmental benefits of clean cooking, and the Association’s vision for the next 50 years.

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The post As Climate Stress Grows, SEWA Equips Women Farmers With New Tools appeared first on Food Tank.

Pretty, an Emeritus Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex, launched Story for Climate and Nature Recovery to explore how people can build agency in the face of today’s most pressing challenges. The channel’s videos, each five to ten minutes in length, cover topics around storytelling, climate, and nature.  

“Transformations are hard. They’re psychologically difficult, physically difficult to do,” Pretty tells Food Tank. But, he asks, “how do we talk about these things without increasing anxiety and stress?”

Too often narratives of nature loss and the climate crisis are overwhelmingly negative, Pretty says. And while there is a time and place for this messaging, he voices caution about relying too heavily on fear.

“We have to choose our moments when we talk about the bad stuff really carefully because it’s scaring people,” Pretty states. “Maybe scaring them is not the right thing to do. Maybe people are scared enough.”

But Pretty believes that stories, when crafted skillfully, can inspire action and lend strength, helping communities tackle challenges that are both old and new. The best ones, he argues, do three things: They map multiple pathways forward, create agency, and bring people together.

“It’s about the journey that we go on and how we acquire that inspiration, that feeling that we’re not alone, that humanity has been doing this forever,” says Pretty, noting that imagination will be key.

“Imagine things,” Pretty tells Food Tank, “because that’s going to give us a sense of a range of possibilities in front of us.”

Listen to or watch the full conversation with Jules Pretty on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear about the buy-in that’s needed from communities to drive systems change, the power of rituals and celebrations, and the vulnerability we need to move forward.

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The post Beyond Doom and Gloom: Transforming Climate Anxiety into Agency and Action appeared first on Food Tank.

“Agroecology has been feeding the world and will continue to feed the world,” Rosinah Mbenya, PELUM Kenya’s Country Coordinator, tells Food Tank.

The organization advocates for practices including organic, regenerative, conservation, bio-intensive, and biodynamic agriculture; family farming; agroforestry; and permaculture. They do not promote genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or the use of synthetic agricultural inputs.

Some critics of agroecology believe this approach is only for small-scale farmers, Mbenya explains. But she disagrees, stating that the practices can also be used in larger operations. “I think it’s the future,” she says.

But investment is needed to help farmers transition to agroecological techniques at scale. When compared to the financing available for conventional farming, the amount directed toward agroecology “is still very, very low,” Mbenya tells Food Tank. This is something both the private sector and governments will have a role to play in addressing, she says.

“We really need to ensure that we…are fast tracking the investments in agroecology, because there is a lot of work that needs to go into capacity building,” Mbenya says. But she remains hopeful this can be done. “I’m looking forward to seeing more and more investments, more and more interest in the agriculture sector.”

Listen to or watch the full conversation with Rosinah Mbenya on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to learn more about recent policy wins for farmers, what’s attracting the next generation of Kenya’s young people to pursue careers in agriculture, and the financing that will catalyze an agroecological transformation.

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The post PELUM Kenya Is Advancing a Vision for Climate-Smart Farming appeared first on Food Tank.

Ronni Kahn founded OzHarvest in 2004, inspired to take action to prevent massive volumes of food from ending up in the landfill. Kahn was working in the event industry at the time and noticed that she was regularly tossing leftovers. “It was actually unconscionable,” she tells Food Tank.

This realization drove her to deliver the surplus to nearby charities. Seeing social and environmental benefits of this work motivated her to continue. “It became so fulfilling and so much more rewarding than my paid job,” says Kahn. When she decided to commit herself to this work full time, it led to the birth of OzHarvest.

Over the last two decades, the organization has evolved significantly, expanding beyond food rescue. To engage young people, they launched FEAST, one of several education programs they run. In a 10-week term, their curriculum for primary and high schools teaches students about sustainability, nutrition, and cooking. It’s “creating little eco-activists and climate warriors,” Kahn tells Food Tank.

And through OzHarvest Ventures, they advance commercial solutions by launching, partnering, and scaling mission-driven businesses aligned with the nonprofit’s work. “Innovation is in our DNA,” says Kahn, who now holds the title of the organization’s Visionary in Residence after stepping down as CEO last year. “I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, but clearly what I care about most is innovation, creating, and recreating.”

