Food is such a central and powerful connector between people. We all eat. Most of us cook. And frequently we socialize and bond with friends and loved ones as we prepare and enjoy meals. The food we eat also has a significant impact on our earth. It’s estimated that half of the planet’s usable land is utilized for food production through direct or indirect methods [1]. The agricultural industry, and other associated industries, are responsible for producing roughly 25% of the global greenhouse gas emissions [2]. Currently, between 25-30% of total food produced is lost or wasted before it can be consumed. Nearly 14% of food grown or raised is lost to post-harvest impacts (i.e. rotten, never harvested, wrong size/shape for sale, etc.) [3]. It is also estimated that 821 million people are undernourished and hungry while over two billion adults are overweight [4].

Many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations, aim to address hunger, human health, agriculture, and land use. Climate change will continue to make it increasingly difficult to meet the global demand for food as the population continues to expand. Global leaders will need to enact creative and alternative measures to feed the world while preventing the worst impacts of climate change. The non-profit Slow Food has been working to address these issues by advocating for progressive policy reform and educating populations about sustainable food production and consumption since the late 1980s. Slow Food believes that everyone should have access to good, clean, and fair food, with an emphasis on local food, cultural and traditional practices, and move towards slower, deliberate growing, cooking, and eating. I interviewed a former employee of Slow Food USA to gain insights about the type of reforms they are advocating for in collaboration with federal and international politicians and policy makers.

Slow Food, like many non-profits, closely tracks policies that are moving through Congress. They actively engage with policymakers, congress members, and the general community to garner support for particular bills or initiatives. Frequently, Slow Food will emphasize federal level policy and generate support for particular bills across the country by having chapters of Slow Food sign on in support of legislation. Recently, Slow Food USA has been working to promote the Farm System Reform Act (S.3221) calling for an immediate moratorium on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and their environmentally detrimental waste lagoons. Slow Food USA also works closely with the public to educate them on topics related to food access and environmental impacts of agriculture in order to generate public support for federal and state-level policies.

Slow Food employees that work in the policy division write and distribute policy memos and briefs that are distributed to other chapters of Slow Food USA, partner organizations, and policymakers. Slow Food does not have experience with introducing or crafting custom legislation but they are interested in expanding into this sector and would like to work with congress members to introduce legislation together. Additionally, as of now, they are not employing any lobbyists to advocate for particular legislation. While Slow Food doesn’t currently participate in many international climate policy negotiations, they do hold annual international conferences that focus on developing ways to engage local communities as well as big banks to divest from the animal agricultural industry. Slow Food has not officially participated in a COP to date; however, it’s my opinion that organizations like Slow Food would provide a unique and helpful perspective in the global context of hunger, food production, and climate mitigation.