Resources
Food Security / Food Justice
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
This is the specialized agency of the United Nations that "leads international efforts to defeat hunger." There is a wealth of information here on many issues related to food security and sustainable agriculture.
http://www.fao.org
International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFAD is also a specialized agency of the UN, with a specific focus dedicated to "eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries."
World Food Programme
The WFP is the leading humanitarian organization that delivers food and other assistance during emergencies and to conflict-affected areas. These three entities - the FAO, IFAD and WFP - are often referred to as the "Rome Agencies."
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UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
The Special Rapporteur monitors the situation of the right to food throughout the world, identifies general trends, considers alleged violations and promotes the progressive realization of the right to food. The position and mandate was originally established in 2000; there have been three persons to hold the post.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/food/pages/foodindex.aspx
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Sustainable Development Goals
The SDGs are 17 global goals that were adopted by the UN in 2015 as part of Agenda 2030 for the 2015-2030 timeframe. Each goal is accompanied by a set of targets and each target includes 1-3 indicators to measure progress. SDG #2 seeks to "end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture."
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/
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Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Similar to the role of the FAO within the UN system, IICA is the specialized agency that promotes agricultural development in the Americas.
IPES-Food
This is an International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems established in 2015 that works "to shape debates on food systems reform through policy-oriented research and direct engagement with policy processes around the world." It is self-described as "fully independent, without financial or organizational ties to any corporations, governments or intergovernmental agencies."
International Food Policy Research Institute
IFPRI provides "research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries." Established in 1975, IFPRI is a research center of CGIAR, a worldwide partnership for agricultural research.
CGIAR
This is a global research partnership comprised of 15 independent, non-profit research organizations engaged in agricultural research for development and is "dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food security, and improving natural resources."
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Right to Food
This website feature the work of Jean Ziegler, first UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.
Food Sovereignty and Via Campesina
La Via Campesina is a coalition of 182 organizations across 81 countries (as of 01/2019) described as an international movement to coordinate small and mid-scale producers, agricultural workers, rural women, and indigenous communities. It advocates for family-farm-based sustainable agriculture and is said to have coined the term "food sovereignty."
International Development Research Centre
IDRC is a Canadian Crown (i.e., government) corporation with the mandate "to initiate, encourage, support and conduct research" into problems of the developing world. Included in its work is the Agriculture and Food Security Program, which has as its goal to support innovation for "more efficient and sustainable agricultural production."
https://www.idrc.ca/en/program/agriculture-and-food-security
Ryerson University, Centre for Studies in Food Security
"Established at Ryerson University in 1994, the Centre for Studies in Food Security (CSFS) has been working to promote food security through research, dissemination, education, community action and professional practice."
https://www.ryerson.ca/foodsecurity/
Food Secure Canada
"Food Secure Canada is a pan-Canadian alliance of organizations and individuals working together to advance food security and food sovereignty through three inter-locking goals: zero hunger, healthy and safe food, and sustainable food systems."
Canadian Food Grains Bank
This is a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and church-based agencies that works to support international programming for food security, influence national and international policy and to engage Canadians in efforts to end global hunger.
USAID Bureau for Food Security
This bureau leads coordination of the U.S. Global Food Security Strategy through the Feed the Future initiative to combat hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
https://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/organization/bureaus/bureau-food-security
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AVRDC - World Vegetable Centre
This is an international non-profit research institute with the mission to increase production and consumption of vegetables. Based in Taiwan, it has a number of regional offices in Asia and Africa.
RUAF Foundation - Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Food Security
The focus of RUAF is on urban agriculture. It is a partnership of research institutes, NGOs and other entities "with a significant track record in urban farming or work on urban food system solutions." It publishes the Urban Agriculture Magazine.
Urban Design for Urban Agriculture
Carrot City
This research initiative explores "how design can enable the production of food in cities." and builds on a symposium on this topic that was held in 2008 in Toronto.
https://www.ryerson.ca/carrotcity/
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Food for Cities
This is an online discussion group that brings together "people committed to work on the issue related to food, agriculture, urbanization and cities." To subscribe, visit:
Participatory Planning
Asset Based Community Development
The ABCD Institute is at the core of the approach known as "Asset-Based Community Development" and is co-directed by founders McKnight and Kretzmann. It has resources on the use of ABCD in extensive capacity building activities in communities in the United States and around the world.
https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/Pages/default.aspx