The products supported by OzHarvest Ventures fit into a circular economy model, repurposing ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste. Conscious Drink, for example, is a non-alcoholic beverage made from rescued blueberries and indigenous aromatics. Oh! Lemonaid is a sparkling lemonade made from imperfect lemons that couldn’t make it to market. The sales from OzHarvest Ventures then help the organization deliver meals to those in need.

“We really have to redesign society,” Kahn tells Food Tank. “Some people probably think I’m completely mad—they probably always have, and that’s okay—but I have set a goal that we need to end hunger because we’ve created it, so we can uncreate it.”

Listen to or watch the full conversation with Ronni Kahn on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about OzHarvest’s food waste solutions, bringing dignity to supporting neighbors, and “Voices of Australian Farmers: A Love Story,” presented by Food Tank and OzHarvest coming to the Adelaide Fringe Festival on February 20, 2026.

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The post ‘Innovation Is in Our DNA’: How OzHarvest Is Turning Surplus into Solutions appeared first on Food Tank.

The Council is headed by its President, Cary Fowler, the former Special Envoy for Global Food Security at the U.S. Department of State, and its Executive Director Anna Nelson, the former Deputy Special Envoy. They are supported by 25 Council members as well as a growing team of distinguished fellows.

“I don’t want this government to lose the partnerships that we’ve developed with other countries,” Fowler tells Food Tank. These relationships “would pay a lot of dividends for us in the future.”

The central focus for the Council is to create a set of actionable recommendations for future policy leaders, which Nelson describes as “more of a manual than a white paper.” 

The goal, Nelson says, is to create long-term solutions—a challenge when the government often focuses on the short-term. She adds that this must be done in partnership with others, stating that “the U.S. can’t retreat from the global stage.”

Agricultural research and development, particularly when conducted alongside international institutions, is one focus for the Council. 

Fowler and Nelson believe this is more important than ever in light of the current administration’s actions. The Trump-Vance Administration recently pulled funding for all but one of the Feed the Future Innovation labs—a network led by U.S. universities that worked to address some of the greatest challenges in agriculture and food security. 

“What’s really made this country great, nationally and abroad, has been our commitment to research and technology,” Fowler tells Food Tank. “That’s something we walk away from with great peril.”

Fowler explains that this work with international organizations brings mutual benefits. “We shouldn’t be thinking that our investment with the Innovation Labs was just a big giveaway program to people in other countries.”

Fowler sees innovation in the sector as a 50-year pipeline, stating that “the kind of benefits you get from investing in research can last for half a century.” 

Watch or listen to the full conversation with Cary Fowler and Anna Nelson on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about the significant financial returns that come from investment in agricultural development, what it will take to rebuild the trust that has been lost in the last nine months, and how the Council’s work can offer lessons to other nations. 

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The post Shaping U.S. Leadership on Global Food Security Amid Political Shifts appeared first on Food Tank.

Last year 8.2 percent of the global population faced hunger—down from 8.7 percent in 2022, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report from the United Nations. But in African countries, where 20 percent of the total population is food insecure, the same downward trend is not being seen.

By 2030, “60 percent of people in hunger [in the world] will come from Africa,” Torero tells Food Tank. This projection is based on current data and it’s likely to worsen as countries pull back on international aid. Torero expects that the consequences of these decision will hit Africa the hardest. “That’s where I see the major impact of the reduction on [official development assistance] and on humanitarian support from developed countries.”

The cuts will not only hurt food and agriculture systems, Torero explains. It will also hit the health and education sectors, “which are crucial for the agri-food system to be able to provide and reduce hunger and improve nutrition.”

Torero, however, tries to find the good in this concerning news, and he is hopeful that national governments can find ways to use the funding available more efficiently. 

“It’s a continent that has this amazing institutionality,” Torero tells Food Tank. “They know the priorities. They know what they want to achieve. The fact now is that governments need to take action and find a way to resolve this gap in support that they are not going to have in the next [few] years.”

Watch or listen to the full conversation with Maximo Torero on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear about unlocking the potential of Africa’s youth through opportunities in food and farming systems, what’s driving food price inflation to outpace global inflation, and our job to drive the “wild horse” that is AI. 

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The post When Aid Declines, Hunger Rises: The Cost of Cutting Humanitarian Support appeared first on Food Tank.

The nonprofit serves 2,000 patients per week across over 160 zip codes, delivering medically tailored food boxes at no cost. The recipients might be living with hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol, and the foods distributed are curated to help them manage their condition. 

