Food Systems Transformation
For decades, the industrial model of our food systems has eroded planetary health and human well-being.
Modern agriculture has made us reliant on high-input, low-resilience systems that are both accelerating climate change and deeply vulnerable to it. We are degrading our soils, losing our pollinators, increasing the risk of crop failure through monoculture and chemical dependence, and thus creating both food insecurity and environmental degradation.
Climate Bridges advocates for a holistic shift: the adoption of agroecology.
We can start with local projects, build bridges to regional programs, and together aim for global transformation. Agroecology is not a niche alternative, but rather a transformative approach that regenerates ecosystems, restores soil health, and builds resilient, nutrient-rich food systems that can thrive in a changing climate. Local, organic, real food, produced equitably, can become a win-win for people and planet, seen as nutrition for all. Together with our partners and community members, we are co-creating several initiatives towards these goals — read further to explore more!
Initiatives
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The Real Food Systems Youth Network (RFS) was created in 2019 as a place for youth to learn, share, and shine in the food systems space.
The network, embracing and supporting youth as essential food systems actors, has been affiliated with Climate Bridges from the onset, and in 2025 RFS was officially integrated into the Climate Bridges NGO as the RFS Initiative. RFS has always provided a safe space for youth to learn, grow, and network, and importantly showcase the amazing work of its members. RFS was instrumental in creating the FAO World Food Forum Agrifood Leadership Education Program (see ALEP description below) that grew from ten participants in the 2025 pilot program to 94 participants in the 2026 program.
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Real Food Systems developed this program with the FAO World Food Forum (WFF) Education Team in 2024, and launched the pilot year in 2025 with 10 participants. It was a huge success! FAO decided to expand the ALEP program to 100 participants in 2026, all young women, to honor the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer. There are approximately 2 participants per country for those with a WFF National Chapter, so that participants can develop a project with their chapter. After a series of classes and workshops, participants will refine their project proposals. Five projects will be chosen to represent ALEP Women 2026 at the WFF flagship event in Rome in October. FAO is curating the technical classes, with CB/RFS curating the "soft skills" classes (Conscious Food Systems; Mindfulness and Well-Being; Communications; Policy/Advocacy; and Understanding Financial Strategies). Importantly, because women are central in food production but undervalued and under-financed in most societies, a “gender lens” frames the entire program. We are excited to see how these strong and dynamic women are already emerging as leaders in food systems transformation!
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Partners
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INFORMATION ABOUT (HOW OF) PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION / CO-CREATION. MENTION BHUTAN SUMMIT.
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The Food and Climate Action Group is an action-oriented, member-driven independent coalition of 25+ international NGOs advocating for food systems transformation within the UNFCCC framework and other United Nations spaces. The group was founded in 2022 with diverse expertise, evolving from the 50by40 partnership network.
The coalition's mission is to support systemic change in food production and consumption, specifically to reduce our reliance on industrial animal-centric food systems, as a pathway to stay within the Paris Agreement targets. The group advocates for a shift towards more plant-rich, affordable, healthy diets, and equitable and resilient agroecological practices that benefit small-scale producers and local communities.
Real Food Systems has been a partner of this coalition for several years; Climate Bridges joined in 2026. Climate Bridges is aligned well with this group, which is similarly driven by collective impact. The coalition regularly publishes submissions and open letters to various UN agencies and platforms (it has also begun developing campaigns to increase plant-based foods in UN cafeterias and UN-related catering). Some examples of recent submissions can be found here.
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Women Leading Food Systems Transformation
We are raising funds to sponsor women farmers and food entrepreneurs to attend the first-ever Global Conscious Food Systems Summit in Bhutan from 31 August – 4 September 2026. Beyond the summit, they will benefit from a mentorship program for longer term impact.
Climate Bridges is closely involved in the programming of the event and has been invited by the UNDP Secretariat supporting the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit to be the thematic lead for the Women Leadership Circle.
Click here to learn more about the Summit.
