Sustainable Food Organizations That Fight Climate Change

Andrew Parker

May 28, 2020

We hear it day in and day out: we are facing a global environmental crisis. A recent United Nations report explained that the world could soon face a global food crisis if changes aren’t made. The report went on in detail to explain that certain agricultural practices contribute to global warming, while global warming simultaneously makes farming more difficult and threatens the food supply. While that all sounds to be way too big of an issue to tackle on our own, don’t despair just yet! There are various sustainable food organizations that are working to address some of the issues that the United Nation’s report honed in on. And the good news is: you can help fight climate change by donating and supporting these organizations! The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change created the report called Climate Change and Land, with the help of over 100 experts from 52 different countries. The report found that land use activities- like agricultural production and deforestation- create approximately one-third of all human-produced greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute greatly to global warming.

Global warming leads to severe weather phenomena like drought, flooding, extreme rainfall, and temperatures. All of these conditions make it even harder to produce food, the New Food Institute explained. The report also said that if changes aren’t made to agricultural production then this global warming cycle could lead to a food security crisis. The New York Times indicated that 10% of the world’s population is already undernourished and that number will likely increase if changes aren’t made to secure sustainable food production. The UN report recommended reducing food waste, increasing plant-based consumption, improving sustainable agricultural practices, and engaging in reforestation. These things can help create a more secure food future, as well as fight climate change. These are the organizations we mentioned that are working to achieve many of these goals!

Activists hold signs as they participate in the Power Shift '09 rally on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol March 2, 2009 in Washington, DC. Youth activists called for urgent congressional actions on climate change, energy and the economy

Getty Images/News/Alex Wong

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC): NSAC’s webpage notes, “NSAC’s vision of agriculture is one where a safe, nutritious, ample, and affordable food supply is produced by a legion of family farmers who make a decent living pursuing their trade, while protecting the environment, and contributing to the strength and stability of their communities.”

Groundswell International: According to Groundswell’s website, the organization works in various countries to promote sustainable agricultural practice and to strengthen rural communities to build healthy farming and food system from the ground up.”

The Land Institute: According to the organization’s vision, “The Land Institute and our partners are not working to tweak the now predominant industrial, disruptive system of agriculture. We are working to displace it. We believe it is possible to provide staple foods without destroying or compromising the cultural and ecological systems upon which we depend, but only if we understand and work with the constraints and capacities of those natural systems.”

The Sustainable Food Trust: They work to create “just and sustainable food systems” as well as emphasize that it uses its “influence to advocate [for[ food production systems that are diverse and integrated, those that work with natural systems, and obey the law of return so they can be truly regenerative to the earth, and its plants, animals and people.”