Food is Medicine is an opportunity to “get fresh food to the people who need it most,” Dion Dawson, the Founder and “Chief Dreamer,” at Dion’s Chicago Dream, tells Food Tank. But with the sector valued at around US$25 billion, he also believes it’s a market opportunity. 

“How do we continue to use this market to stabilize the organizations and businesses who have committed themselves to serving healthier recipients…all around the country?” Dawson asks. Part of the answer, be believes, lies showing those in power that programs like his are successful. There are “amazing results,” he says, “and we have to continue to show that it’s working.”

If medically tailored meals or produce prescription programs can expand, Dawson sees the potential for a domino effect. “If we give people more access to healthier food, we can start that process of changing behaviors,” he tells Food Tank. “But you can’t change behaviors without the food.”

In addition to their Food is Medicine work, Dion’s Chicago Dream offers grocery delivery to food insecure neighbors around Chicago—dropped off directly at recipients’ homes or put in secure lockers in participating stores called Dream Vaults. They also stock a community fridge in the neighborhood of Englewood with fresh fruits, vegetables, and water.

Dawson is aware that his organization’s work will only become more urgent in the face of federal funding cuts as eaters lose vital nutrition assistance benefits and food banks and pantries struggle to secure the resources needed to serve their communities. 

“I cannot undersell how different things are going to look in the next couple of years,” Dawson tells Food Tank. He says that there is an increasing need for organizations to become creative in developing solutions that can fill the gaps. 

“It’s on us,” Dawson says. “We have to make sure that we’re digging deep because we can feel the impact but we have to keep that hope and that optimism because that makes it a little bit easier to wake up every day and figure out how we can best serve the people.”

Listen to the full conversation with Dion Dawson on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about how Dawson’s own experiences with hunger and homelessness has shaped his work, why Dion’s Chicago Dream refuses to rely on volunteers, and how organizations can continue to nourish people in times of political upheaval. 

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The post ‘It’s On Us’: Dion’s Chicago Dream Fights Hunger and Builds Wealth appeared first on Food Tank.

FreshRx Oklahoma, a Tulsa-based nonprofit food prescription program, is already showing how this model can work in practice. Founded and led by Erin Martin, the organization works to deliver measurable health outcomes through their produce prescription program. They strive to help individuals managing chronic conditions like diabetes reduce A1C numbers, preserve the ability to work and live fully, and keep families and communities thriving. 

“If we say we care about equity,” Martin asks, “why would we give the communities with the worst outcomes the cheapest food?”

The program offers significant healthcare cost-savings, Martin says. “We’ve probably saved the state of Oklahoma over US$5 million,” she tells Food Tank, “while spending just a fifth of the typical cost to treat someone with chronic illness.” That’s important when the U.S. is experiencing what Martin calls a “financial crisis in healthcare.”

FreshRx creates trust by hiring from the community, including program graduates, and offering high-quality, locally grown food. In addition to receiving ingredients, participants are invited to take part in cooking demos and educational opportunities that are designed to be hands-on and culturally relevant. Martin explains that the participants are supported along their journey. 

Engagement rates have jumped from 15 percent to over 85 percent, she tells Food Tank. People are showing up, cooking, sharing, and  encouraging each other. “Food is our Trojan horse,” Martin tells Food Tank. “It brings people in. But what we’re really doing is healing.”

But systemic challenges remain. Funding can be inconsistent and insurers are sometimes hesitant to support the program, Martin explains.  But that’s beginning to change as organizations like FreshRx Oklahoma prove that Food is Medicine initiatives yield tangible results. 

With the passing of the new Food is Medicine Act, FreshRx Oklahoma is hopeful that more states will follow suit. “Having the legislative backing, having the hard conversations will eventually get [us] over that hill,” Martin tells Food Tank. From here, “we can get additional metrics [and] as that ramps up, we’re going to see more and more insurers adopt this.”

Listen to the full conversation with Erin Martin on “Food Talk with Dani Neirenberg” to hear more about the work of FreshRx Oklahoma, how to make the case for Food is Medicine to policymakers, and the benefits these programs offer to farmers.

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The post Rooted in Health: How FreshRx Oklahoma Is Redefining Healthcare through Food and Community appeared first on Food Tank.

Many conventional practices are “not friendly,” to the natural environment, leading to soil degradation, Moti Jaleta, a Senior Agricultural Economist with CIMMYT tells Food Tank. 

