New York City's Climate Week is gearing up for an event that sounds less like a policy summit and more like a foodie's dream: "People-Focused. Climate-Friendly. Food-Forward New York City." On September 22, Food Tank, the NYC Mayor's Office, Strong Roots, and Support + Feed are joining forces to figure out how the Big Apple's food system can be better for both its residents and the planet.
Siddhartha Sanchez, the Executive Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, put it best: everyone relies on this intricate dance of farmers, shippers, grocers, delivery drivers, and chefs. When climate change throws a wrench in that system, those connections are what keep communities fed and resilient. It's less about individual ingredients and more about the entire culinary orchestra.
Rethinking the Plate
The summit isn't just about what's on your plate, but how it got there – and who benefits. Fairness and inclusion are the main courses. Expect to hear about city agencies cooking up new, healthy, and genuinely tasty meal programs that actually respect people's well-being and cultures. Because apparently, even government can make good food.
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Start Your News DetoxSanchez added that Climate Week is the perfect stage to shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes across city agencies who are finding smarter ways to feed New Yorkers. Understanding that food can nourish, connect, and even offer climate solutions is how we build a system designed by and for the city.
The evening promises a smorgasbord of culinary student showcases, candid talks with food policy bigwigs, deep dives into food and climate justice, and even an art exhibition dedicated to food stories. And yes, plants will be having their moment in the sun, or rather, on the menu.
Emma Curtis, Managing Director at Strong Roots (a plant-based frozen foods company), firmly believes that vegetables need to be front and center in the climate-friendly food conversation. Strong Roots' mission? To make veggies exciting enough that people actually want to eat them more often. Because frozen plant-based options, they argue, are the way forward. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying for anyone who remembers mushy peas.
Strong Roots isn't just talking the talk; they're walking the walk with Support + Feed, a non-profit tackling food insecurity and climate change through plant-based diets. During Climate Week, they're donating 6,200 meals and pantry items across NYC. Let that satisfying number sink in.
Curtis lauded Support + Feed’s work, highlighting their efforts in providing plant-based meals, pantry items, education, and redistributing rescued produce. All of which underscores the very direct link between what we eat and the health of both ourselves and the planet.
The event itself is happening at WNYC-NPR Studios’ The Greene Space. It kicks off at 6:30 PM with light food and live music – because what's a good discussion without a little pre-dinner entertainment? Confirmed speakers include Maggie Baird from Support + Feed, Emma Curtis from Strong Roots, and a host of NYC policy leaders. There’s even a special musical performance by Broadway's Kaitlyn Davidson and composer Maria Caputo. Because apparently that's where we are now: climate policy meetings with live show tunes.
Can't make it to the Big Apple? No problem. The entire summit will be live-streamed on FoodTank.com and Food Tank’s YouTube channel. So you can get your dose of food-forward thinking from the comfort of your own climate-controlled couch.
