Are you seeking to better understand and be an agent of change in the world of sustainable, resilient regenerative food systems?  Below is an ever-growing list of resources, websites, and articles as well as opportunities for learning, certification, and continuing education credits. Seeking a Master’s Degree? Check out the options at the bottom.

ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS,  NGO’s & GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES  & GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR CURRENT FOOD SYSTEM AND OUTLINE IT’S IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE:

1. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a subgroup of the United Nations that assesses climate-related science

   1. Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems.
2. Planetary Health Alliance is a collective of over 200 universities, non-government organizations, research institutes and government entities from all over the world that seeks to understand and address changes in our environment and the consequences to our health
3. Our World in Data: “Environmental Impacts of Food Production”.  A comprehensive article that details with helpful graphics that various impacts of our food system have on the environment and climate crisis.
4. The World Resources Institute is a research organization working with professionals in over 60 countries to achieve sustainable solutions in seven topic areas: climate, energy, food, forests, water, cities and the ocean
5. World Health Organization: “Our Planet, Our Health, Our Future”  This report discusses Biodiversity, climate change and desertification, three interlinked issues relevant to human health.
6. World Health Organization: “Sustainable healthy diets: guiding principles”.  This report of  guiding principles takes a holistic approach to diets; they consider international nutrition recommendations; the environmental cost of food production and consumption; and the adaptability to local social, cultural and economic contexts.
7. World Wildlife Fund: Living Planet Report 2020 This is a terrific summary of a report on how the destruction of nature is having catastrophic impacts not only on wildlife populations but also on human health and all aspects of our lives.
8. The British Dietetic Association:  Eating patterns for health and environmental sustainability   This is a fantastic report on how Dietitians are perfectly placed to help consumers, clients, and stakeholders navigate the complex messages surrounding this subject. It highlights how They are able to translate national and international guidance to help the public understand what practical changes they can make to improve both their own health and that of our planet
9. PAPERS ON THE ROLE OF THE NUTRITION PROFESSIONAL IN THE FOOD SYSTEM

1. Cultivating Sustainable, Resilient, and Healthy Food and Water Systems: A Nutrition-Focused Framework for Action This article provides a framework for action for how RDNs and NDTRs—individually, as a profession, and in collaboration with other sectors—can cultivate sustainable food systems.
2. Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (Competent, Proficient, and Expert) in Sustainable, Resilient, and Healthy Food and Water Systems: This paper from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics outlines the ways that dietitians can work in the sustainable food systems arena.

RESEARCH ARTICLES ABOUT EFFECTS OF THE FOOD SYSTEM AND DIETARY PATTERNS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE

1.    “Maximizing the intersection of human health and the health of the environment with regard to the amount and type of protein produced and consumed in the United States”  – Nutrition Reviews, Volume 77, Issue 4, April 2019
2. Global diets link environmental sustainability and human health – Nature volume 515, pages518–522(2014)

THE BELOW IS A COLLECTION OF RESOURCE -FILLED WEBSITE PAGES OF ORGANIZATIONS EDUCATING AND WORKING TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM AND PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT

*** = highly recommended by Mary as a go-to resource  

• *** 50by40 seeks to cut the global production and consumption of animal products by 50% by the year 2040
• ***Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition Foundation is a think tank that seeks to determine the effects of economic, social, environmental and scientific factors on food
  • The Food Sustainability Index was created by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition Foundation. It uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to rank 67 countries on the sustainability of their food systems

***Bioneers Mini Training in Regenerative Agriculture: (videos and short educational articles on topics like Biodiversity, Crop Rotation, Integrated Pest Management & Justice for Farmers and Farmworkers