That’s why CIMMYT is working to introduce the idea of sustainable intensification, an approach that increases productivity while bringing positive social and environmental impacts. Minimal or zero tillage, crop rotation, and intercropping can all help farmers prevent soil erosion.

“We are trying our best to introduce conservation practices that help farmers reclaim their lands and also bring back soil fertility and then make it more sustainable for use for the next generation,” Jaleta says. 

In addition to crops, farmers in the Highlands typically raise animals as part of an integrated crop-livestock system — one that CIMMYT wants to help optimize. “They’re interdependent,” Jaleta tells Food Tank, explaining that crop residue can be used as animal feed. “They are supporting each other.” 

Listen to the full conversation with Moti Jaleta on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about the sustainable practices that CIMMYT is helping farmers adopt, the impact of declining development assistance on the future of agricultural transformation in sub-Saharan Africa, and the AI tools that are helping food producers adapt to changing weather patterns. 

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The post Soil First: Protecting Ethiopia’s Farmland for the Next Generation appeared first on Food Tank.

Hungria, a researcher with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), is credited with helping Brazil become an agricultural powerhouse. But her methods weren’t always widely embraced.

The World Food Prize laureate attended school in the 1970s, a time when when crop yields were seeing dramatic increases as a result of the Green Revolution, characterized by the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides. But Hungria was interested in microorganisms, and she believed they offered a solution that didn’t require farmers to rely so heavily on synthetic chemicals. She called it a micro green revolution.

The pushback that Hungria received from her teachers and peers was significant. “Everybody said that I had no future with biologicals,” she tells Food Tank. But Hungria persisted. In her research, she proved that it was possible for farmers to apply less fertilizer, thereby cutting greenhouse gas emissions, while also improving their yields and livelihoods.

And through her career, farmers remained central to her work, Hungria says. “Every research that I did, it was because a farmer came to me to talk about something. It was because a farmer came [to me] or I met a farmer in the field, and he told me what he wanted and what was happening, and that gave me ideas to do my work.”

Read more about Mariangela Hungria’s work in a new piece on Forbes, and watch or listen to a conversation with the World Food Prize laureate on a new episode of “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg.”

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Photo courtesy of Lucas Friederich, Wikimedia Commons

The post Dr. Mariangela Hungria Is Driving an Agricultural Revolution for People and Planet appeared first on Food Tank.

FOLU works in seven countries to “rewire food systems to help solve climate change,” Morgan Gillespy, the coalition’s Executive Director, tells Food Tank. 

Many members in FOLU’s network came to this work concerned about the environment, Gillespy explains. As their work to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions unfolded, they saw the many advantages their efforts—when framed correctly—can also have on health, diet, biodiversity, and people’s livelihoods. 

Some may call this systems thinking or silo-breaking, Gillespy says, “but really it’s identifying the co-benefits that we believe are achievable through the lens of food systems.”

This year, COP30 will take place in Brazil this November—and Gillespy is hopeful that it will build on the progress the food movement has celebrated over the last four years as they connect the dots between food production, consumption, and the climate crisis. 

At COP26 in Ireland, the government focused on forests, “which was a huge step forward,” allowing advocates to broaden the climate conversation to include food and agriculture, Gillespy says. At COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, “food finally made it on the scene,” through the UAE Declaration on Food and Agriculture. By signing the Declaration, more than 160 world leaders pledged to put food and agriculture front and center in their climate policies.

This year, Gillespy sees another significant opportunity, pointing to the Brazilian Government’s newly released action agenda for the Conference. Of the six pillars, one is focused on food and agriculture, with sub-elements honing in on land restoration, climate adaptation, and food security. 

“This…is the most comprehensive inclusion of food systems that we’ve had to date in a COP,” Gillespy tells Food Tank. She also adds that the COP30 Presidency is adamant that this year’s COP will prioritize implementation—it isn’t one for vague commitments and target setting. 

“We’re thrilled that COP30 is really going to be yet another unique turning point on food systems.”

Listen to the full conversation with Morgan Gillespy on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about why she’s optimistic about Brazil’s potential to put food and agriculture at the center of climate negotiations at COP30, how to make the business case for climate action, and how small changes can lead to big breakthroughs to drive transformation.

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 Karsten Wurth, Unsplash

The post Can COP30 Be a Turning Point for Food and Climate? appeared first on Food Tank.

