Just over a year ago, the Rockefeller Foundation put out a global call for proposals for radical reform of our food systems. More than 1,300 teams from 119 countries responded. The pile of submissions was whittled down to 79 semifinalists and then, last week, to 10 "bold ideas for tackling some of the world’s most pressing food systems challenges." Each winner was awarded $200,000 to pursue their vision for reform.

The winning proposals cover a dizzying range of locations and issues — from food sovereignty on a Native American reservation to plant-based diets in metropolitan Beijing. But as I read them, the commonalities seem as prominent as the differences. Embedded in the ideas is an emerging consensus on the critical ingredients for food system reform, regardless where it takes place.

I encourage you to browse the final selection and see for yourself, but here’s my reading of that consensus:

  1. Food systems must connect to local communities.
  2. Technology is part of the solution.
  3. It’s got to be regenerative.
  4. From linear to circular.
  5. Plant-based diets.

Read the full article about visions for a future food system by Jim Giles at GreenBiz.