How can we spread sustainable food and agroecological practices by connecting dozens of funders, networks, and movements?

The global population is growing at an unprecedented rate – while the environment is rapidly changing. As a result, our food systems are facing immense pressure. 

Food sovereignty empowers communities to define their own food systems, ensuring local needs and cultural diversity are prioritized. Agroecological practices, meanwhile, mitigate the environmental impact of industrial agriculture, enable and support small-scale farmers and enterprises, and preserve our planet's resources for future generations.

Yet despite the enormous potential of these new systems, most efforts remain disconnected, struggling to scale and thrive. 

Imagine if we brought together dozens of networks, movements, and funders in the food space – all with overlapping goals but slightly different approaches and geographical focus – to explore how we can collaborate for large-scale change.

This is what we aim to do in our inaugural "food sovereignty obstacle course".

Through combining our vast pools of knowledge, resources, capacities, and reach, we can share critical lessons learned, co-design innovative solutions, identify ways to scale and increase reach, and generate actionable strategies that propel us towards more resilient, equitable, and sustainable food systems worldwide.

Why Might I Participate?

We invite all network and movement leaders, funders, and coordinators passionate about sustainable and just food systems to join us in this transformative obstacle course. Through participating, you will:

• Foster new and unlikely connections with trailblazers across diverse networks
• Identify synergies for learning, sharing knowledge, and peer support
• Map avenues for larger collaborative work that can serve the field and have a meaningful impact
• Build bridges between practitioners and funders who are willing to support and invest in collaborative efforts

Our Co-Hosts

Amazing leaders advocating for change to our food systems through networks and movements around the globe:

• Giulia Laganà is the Interim Lead of Healthy Food Healthy Planet. Prior to this, Giulia led the Open Society European Policy Institute’s analysis and advocacy on EU policies on migration, labour rights and agri-food systems from December 2016-May 2022. From 2013-2016, she was a senior adviser on migration, asylum, the EU and international affairs to the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome. She spent four years with the United Nations, working for UNHCR and UNDP in Italy and Brussels, with frequent travel to Africa. Giulia studied social anthropology at Cambridge University in the UK and subsequently specialised in human rights.
  
• Anna Mulè joined Slow Food USA in 2016 after working in digital storytelling and teaching multimedia production. She began as the director of communications and campaigns before becoming executive director in 2019. In these roles, she has amplified the voices of the network, introduced national campaigns that promote biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, and developed partnerships with chefs, leaders, companies, and communities around the world. With a master's degree in ethnomusicology and journalism from Indiana University, Anna was first drawn to Slow Food by its joyful combination of food, culture and diversity.
• Nono Sekhoto leads the Green Revolution sector network in the African Leadership Academy, which supports alumni to access career opportunities in the agriculture sector across the African continent. Nono’s work consists of relationship building with alumni and industry stakeholders and placing alumni into career opportunities. Nono has developed an 8-year career in agriculture as a farmer and leader at a national farmers’ association where she established and ran the young farmer portfolio. Nono developed programs that focused on supporting young farmers in partnership with many industry corporates. She also founded a company which focused on finding ways to empower youth in agriculture, and coordinates a network of network leaders through the Converge Network.
• Douglas Oama has over 20 years experience in organizational and institutional development, environmental management and leadership training. He has designed, implemented and provided technical assistance capacity development programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. Douglas consults for USAID, Feed the Future, World Bank, European Union, East Africa Community(EAC/LVBC) World Wide Fund for Nature, Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD),Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA), Governments, Civil Society and Corporate Sector.
• Annalina Kazickas is a Project Manager with the Food Systems Leadership team, where she supports the development of the Food Systems Leadership Network. Annalina has always been committed to supporting locally produced and sourced foods and materials, but it wasn’t until her work in South Africa at a community garden that she felt the strong correlation between food and economic and community development. She’s glad to be continuing this work in the US. Annalina is based in Seattle but that doesn’t keep her from being in the great outdoors for a trail run, surf, or simply a little quiet time.

Hosted at the Obstacle Course

You've browsed the workshops zone, attended the wellbeing lounge, mingled in the pitch tent – and as you're about to depart the festival grounds, the corner of your eye happens to catch a colorful obstacle course to you right. It looks challenging, enticing. There are prizes just for trying. You read the rules: for groups only. But you came to the festival alone. You look around – are there others you can ask to join the obstacle course with you? 

At the Networks Festival, our obstacle courses bring together movements, networks, and funders who don't know each other for:

• Rapid storytelling sharing significant changes we have witnessed in our work related to climate justice and ecological regeneration
• Collective vision sensing exploring shared – and differing – visions as our driving forces for systemic change
• Mapping key areas of work identifying opportunities, needs, gaps, and challenges within the broader system
• Networking and support deepening connections, building new relationships, and identifying opportunities for learning and peer support
• Focused discussions on common themes, allowing us to delve deeper into specific, common areas of interest
• Statements of collective action around immediate things we can undertake, and long-term visions we can begin to work towards

What is the Networks Festival?

Embark on a month-long journey filled with connection, curiosity, and play bringing together thousands of changemakers, funders, conveners, companies, and governments to explore the power of networks to transform our world.

As you step into the festival grounds, you'll be greeted by a buzzing atmosphere of excitement and innovation. Everywhere you look, there are people eagerly discussing the latest breakthroughs in network theory, sharing stories of how networks have changed their lives and communities, and dreaming up new ways to harness the power of connections.

Leveraging the power of lived experience, we will strengthen our collective practice, directly increase funding opportunities for networks, and foster new collaborations to scale innovations and amplify transformational impact on the lives of billions around the world.

Whether you're a seasoned networker, curious changemaker, or philanthropist interest in "doing things differently" – there's something for everyone at the Networks Festival. Join us!