CornerJawn takes a Food is Medicine approach to corner stores, stocking them with nutrient dense produce in urban neighborhoods. 

Inspiration for CornerJawn struck during the COVID-19 pandemic, Barfield explains. She became curious if corner stores, which are often more accessible than larger supermarkets, would carry more than a few items of produce that might be needed to round out a recipe. 

While on a walk, Barfield stopped at several corner stores around her neighborhood to ask owners if they would consider stocking more variety. At each one, she received the same answer: No.

“It was a business decision purely, and that made sense to me,” Barfield tells Food Tank. “You’re not going to buy something that’s going to die on the shelf.” She realized that a mindset shift would need to take place, and wanted to offer a model that demonstrates what corner stores can be. 

At CornerJawn, Barfield strives to create a shopping experience where eaters can learn about the produce they’re buying and the nutritional benefits they offer. She also wants them to feel comfortable with the options available. 

“It’s very important for us to stop limiting food options, but at the same time, keep things culturally relevant for the communities that we’re in,” Barfield tells Food Tank. “I want to make sure that nobody feels like nutrient density is above them.”

Barfield thinks deeply about eaters’ connection to their food. “I want people to see the quality of food relates back to their health,” Barfield says. And she sees this relationship between food and wellbeing extending far beyond the individual. “How you eat now isn’t just about you. Food is about lineage. It’s about everyone in your bloodline before you and the ones that are coming after you.”

Listen to the full conversation with Christa Barfield on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about how corner stores can nourish communities, Barfield’s regenerative organic production model at her 128-acre farm FarmerJawn, and how Barfield’s travels in Martinique helped her transition from a career in healthcare into one in agriculture. 

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 FarmerJawn

The post Christa Barfield Wants to Flip the Script on Corner Stores appeared first on Food Tank.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports the virus has affected well over 150 million poultry in commercial and backyard flocks in the United States. And 17 states have reported outbreaks in dairy cows.

But since President Trump took office, Adalja tells Food Tank, the flow of information on the virus has slowed. “What we’ve seen is a real dearth of information coming from the federal government in terms of the avian influenza outbreak on poultry farms, on dairy cattle farms. We’re sort of blind.” This, he says, makes it harder to monitor and respond to outbreaks.

Although the current risk of the virus to humans is low, as reported by the CDC, the spread to humans and other mammals is concerning to Adalja. The more times the virus is able to infect these other species, “it will start to mutate, to be able to thrive in a mammalian organism.” This jump is what gives a virus the potential to become the next pandemic. “That’s what we worry about,” he says.

Adalja notes that there are steps that can be taken now to prevent and control the spread of the disease, including diagnostic testing, vaccine development and stockpiling for humans and animals, and the use of personal protective equipment by the farmers and farm workers who come into contact with infected animals most frequently. But, he tells Food Tank that despite the many tools within reach “they’re not being used optimally—and they’re not being used optimally by choice.”

Learn more about why public health experts are concerned about the spread of bird flu—and what can be done—in a new piece on Forbes by clicking HERE.

And watch or listen to the full conversation with Amesh Adalja on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about how federal funding cuts are making it harder to prevent and contain bird flu, why politics are getting in the way of pandemic preparedness, and why a coordinated global response is so important to protecting people everywhere.

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 Brett Jordan, Unsplash

The post We’re Dropping the Ball on Avian Flu Preparedness—Dangerously appeared first on Food Tank.

Since its founding in 2011, the Fund has invested US$33 million through 617 grants in 96 countries. The hope is to “usher this wave of activity for agroecology,” Daniel Moss, Co-Director of the Agroecology Fund, tells Food Tank

At its core, “one shorthand for agroecology is farming with nature,” Moss explains. It sounds obvious, he says, but in many cases, “we viewed nature as an enemy,” seeing pesticides and herbicides as a solution to tame the natural environment. 

Agroecology is also a science and a practice of movement building, Moss adds. “The food system is controlled by very narrow economic interests and to make changes, you need a movement that can propose and push policies and, importantly, hold them accountable in their implementation.” 

To advance these goals, the Fund prioritizes participatory grantmaking, which Moss refers to as a model of trust-based philanthropy. They work to develop deep connections with social movements and create space for funding recommendations to come from those who are closest to frontline change networks. 

