From September 20th–27th, 2026, held its annual and brought together more than 100,000 people across 1,000+ events in New York City. This year’s focus was on energy, impact, and the actions that we can take to address the climate crisis.
Members of the Tisch Food Center, as well as Program in Nutrition students and alumni, were able to attend a number of panels and speaking engagements during this week, notably “The Future of Food Education” Summit.
The event, presented in partnership with and with support from , discussed how we can ensure that children are thinking critically about where food comes from. The passion in the room was palpable. It was motivating to see so many leaders in this space convene to talk about this shared cause. While the group shared a vision of an equitable, sustainable food system that empowers historically under-resourced communities, each speaker was working towards this vision in their own distinct way. The commonality: education is the first step to change.
Panelists talked about tackling the broken food system in their own unique ways. is uplifting the next generation of chefs through his. This program creates educational and career opportunities for underserved youth.
, a Bronx native and farmer, has co-founded or provided leadership to organizations such as , , and. Washington works to empower local BIPOC food growers and build and preserve community gardens. During the event, Washington provided insight into how society talks about underserved communities, and discussed the term, ‘food apartheid’.
“People are calling our community ‘food deserts’. And it’s like, wait a second. You’re getting it wrong, because we do have food. What we don’t have are healthy food options,”
Gerardo Martinez, Founder of , helps support the next generation of agricultural professionals through teaching regenerative agriculture, education, and business acumen at his community education farm in Maryland. Shanon Morris, Chief Program Officer at , is empowering her community through hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition.
Despite a time of such uncertainty, Morris reminded us that our future is bright, as long as we make way for the generations that come after us. “The food system is flawed; it’s no secret. It’s important to remind ourselves—and our kids—that they are a part of a change. It’s important that we plant those seeds.”
Events like these bring like-minded, passionate individuals together and give them a space to learn from one another. Culinary career mentorship, agribusiness education, and community gardening are just a taste of what food education leaders are cooking up (pun intended) to uplift the next generation.
Though there are many hurdles in the path of achieving a truly equitable and sustainable food system, this event reminded us that even seemingly small actions can have an impact.
Lyndsey Waugh of the said it best: “The power of bringing people together for shared experiences is transformational. Human connections spark around food.”
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