Last week, I published an op-ed in The Guardian about the recent SNAP funding disruptions and the lasting harms they will cause. You can read the full piece here.

Understandably, most coverage of these disruptions focused on the immediate impacts: for families, the delay in disbursing these critical benefits created immense uncertainty and concern about how they would put food on the table.

But the longer-term consequences may be just as devastating. Because even once benefits are fully restored, this experience will almost certainly leave trauma in its wake. Research, including my own, shows how episodes of food scarcity can cast long shadows–harming parents’ and children’s mental and physical health and fundamentally reshaping their relationship to food and nutrition for years to come.

Simply put: what happened this month was far from a temporary inconvenience–it was a rupture with real and lasting impact on people’s lives.

This rupture also breaks with decades of stability. Since SNAP became a national program, its reliability has been a quiet constant–an unspoken compact: no matter the political climate, funding the program was non-negotiable. This month shattered that longstanding expectation. Looking ahead, addressing the immediate fallout matters, but restoring that compact–and ensuring families can again rely on the system–must also be a priority.

Priya Fielding-Singh, PhD
Director of Policy and Programs
The Global Food Institute at GW 

A new study led by GFI’s Director of Research, Caitlin Grady, alongside GW professors Erica Gralla and Maryam Z. Deloffre, finds that the humanitarian aid system is undergoing fundamental changes following the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) withdrawal from key global operations. Erica shares insights from the project in a new podcast episode.

We are thrilled to welcome Dianna Darsney de Salcedo as GFI’s new Director of Global Initiatives. Dianna joins the institute after two decades at USAID working across the food security continuum–from emergency response to market-driven food systems and biofortification. At GFI, she will work to center the institute as a leading expert in global food system challenges and solutions.

GFI held its first annual Food and Agriculture Policy Summit last month, convening over 250 policymakers, practitioners and experts to explore practical, actionable steps toward building a better food system. The event was co-hosted with Food Tank, the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and chef, humanitarian, author and GFI founder José Andrés, as well as corporate partners Driscoll’s, Oatly and Meatable. 

This summer, GFI affiliate faculty Moses Kansanga traveled to Ghana through an innovative partnership between GW and the University for Business and Integrated Development Studies. Working with local technicians and locally-sourced materials, his team constructed and piloted a mobile, solar-powered cold storage unit to tackle post-harvest food loss in rural farming communities. Learn more here.

10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference. From December 1-4, join more than 1,500 food systems leaders from across the country in a conference hosted by the Farm to School Network in Alberqueque, New Mexico. Registration closes Sunday, November 23.

DC Fuel and Fit Enterprise Pitch Series. On December 11, join a virtual event spotlighting innovative small businesses in the food access, health, and wellness space. This pitch competition will feature entrepreneurs presenting their ideas and ventures for a chance to win cash prizes and community recognition.

Future Harvest Conference. Future Harvest gathers farmers, educators, agriculture service providers, and foodpreneurs from January 22-23 in Silver Spring, MD, for workshops, delicious farm fresh meals, and renowned speakers on regenerative agriculture, crop production, and climate resilient farming. The conference includes farm tours and a keynote from Civil Eats’ Lisa Held.

FRAC National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference. From April 26-28, join advocates, government officials, and practitioners in Washington, DC, to discuss strategies to strengthen federal nutrition programs, advance state-level best practices, and identify novel anti-hunger strategies. The event includes networking opportunities and a day on Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress. Have an idea for a session? Submit an RFP by Friday, December 5th.

Centering food in climate action. Anne Lappé discusses the encouraging progress that has been made to bring food and agriculture systems into climate negotiations, the ties between farming and the fossil fuel industry, and the organizations proving that a regenerative food future is possible. Food Tank x GFI

France’s smart food moves. France is making healthy eating easier: recent policy changes, public health campaigns, and innovative industry approaches to frozen and prepared foods are reshaping access to nutritious meals and addressing the rise of diet-related disease. The New York Times

Food leaders. Apply by December 5th to be an Aspen Institute's Food Leaders Fellow. The fellowship unites promising food system leaders to ignite personal transformation, cross-sector collaboration, and scalable food systems change. The Aspen Institute

A UPF warning. A new Lancet series warns that ultra-processed foods–from sodas to instant noodles–are causing real harm. The series' authors link high UPF intake to chronic diseases, including diabetes and cancer. As these foods become dietary staples worldwide, they argue, the consequences for global public health are impossible to ignore. Reuters

Neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River have
long faced underinvestment—reflected most visibly in the stark gap in grocery store access compared to the western side of DC. A food tour co-facilitated by the Longer Tables Fund and GFI brought American Public Health Association conference attendees together to meet organizations working in these communities to expand access to healthy, affordable food.

Community partners included FRESHFARM, Dreaming Out Loud, and DC Central Kitchen.

We want to lift up your work and share information about events, opportunities to collaborate or whatever you think is important to share. Email us at globalfoodinstitute@gwu.edu. 

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