Food & Agriculture
Food, agriculture and the climate crisis are inextricably linked. In fact agriculture reportedly represents a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and is the leading cause of deforestation around the world. Evidently things can’t go on like this, but the world also needs to eat. So what’s the answer?
Realistically what’s needed is a combination of approaches including changes to our diet, food waste reduction and a move to less intensive farming. Yet a growing population and a steep increase in meat consumption (among other things) complicates things.
Fortunately there are organisations and forward thinking farmers out there fighting for positive change in the form of regenerative agriculture, sustainable fishing and the development of ‘cultivated meat’. As consumers we have an opportunity to support this movement through the food we buy. But we can also fast-forward progress by financially getting behind the organisations leading the way in sustainable food production.
2 Selected Charities
Tythe supports these Food & Agriculture charities, selected by analysts at Giving is Great because of their high impact.
Sustainable Food Trust
·Modern food production and farming have a monumental part to play in the climate, nature and health crises that are being felt across the globe. But by shifting to sustainable systems that operate in harmony with nature, agriculture has the power to undo its damage and produce food that nourishes both people and planet.
How they do it
The Sustainable Food Trust has been advocating for a sustainable food system transition since its establishment in 2011 and has helped to bring concepts such as soil health and regenerative farming, which were once considered fairly ‘out there’, to the attention of food businesses, governments and the public. The Sustainable Food Trust is committed to identifying the practices and policies that should be part of our future food and farming systems, developing a robust case for change, and breaking down barriers to the transition. Through impactful campaigns, education projects, and research, in areas such as local abattoirs, sustainable diets, measuring and valuing farm sustainability, and true cost accounting, the Sustainable Food Trust is helping to make significant strides towards a fairer, more sustainable food system.
Recent achievements
- Defra’s decision to launch 2 new funds in support of smaller abattoirs is brilliant news for the UK’s farms and local food systems, and reflects the hard work put in by the Sustainable Food Trust and the Abattoir Sector Group over the 5 years since the release of the SFT’s 2019 report A Good Life and a Good Death.
- In 2024 the SFT’s Global Farm Metric (a holistic system for measuring on- farm sustainability) is being trialled on 300 farms in 11 countries across 5 continents, helping to make the framework as effective as possible, increase its adoption and enable farmers to assess the sustainability of their systems.
- 20 exemplary farms are now part of the SFT’s new Beacon Farms Network, which will bring together some of the country’s most inspiring sustainable farms to provide ‘seeing is believing’ experiences to young people, farmers and leaders. The network aims to showcase best practice, shift mindsets and empower citizens to play their part in enabling the transition, through votes and buying power.
- In 2023 and 2024, the SFT has been helping to deliver the 1st on-farm Green Social Prescribing pilot project of its kind in the UK, connecting patients with sustainably-run farms in the South West and enabling them to get involved in activities such as hedge laying, foraging and tasting of produce.
- The SFT is an active member of King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative and is working alongside 12 CEOs from some of the world’s most powerful agribusinesses to uncover the most effective ways of financing a transition to sustainable food and farming systems.
Why we think they’re great
We’re really behind SFT’s belief that policymakers and businesses will be empowered to act when there is sufficient pressure from informed public opinion. That’s why they take a multi-pronged approach, not only targeting senior policymakers, but also working with consumer groups and influential individuals to bring about change.
Good Food Institute
·The Good Food Institute (GFI) is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by donations, GFI is an international network of organisations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals.
Why we think they’re great
When compared to conventional meat, alternative proteins dramatically reduce emissions, require far less land, eliminate the need for antibiotics in our food system, and feed more people with fewer resources. Given that taste and price determine what most people eat, GFI works around the world to make alternative proteins as delicious, affordable, and accessible as conventional meat. GFI is uniquely positioned to accelerate alternative proteins by catalysing and growing the entire field, creating a world where alternative proteins are no longer alternative.
Other selected causes:
💨 Carbon Reduction
If we want to sustain life on this planet we need to cut our carbon emissions, while also dealing with the excess of carbon in our atmosphere already wreaking havoc on our climate. Science is leading the way in this field and there are some exciting innovations.
🐋 Marine Conservation
The ocean is a total powerhouse when it comes to regulating the Earth’s climate, yet human actions have wreaked havoc on marine ecosystems. In order to rebalance our planet, we must protect our oceans and revolutionise the way we fish, the world over.
🌲 Forest Conservation
Forests are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity and store vast quantities of carbon, but 75,000 acres are being destroyed every day by logging, poaching and agriculture.
🌞 Climate Resilience
Poverty and climate change are cruelly interlinked and this is especially true when you look at access to clean energy and water. Projects that champion clean energy solutions and which work to create climate-resilient communities are an integral part of the fight to save our planet.
🥕 Food & Agriculture
Food, agriculture and the climate crisis are inextricably linked. Fortunately there are sustainable food organisations and forward thinking farmers out there fighting for positive change. These are the people we need to get behind.
📚 Education & Advocacy
Don’t underestimate the power of a well informed public - this puts pressure on governments and businesses, and that drives change. These organisations are enabling systemic change among the mainstream by educating and challenging the status quo.
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