Please join Food Tank as we showcase the essential role food systems play in addressing the climate crisis at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26). Register now to attend Food Tank and our partners’ programming virtually or in person by clicking HERE.
In partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation, Nourish Scotland, Aleph Farms, the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, and WWF, Food Tank will bring together food system visionaries, emerging leaders, and renowned experts in open dialogue and to highlight what is working and discuss ways forward in climate action.
Follow along below for our day-by-day coverage to learn how food and agricultural systems can offer solutions that support both people and the planet.
Saturday, November 6
The Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration was officially presented by 100 local governments at Glasgow City Chambers. Initiated by IPES-Food and Nourish Scotland in collaboration with Glasgow City Council, ICLEI, C40, the Under2 Coalition, and others, the declaration is a commitment by subnational governments to tackle the climate emergency through integrated food policies. Read more: Local government leaders sign the Glasgow Food and Climate Declaration at COP26
Because of their immense power, food and beverage companies can help support governments and civil society to achieve major climate goals—or, they can do the opposite. Dani moderated a panel at the Global Landscapes Forum hosted by Oatly. Read more: Climate goals require “radical action” from the food and beverage businesses
Sunday, November 7
While global forums have recently put a heavier focus on important topics like regenerative agriculture and food waste, healthy and sustainable diets are often left off the table. Food systems experts discuss how healthy and sustainable diets can drive positive outcomes for public health, local food systems, food workers, and biodiversity. Read more: “Food Can Be the Linchpin for Change” Across Global Issues
Philanthropy spends billions on issue areas that are implicitly connected to food systems, yet food issues are seldom explicitly addressed in funding strategies. Dani moderated a session exploring the ways in which philanthropy can help translate commitments made at global, national, and regional forums—like COP26 itself—from words and into action. Read more: Philanthropy’s Role in the Climate Emergency: “Transformation means challenging the status quo”
A new documentary by James Beard Award-winning activist and New York Times bestselling writer Raj Patel shows how the fight for climate action will also be a battle for food sovereignty, racial justice, and gender equality around the world. The film tells this story through the narrative of Anita Chitaya, a small farmer and local leader in the village of Bwabwa, Malawi. Read more: “The Ants and the Grasshopper” Shows How Denial Can Be a Win for Activists
Monday, November 8
The global population consumes about US$9 trillion of food each year, but the external cost of that food is more than double that—US$19.8 trillion. These costs are determined using True Cost Accounting (TCA), which measures the food system’s impact on human and environmental health, including diet-related diseases, contributions to water and air pollution, reduced biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, and more. Read more: True Cost Accounting to Drive “the Biggest Change in Farming Since the Industrial Revolution”
The Rockefeller Foundation launched the US$2 million Food System Vision Prize in 2020 to highlight inspiring and actionable visions for food system change. Taking these projects from vision to reality means bringing food systems to the forefront of global conversations surrounding climate. Read more: Regaining Power Through Food: Food System Vision Prize Winners Showcased at COP26
Tuesday, November 9
Climate change impacts human health in multiple and complex ways that vary across time and space, both within and across countries. These impacts are falling disproportionately on women and impoverished communities. Read more: Food security policy must consider local context: “Climate change and poverty are inherently sexist”
Especially in the last decade, the discourse surrounding the meat sector often oversimplifies a complex ecosystem down to good actors versus bad actors, but it’s important to think about the common issues all eaters are facing and how all sides can work together. Read more: What Does a Just Transition Look Like for the Meat Sector?
By locking carbon in soil through extensive root systems as deep as 60 feet (18 meters), grasslands and savannahs are essential for climate mitigation. Yet only a small portion of countries’ carbon plans reference the protection and restoration of grassland and savannah systems—instead, the focus is largely on forests. Read more: The “Runaway Train” Rush to Plant Trees Ignores a Critical Global Ecosystem
Wednesday, November 10
“The food system today is net-negative in terms of the hidden costs on all of us, on climate, and on nature,” says Joao Campari, Global Leader of Food Practice at WWF, “but we can’t phase out food the way we are fossil fuels.” Read more: Healthy and Sustainable Diets Are Critical to Reaching 1.5°C Climate Goal