The Fund tries to remain flexible, allowing for experimentation from their partners. Instead of mandating particular projects or initiatives, they ask grantees to share solutions that seem to be most effective in their local context. There will be mistakes, Moss says, but partners will revise and adapt their approach until they get it right. 

It will take around US$430 billion to transition to agroecological and regenerative food systems, according to estimates from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food. Current funding represents roughly 10 percent of that. 

Moss acknowledges that, despite an increased investment in the space in recent years, food businesses and policymakers will need to play a role. “There’s no hubris here that the philanthropic sector is going to be the main investor in agroecology and push it over the finish line.” But, he says, support from philanthropic organizations can help communities demonstrate the power of agroecology and “prove their case to bigger funders” like governments. 

Listen to the full conversation with Daniel Moss to hear more about the work of the Agroecology Fund’s partners, the opportunities that agroecology creates for women and youth, and hopes for the 30th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil.

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 the USDA NRCS

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Organic Valley holds membership agreements with the roughly 1,600 farmers who make up the co-op’s network. These agreements represent “a commitment to know that you have a market with us for now and into the future,” Shawna Nelson, CEO of Organic Valley, tells Food Tank. 

This means that Organic Valley will help farmers navigate supply and demand in the marketplace to ensure that they’re producing the right amount, Nelson explains. Farmers aren’t “seeing the instability that potentially exists in the market,” she says. “It’s pretty big, when you think about it” 

The co-op tries to think about the best ways to support farmers across the spectrum, whether they are entering into farming, looking to transition from conventional practices to organic, or putting together succession plans for their land as they prepare for retirement. And Nelson says that their professional services and staff across the country allow them to work with more producers than before, determining how best to meet their needs—and it’s working. 

“We’re seeing lights turn back on in some of the barns that weren’t running a year ago, two years ago, five years ago,” Nelson tells Food Tank. “We’re figuring out what the gaps are that farmers are facing and how we, as a co-op of many farmers coming together, help solve those challenges.”

Nelson believes this model is sustainable, offering security far into the future. “I’m hoping that we can continue to set our cooperative up for generations to come.”

Listen to the full conversation with Shawna Nelson on “Food Talk with Dani Neirenberg” to hear more about how Organic Valley is providing the economic support as farmers transition to organic, protecting the co-op’s members from the risks of avian flu, and how branching out into oat-based dairy alternatives is supporting Organic Valley’s existing network of producers.

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 Daniel Quiceno, Unsplash

The post Turning the Lights Back On: A Co-op Model for a More Secure Farming Future appeared first on Food Tank.

Uncertainty is “inherent” in agriculture, Larew says, and it’s something producers are accustomed to. But under the Trump-Vance Administration, he tells Food Tank that the uncertainty “seems to be placed on us by our leaders, our elected leaders.” 

The National Farmers Union is one of the oldest farm organizations in the United States and the second largest farm organization, representing a diversity of farms. “But I think across the board, this uncertainty and additional stress is affecting nearly everyone,” Larew says. 

According to Larew, the funding cuts, such as those supporting local food procurement, are partly to blame. They “pulled the rug out from underneath so many farmers here,” Larew tells Food Tank. He points to West Virginia, where several farmers in their network had “amazing contracts” with schools and food banks that gave them a more secure market. But that’s now gone.

Larew says that staff and members from NFU have met with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and they are waiting to see if she follows through on recent promises to put small and medium farms first. But, he adds it doesn’t make sense to disrupt existing networks while still talking about the need for it.

NFU is also keeping an eye on tariffs and the escalating trade war. Larew believes tariffs “have a role” in trade policies. But he calls those imposed by the Trump-Vance Administration “unprecedented attempts to try to bully the rest of the world into policy change.” The consequences for farmers, who can’t be sure where they can sell their products, is more uncertainty. 

Although the White House announced that they would consider bailouts for farmers if the harm from the trade war continued, Larew argues that this isn’t what they want. And while he notes that the desire to provide aid is appreciated, he says, “as farmers, we want to get our prices out of the marketplace…Hope for a government bailout is certainly not the approach that any farmer I know wants to have.”

Listen to the full conversation with Rob Larew on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about concerns about the capacity at USDA, why food and agriculture policy can’t pit farm and nutrition priorities against one another, and hope for action on antitrust enforcement.

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 Jed Owen, Unsplash

The post Uncertainty on Top of Uncertainty: The Political Instability Facing Farmers appeared first on Food Tank.