Global Food Institute at the George Washington University

🚨DEADLINE ALERT FUTURE HARVEST is hosting Pivot, Care, Grow: Farmers and Communities Building Together. The conference will include workshops covering the following: crop production, soil health, business and marketing tactics for farmers, policy, livestock, and sessions for advanced farmers. 💭Have a suggestion for another topic, or want to present? Submit your proposal by August 15th here: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/ezRn9RAA 🗓️January 22-23, 2026 📍Silver Spring, MD

In this week’s GFI/ Food Tank Growing Forward essay, Evan Fraser of the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph addresses growing concerns surrounding the stability of international trade, and the implications it might have on our food systems. Fraser notes that real food system resilience is established locally, rather than through large, multi-national corporate operations. Referencing the innovation of local food enterprises like Avery Family Farms of British Columbia, and a small fish processing plant in a Sierra Leone village that he visited, Fraser advocates for concentrating resources in these local enterprises to support a food system that is economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. To read more, visit https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/e2JPp_4n.

We're so excited about our upcoming networking events, virtual pitches, and learning workshops for small businesses in the food access and wellness space here in DC. We believe these events will lead to transformative relationships and innovative impact, the kind that can only happen at a local level. We're incredibly grateful for the support of our amazing sponsors, partners, and supporters who make this work possible. It's their dedication that allows us to do God's work in this community. Thank you Joe Houston Jr. Al J. Browne Global Food Institute at the George Washington University and Martha's Table for the support with these upcoming initiatives. #fuelandfit #foodaccess #wellness #generativeai #local #impact #leaders #dc

👋 Meet our Student Staffer, Charles Basa! 📺 From his appearance on Food Network’s Chopped Junior, to his role as The Global Food Institute (GFI) at GW’s Student Curriculum Assistant, Charlie describes the defining role food has played throughout his life. His passion for food, as well as innovating solutions to global inequities, makes him an invaluable member of our team. 🧑🎓 Charlie is a rising senior studying Political Communication, with minors in Film Studies and Food Leadership. As a member of the GFI team for the past 6 months, Charlie develops student engagement activities–including cooking classes and kitchen safety demonstrations–as well as GFI’s Food Leadership Minor curriculum.

In the latest Food Tank/GFI Growing Forward essay, Pamela Schwartz, executive director for Community Health at Kaiser Permanente, describes the lack of nutrition education in medical schools across the country, despite diet-related diseases being the leading cause of death in the US (CDC). She breaks down the work of Kaiser and other groups who have introduced and promoted the Food is Medicine movement. “By making nutrition curriculum and food security support a core component of medical education, we can ensure physicians have the tools and perspectives needed to unlock the evidence-based potential of food as an integral part of healthcare delivery that saves lives, reduces costs, and improves health outcomes for generations to come,” she states. Read more: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/eww472ta

Coca-Cola announces its decision to replace high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar in its products, influenced by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative, which is taking steps to crack down on processed ingredients. But will this small change really make a difference in the overall health of Americans? The Global Food Institute at the George Washington University's Director of Policy and Programs, Priya Fielding-Singh, shares her insights in a new Axios article. Read the article here: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/ePN87UQR.

Dr. Jeremy Everett, founder and executive director of Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty (BCHP), joins GFI and Food Tank’s Growing Forward series. Detailing the USDA-funded and BCHP-led initiative “Meals-To-You”, Everett celebrates the initiative for its wide-reaching impact that transcended the division that so often blocks policy reform and the implementation of change. His clear message: hunger is not a divisive issue. “If we choose to move forward together — across lines of difference – we can build a future shaped not by scarcity but by abundance; not by apathy, but by action." Read Everett’s Growing Forward essay now: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/e35NQdf8

We are hiring for another role! 💼 The Global Food Institute at the George Washington University, the GW Equity Institute, and the Center for Community Resilience are partnering together to launch a new initiative that addresses food insecurity and systemic inequities in DC's Wards 7 and 8. We are seeking a full-time Institute Administrator, Community Engagement to lead and facilitate the program's relationship with community leaders and residents in Wards 7 and 8. This role serves as the primary liaison between the program and community stakeholders, ensuring that program activities align with community priorities to address food access inequities. This initiative, driven by community engagement, will enable cross-sector partners to align policy, program, and practice related to equitable food access. This position is based in Washington, DC. 🔗 Apply here: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/eJ8ew3cU Please note: the application link may close early if a high volume of applications is received.

UPDATE: Thank you for your interest. This job opportunity is now closed. We will keep you updated on other opportunities at GFI, EI, and CCR. The Global Food Institute at the George Washington University, the GW Equity Institute, and the Center for Community Resilience are partnering together to launch a new initiative that addresses food insecurity and systemic inequities in DC’s Wards 7 and 8. We are seeking a full-time Research Project Manager to oversee the planning, implementation, and monitoring of this program, as well as collaborate with faculty and staff to support their missions as thought leaders in the space. This initiative, driven by community engagement, will enable cross-sector partners to align policy, program, and practice related to equitable food access. This position is based in Washington, D.C. 🔗 Apply here: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/effjvG5w

🦬DYK? July is National Bison Month! Once an endangered species, the American bison represents resilience – both ecologically, and culturally as a cornerstone of various Native and Indigenous traditions. National Bison Month is about embracing these beautiful and culturally significant creatures for all that they do for our food systems and nutrition, for our communities and traditions, and for our economies and support of local farmers. This month: -Listen to Native and Indigenous perspectives on the importance of bison in their communities, food systems, economies, and cultures. -Support conservation efforts, and bison food systems – especially those of local communities. 📖 As World Wildlife Fund's Heather Dawn Thompson shares in a recent Growing Forward GFI/ Food Tank essay, “Central to the grassland’s ecosystem are the plains bison, or buffalo. Buffalo are keystone species. They shape the landscape in ways that benefit countless other plants and animals.” She emphasizes how “everything (plants, animals, soil, rocks, grasslands, buffalo, and humans) is related. We need each other. Our fates are intertwined.” Learn more: https://xmrrwallet.com/cmx.plnkd.in/eG3qgVC3