Danielle Nierenberg, founder of Food Tank, travels the world to meet the people who are revolutionising the food system. In this interview she shares the most significant experiences, to be taken as an example.
Danielle Nierenberg modestly describes the work carried out by the think tank she founded in 2013, Food Tank. Yet its goal is to reform the global food system, sharing successful ideas and solutions that are useful for improving agricultural conditions and eating habits. Nierenberg emphasises the fact that Food Tank simply gives a voice to those who are truly changing things, such as the countless women working in the agriculture sector whom she has met on her travels around the world, and whose experience she is able to share in an excellent way. And it is precisely the stories and research published that make this think tank stand out; original and developed in collaboration with universities and other organisations, these are relevant to all those who are trying to make a difference in the global food system: from farmers and producers to businesses, academics and policymakers.
Nierenberg travels the world. When we spoke with her at the 2017 edition of Seeds&Chips, the food innovation summit held in Milan, she told us she had already visited more than 70 countries, in which she explored the experience of innovative projects developing different ways of growing and consuming food; she also takes part in events that bring face to face the various representatives of the different realities that make up the food supply chain, at a global level. With Danielle Nierenberg we talked about gender equality, innovation and the sustainable choices each of us should make.
What can women do to make the global food system more sustainable?
Women are already making the global food system more sustainable, but this goes unrecognised. Women account for half of the world's food producers, yet they cannot access credit, land, financial services or education, and this harms us. If women could access these resources on a par with men, the FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) has estimated that yields would increase by 20 to 30 per cent, allowing 200,000 people to no longer suffer from hunger. And yet women continue to be discriminated against because of their gender. It is essential to tell their story, by putting more women farmers, scientists and advocates on conference panels like Seeds&Chips, so as to guarantee gender equality, but also socioeconomic and cultural equality.
What progress has been made over the last decade to improve the conditions of women farmers, and how have they changed the food system?
I have had the honour of visiting more than 70 countries, and I have seen many innovative projects that recognise the role of women. One of my favourites involves a theatre company in Zimbabwe that travels through various communities in southern Africa and stages plays describing the fundamental role of women.
There are women-run cooperatives: I saw one in Niger that was made up of around 50 women farmers. They were growing local produce such as leafy green vegetables, ornamental plants and fruit trees, some of which was sold while the rest was preserved: they went on to earn 1,500 dollars a year (up from 300). When I asked these women how their lives had changed, their answers were incredible. These women told me they had managed to buy a bicycle for their husband "so he could get to his farm," or that they had sent their daughters to school for the first time, or simply: "I've put on weight." It's true that we need quantitative data, but the stories of change from these women are truly moving.
In an increasingly globalised food system, how does the shift to localised food production — such as vertical farming — fit in?
I don't think overly localised food systems are the solution for changing the world. They are only part of the solution because they bring people closer to agriculture, but I'm not sure that having your own small vertical garden at home can change the food production system. There needs to be a stronger link between consumers and farmers, whether urban or rural. Urban agriculture has great potential, but we need to create connections between the rural and urban parts. I would prefer regional food systems — so not just urban farmers set against rural ones, but also continuity and a link between the two. I saw a great project in Nairobi where urban farmers were providing seeds to rural farmers who could no longer afford them, since large seed companies had cornered the market. Something like this can be recreated and adapted very easily.
Can small-scale agriculture and a regional farming system be a solution to counter climate change?
Absolutely yes, they have to be. Small farmers are already countering climate change, they are already finding solutions through flexible and regenerative farming practices. We have pitted large and small farmers against one another, but in truth they are all in the same boat, especially now. Medium- and large-sized farms in the global north have a great deal to learn from farmers in the global south who have already had to face many of the difficulties that are only beginning to emerge in the north now. Just look at the problems posed by drought or flooding: farmers in the south have been dealing with these problems for a very long time.
What is the impact of Donald Trump's election victory on the food system?
Now many of those who believed in sustainable farming systems are fighting to hold on to what they have earned over the last decade, which isn't much, if I'm being honest. Food Tank is trying to bring the different actors together. We are bringing various companies together, we are trying to put Republicans and Democrats on the same committees. Bringing the different factions together and understanding that not all companies are evil, not all Republicans are bad, and that a common goal can be found to formulate ideas and make progress.
What can citizens do to have a positive impact on the global food system?
People often talk about voting with your fork, but we need to be strong by voting at the ballot box. People don't vote enough, in any country. The hope I see in Trump's party and right-wing parties around the world is that people are now truly listening. We need more women in politics, more young people, but this has to start from the grassroots. It's not just about protesting — you have to attend town halls and truly understand what can be done.
So what foods should we buy?
We should buy foods that make us feel good and well, that have a story, products we feel close to. Eating more natural foods, having a more respectful diet. We really need to think about where what we eat comes from. This burden falls on consumers and, in particular, on parents and women. It is difficult to ensure that consumers always have good resources to choose from. It is hard for consumers to know what is right, so there is a need for greater education and awareness.
Translated by Andrea Cutolo