The food we eat, where we buy it, and how that food is grown affects our health and that of the planet. Approximately one-third of total human-made greenhouse gas emissions are linked to our food system.

While the food sector is a contributor to climate change, it’s also increasingly vulnerable to the accelerating rate of climate disruption. Water shortages, extreme weather events, pest and disease variations, and rising temperatures will change the crops that can be grown as well as the very viability of farming in some regions.

Progressive farmers are adapting with new, more sustainable techniques in every aspect of their operations. They are implementing soil health and “climate-smart farming” practices to prepare for the future. Learn about the changes that lie ahead for our food system and how we can make personal choices and support policy changes that both improve our diets and support sustainable farming practices.

Our speakers are at the vanguard of these interconnected issues:

Jennifer Hashley, the Director for the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project at Tufts, is a leader in local food systems work focusing on beginning farmer development. Her role includes building community partnerships, securing sustainable resources for all program operations, and overseeing program development for a multi-year, sustainable agriculture training program for limited-resource beginning farmers.

Erin Coughlan de Perez is an Associate Professor at Tufts and a Technical Advisor to the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. She bridges science, policy, and practice in her research on climate risk management around the world. She focuses on extreme events, exploring how droughts, floods, heatwaves, and other climate shocks can be anticipated before they happen.

Winton Pitcoff is Executive Director of the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, where he leads an effort to support collective action toward an equitable, sustainable, resilient, and connected local food system in