What you can do to bring about change in food, farming and forestry

Throughout the last couple of steps, we’ve explored the significant impact our food systems have on climate change, from production and distribution to consumption and waste. 

You’ve learned about the changes needed across the food, farming and forestry sectors to address the climate crisis. But understanding is just the first step – real transformation happens through action.

People and communities around the world are already creating positive change in our food systems. Some are working within institutions to improve agriculture policies, while others are building alternative food networks, and many are reconnecting communities with sustainable food production. Let’s explore some of these inspiring real-world initiatives that demonstrate different approaches to food system transformation.

Community Supported Agriculture

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has evolved from a small-scale experiment in the 1980s into a transformative force in local food systems. Through innovative subscription models, CSAs connect thousands of households directly with local farms across the world. Members receive weekly deliveries of fresh, seasonal produce while providing crucial guaranteed and upfront capital for local farmers. CSAs demonstrate how restructuring consumer-producer relationships can build food security while supporting ecological farming practices. 

Grow Heathrow

Back In 2010, residents near London’s Heathrow Airport converted an abandoned market garden into a community food project that became a model for urban agriculture. The Grow Heathrow project transformed several broken-down greenhouses into productive gardens that were used to feed many in the community. Beyond food production, the project also ran educational workshops, hosted community events and demonstrated low-carbon living practices.

Municipal composting

Municipal composting programmes represent a critical strategy for reducing urban greenhouse gas emissions. By diverting organic waste from landfills, these initiatives prevent the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas produced when food waste decomposes in anaerobic conditions (C40 Knowledge Hub, 2022). The resulting compost helps sequester carbon in soil when used in urban agriculture and landscaping, while reducing the need for chemical fertilisers (Ulm et al., 2019). Many citizens have successfully led campaigns urging their municipalities to introduce organic waste collections from households (Friends of the Earth, 2016).

Too Good To Go

Launched in Copenhagen in 2016, Too Good To Go has grown into the world’s largest business-to-consumer marketplace for surplus food. The app connects consumers with restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets to rescue unsold food that would otherwise be wasted. By 2024, they had saved over 350 million meals from waste across Europe and North America, preventing an estimated 890,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Using their app is convenient and usually cheaper than what it would cost to buy the meal or ingredients normally.

La Via Campesina

La Via Campesina, representing over 200 million small-scale farmers across 81 countries, has become one of the world’s largest social movements. Since its founding in 1993, the movement has successfully advocated for policies supporting agroecological farming methods, protected indigenous seed rights, and developed farmer-to-farmer training programmes reaching millions. Through their network, traditional farming knowledge is preserved and shared, helping communities maintain food sovereignty while practising climate-resilient agriculture.

School gardens

School or educational neighbourhood gardens can serve as powerful tools for climate education and carbon reduction. By integrating gardens into school grounds, these programmes teach students about sustainable food production while creating local food sources that reduce transportation emissions. Beyond reducing food miles for school meals, these gardens help develop environmentally conscious behaviours that influence household food choices and carbon footprints.

Share your thoughts

Reflect on the above changes in the food, farming and forestry sectors, using these questions to guide your reflections: 

• Which examples stood out to you and why? 
• What actions could you see yourself engaging in? 
• What impactful steps could be taken in your community? 

Every contribution matters in transforming food systems. What will your first step be? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.