• Brighter Green raises awareness and advocates for policy action on issues regarding the environment, animals and sustainability through publications, documentaries and public programs
• ***Center for Biological Diversity uses legal action, creative media and grassroots activism to protect endangered species and preserve the critical natural diversity of the environment
  • Environmental Health:  Helpful info about how the industrial age has brought millions of pounds of toxic contaminants into our environment. Pesticides, synthetic chemicals, heavy metals and even chemicals from household products are now pervasive in our water, air and soil
  • Pledge to Take Extinction Off Your Plate –  This is a place where you can take the pledge to reduce meat and dairy consumption by 50% to reduce emissions.
  • Appetite for Change:  A POLICY GUIDE TO REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS OF U.S. DIETS BY 2030
• Clinicians for Planetary Health is a group of health professionals within the Planetary Health Alliance that aim to promote lifestyle changes and environmental activism in patients, other health care providers and communities
• Earth Day Network recruits members to the environmental movement and seeks to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement throughout the world
• ***EAT aims to make connections between science, policy and business to create a more sustainable food system, protect our land and ocean environments and reduce food waste
  • EAT-Lancet Commission on Food Planet and Health is a collaboration between 37 of the world’s leading scientists to answer this question: can we feed a future population of 10 billion within the boundaries of our planet?
  • EAT – Diets for a Better Future  discusses the leading role G20 countries can and must take to realize the exponential changes required for a healthy and sustainable world.
• Eat for the Earth aims to transition people to sustainable diets and seeks to work with governments and other institutions to adopt sustainable food initiatives
• The Food Commons seeks to shift the global food economy into more localized food systems that support local small and mid-sized producers and allow people to consume foods from closer to their homes
• ***Food and Planet – a team of globally recognized, award-winning dietitians with an exceptional track record of excellence at the intersection of health + sustainability. We are passionate about empowering healthcare professionals to accelerate progress towards a healthier, more resilient and sustainable food systems. (Many more resources on this site)
• *** The Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) is an organization in the UK that conducts, synthesizes, and communicates research on food sustainability.We inform and connect stakeholders with a common interest in building sustainable food systems.
• The Food and Land Use Coalition is a community of organizations and individuals committed to the urgent need to transform the way we produce and consume food and use our land for people, nature and climate. Goal is to ensure food and land use systems play their full role in delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement to ensure the future prosperity of all people and to protect and restore our planet’s vital ecosystems.
  • The Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land-Use, and Energy (FABLE) Consortium aims to understand how countries can transition towards sustainable land-use and food systems.
• Food and Water Watch focuses on corporate accountability regarding food, water and climate, with the goal of protecting communities from powerful economic interests
• ***Food Tank educates and advocates for sustainable ways to fight against hunger, obesity and poverty and create sustainable change within our food system
• ***Friends of the Earth is a grassroots environmental network that aims to defend the environment and create a healthy, just world through sustainability, connectivity and systemic change
• Global Alliance for the Future of Food is an alliance of philanthropic organizations working together to transform global food systems to create a more sustainable future for coming generations
• Global Forest Coalition is a coalition of non-governmental organizations and indigenous people’s organizations that defend the rights of forest peoples and advocate for social justice
• Good Food Purchasing Program works with public institutions to create transparency in the supply chain from farm to fork and support small to mid-sized agriculture in local areas
• Heal Food Alliance : By working together, we can build a system that is healthy for our families, accessible and affordable for all communities, and fair to the people who grow, distribute, prepare, and serve our food. To transform our food system is to heal our bodies, transform our economy, and protect our environment.
• Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics: how the food industry influences nutrition and health blogs about sustainability, health and nutrition topics
• Meatless Monday: part of the Monday Campaigns, Meatless Mondays is a campaign that advocates for avoiding meat on Mondays
• *** Natural Resources Defense Council aims to safeguard the natural systems on Earth on which all life depends. It strives to restore the integrity of the environment and defend endangered natural places
• One Health seeks to optimize health outcomes by recognizing the interconnectedness between humans and the health of animals and our shared environment
• One Meal a Day for the Planet advocates for reducing the impact of our food on the environment by eating at least one plant-based meal per day
• *** Rodale Institute advocates for the organic food movement through research, farmer training and consumer education
  • Rodale Institute Blog features articles about sustainability and the food system
• *** World Wildlife Fund aims to stop the destruction of our natural environment, promote conservation efforts in local communities and restore species and their habitats

 NETWORKS AND ALLIANCE ORGANIZATIONS

• Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is a network of nurses and nursing organizations that are focused on the intersection of health and the environment and integrating environmental topics into nursing education
• Food and Climate Alliance seeks create a sustainable global food system by advocating for integrating sustainable dietary changes into environmental policies

CERTIFICATES OF TRAINING & EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

