Independent Dialogue
Geographical focus:
United States of America
Major focus
The focus of this dialogue was to explore our local food system’s current challenges and opportunities to build sustainable partnerships for the future. All five of the action tracks were discussed among various sectors of the food system, stakeholders, community organizations, institutional partners, government leaders and community members. Common key words throughout the summit were centered around human rights, governance, policy, data, innovation and empowering our community to take part in advocating for an equitable food system. There is a need to improve transparency, gain trust and
... Read morebuild partnerships to develop a strategic roadmap for a resilient food system that can flourish despite any shocks or stressors. Planning future forums will help align ideas, programs, and help to identify roles of stakeholders and community members so that we can transform our food system. To ensure a more equitable food system, improving policy was an important theme throughout the dialogue. Changing policy to improve agriculture, land use, food procurement, and health disparities in our community will be key to changing the current infrastructure and roadblocks that we have in our food system. To advocate for policy change, obtaining data on our local food purchasing, production, and distribution is needed. Additionally, innovation and investments at all levels of the food chain is crucial for sustainable changes. Technology advancements throughout the food chain, from farmers to consumers, will be key in addressing disparities. Stakeholders in the food service industry should have an opportunity and role to think creatively on new ways of addressing food insecurity to ensure there is nutritious food for all. Lastly, community engagement and participation will be the foundation to addressing many of the challenges in our food systems. A common theme among all breakout groups was to focus on education and getting the community more involved in learning about the food system. Building a strong education and communication plan will help connect the community to local initiatives and support advocacy to strength our food system. Suggested education topics included learning about the food culture from past ancestors, growing your own food, connecting food to health, and the understanding the economic and environmental impact of shifting to a sustainable movement. Read less
Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Keywords: Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Finance, Human rights, Innovation, Policy