A vision for a climate-smart food future.

What we would eat.

A greater diversity of foods that allow us to celebrate our heritages, our regions, and our ecosystems.

• Beans and other legumes (lowest carbon footprint of common protein sources, culturally relevant in many cuisine types, and nutrient dense)

• Whole grains (specifically those grains and cereals that can grow in drought conditions and are very easy for farmers to grow)

• Leafy green vegetables (the most nutrient-dense food per calorie)

• Sprouts (since they grow rapidly and have 2-3x the nutrient density compared with before being sprouted)

• Nuts (specifically those with lower water footprints and grown in suitable agricultural areas)

• Seaweed (can be grown almost anywhere, grows rapidly and freely) and algae

• Cover crops (chaos gardens/the Milpa mix, i.e. peas, squash, radish, okra, melons, sweet corn, and other edible plants)

• Seeds (offer nutrients that are hard to get from other foods)

• Sustainable fish and seafood (certain species, caught in certain areas, raised in certain ways), including underloved/underutilized species and responsible aquaculture (including unfed marculture, i.e. bivalves)

• Regeneratively-raised livestock, raised as a part of a sustainable ecosystem with managed grazing and regenerative ranching, eaten minimally

• Seasonings and spices that are more local, diverse, and culturally relevant than the relatively small number used widely today

• Indigenous foods
 and foodways

• Seasonal and underloved produce (imperfect, twisted, bruised, unusually shaped, unusually sized, “ugly,” as well as lesser known varieties)

• Scraps and upcycled food products

• Heirloom, landrace, and local varietals: re-elevating items once beloved in a region (what was grown in an area and what disappeared--tied to both ethnicity and geography, including reflective on local terroir)

How food would be raised, grown, or produced.

Through relationship-driven, socially just, transparent, regional, multi-local foodsheds and supply chains that reward farmers for practices that create nutrient-rich produce (and thus bend the curve on year-over-year soil erosion and increase organic matter in soil).

• Inclusive, decentralized, and resilient: grown and raised by a more diverse, localized array of farmers and ranchers than the current industrial model 

• Regenerative (through composting, cover crops, crop rotation, and conservation tillage)

• Without pesticidal inputs or synthetic fertilizers

• Agroecological 

• Perennial

• Biodynamic

• Organic 

• Re-wilding, and creator harmony and balance between land used for agricultural production and surrounding ecology

• High yield (to feed a growing population with minimal burden with respect to land use, ecosystem and habitat loss, and deforestation)

• Generally not requiring a lot of water 

• Nutritious (benefiting human health, immune-boosting, offering personalized nutrition in the short term and disease prevention in the long term)

• Through innovations in indoor agriculture

• With minimal processing (closer to whole form when applicable)

• Made with saved, rescued, or upcycled ingredients
 

• Grown, raised, and processed by workers treated humanely and paid for the true value of their work (i.e., Fair Trade, Food Justice Certified, and other measures ensuring farmworkers’ rights; “do good/feel good”)

• In ways that sequester carbon, fix nitrogen

• Through managed grazing and regenerative ranching

• Through diversified farming and polyculture

How foods would be purchased, prepared, and enjoyed.

In-season foods that represent cultural diversity, including indigenous foodways, that respect people’s heritages, lifestyles, budgets, and personal preferences, and helps people feel empowered and connected.

• In a given terroir

• In bulk 

• Fermented

• With minimal packaging

• Packed and distributed in ways that are conscious of nutrient retention. Large companies may consider shorter shelf lives, and shorter cycles, if they preserve the original nutrients and flavors

• In ways that encourage mindful eating and relaxation

• In ways that afford confidence in the kitchen through hands-on, participatory food literacy acquisition and culinary skill development

• Root to stem, whole plant utilization

• Nose to tail, whole animal utilization

• Whole farm utilization

• In ways that increase population-level food security 

• In ways that at a minimum divert waste and increase food recovery, and at a maximum are circular

• In ways that celebrate sustainably-raised animals as critical parts of a resilient ecosystem, consumed minimally and mindfully as flavoring agents and special occasion items