• Sustainable Food Systems Certificate of Training Program: created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, provides an introduction to a sustainable food system and how it relates to nutrition practitioners
• John’s Hopkins Center for a Livable Future Certificate in “An Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Perspectives from Public Health”.  This online course provide a brief introduction to the U.S. food system and how food production practices and what we choose to eat impacts the world in which we live.
• Harvard Extension Sustainable Food Systems Certificate: learn about issues surrounding sustainability through the lens of agroecology, biology, anthropology, environmental studies, economics and nutrition
• Portland State University Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems: provides an in-depth understanding of the interconnectedness of social, environmental and economic systems; students will learn how to apply sustainable and integrated problem-solving into their careers
• Sustainable, Resilient, and Healthy Food and Water Systems: a curriculum developed for Dietetic Students and Interns, this training certificate provides a foundational knowledge in the nutritional, social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainable food systems

 EDUCATIONAL COURSES ON THE ENVIRONMENT

• Environmental Health: An Integrative Approach is an online course from Arizona University that examines the effects of environmental pollution and contamination on different aspects of human health

SPECIFIC PAPERS, HELPFUL ARTICLES AND FACT SHEETS

• Catering to the Climate: How Earth-Friendly Menus at Events Can Help Save the Planet: explains how meals served at events can help shape perspectives and drive change towards a more sustainable food system
• Center for Sustainable Systems Factsheets: a comprehensive set of fact sheets about different topics including energy, water, food, buildings, etc. that explain patterns of use, lifecycle impacts and sustainable solutions
• Environmental Impacts of Food Production: presents data about the environmental impacts of various aspects of food production, such as greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, etc.
• Future 50 Foods: published by Knorr and the World Wildlife Fund, this report describes 50 plant-based foods that promote human health and have a low environmental impact
• How Our Food System Affects Climate Change: discusses the connection between our industrial food system and greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change
• Implications of Future US Diet Scenarios on Greenhouse Gas Emissions: examines differences in greenhouse gas emissions that would occur as a result of different collective changes to our diet, such as decreasing consumption of animal products by 50%
• Integrative Medicine Is a Good Prescription for Patients and Planet: explains how a fundamental principle of integrative medicine, interconnectedness of people with their environment, can be used to help people create a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle and positively impact climate change
• Sustainable Diets: What You Need to Know in 12 Charts: published by the World Wildlife Fund, these 12 charts describe global food production and consumption and how we can make more sustainable food choices

 DOCUMENTARIES

• Grow Food: filmmakers start with one big idea: growing food can fix a majority of the world’s problems. Learn about the impact of agriculture on the environment and about potential solutions to our broken food system
• The Biggest Little Farm: follow a couple through good times and bad in their journey towards developing a sustainable farm just outside of Los Angeles
• The Need to Grow: with only an estimated 60 years of farmable soil left, this documentary explains the importance of healthy soil and the need for a revolution in our agricultural system

 VIDEOS

• Farming While Black: Uprooting Racism, Seeding Sovereignty: a talk given by Leah Penniman, author of Farming While Black
• EAT-Lancet Commission videos: learn about sustainability and the work being done to overhaul our food system

PODCASTS

• EAT Podcast: interviews spotlight the work of activist chefs and farmers, visionary leaders, innovative entrepreneurs and world-class scientists who are transforming the way we produce, consume and think about food
• Food Sleuth Radio: hosted by RDN Melinda Hemmelgarn, this podcast features interviews with experts in food, health and agriculture. Learn how farming and food system policies impact our environment and public health
• Food Talk: hosted by Dani Nierenberg, president and co-founder of Food Tank, listen to interviews with chefs, activists and industry experts who are creating a more sustainable food system
• Sustainable Dish: hosted by RDN Diana Rodgers, this podcast features interviews with all types of people involved in sustainable living, from farmers to food activists to nutrition practitioners

GROUPS TO JOIN online

• Meatless Mondays Campaign Group via John’s Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
• Planetary Health Collective FB Group

Want info NOW?  Take a listen to our podcasts on the subject of sustainability:
1. Regenerative Agriculture

2. Diet and Climate Change: How to Save the Planet

Masters Degree Programs:

1. University of Wisconsin Master’s in Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems

2. Prescott College MS in Sustainable Food Systems Program