The 21st Century Food System We Deserve

Ricardo is Director and Senior Scientist of the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He leads a team of scientists, economists, policy analysts and organizers to transition our current food system into one that grows healthy foods while employing sustainable and socially equitable practices. He is a member of the Board of Agriculture and National Resources of the National Academy of Sciences, and of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food. He has advised a range of leading organizations in sustainable and equitable agriculture, including the Food Chain Workers Alliance, the Fair Food Program of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Food System 6, and the HEAL Food Alliance.

 

Our food system does not serve most of us well because it is premised on antiquated worldviews which have sanctioned the exploitation of both people and nature. Therefore, we need to depart from historical visions of the food system, and design and implement a new system that assures a supply of food that nourishes all and builds environmental capital. This will entail drastic shifts in land use, ownership structures, production methods, education and the role of government, the components of which are already in place. A key element of this will be the successful case that government policy should support the public good by improving public health, livelihoods, and environmental integrity, while also mitigating climate change and attaining social equity.

 

 This session will be presented in English with Spanish interpretation.