Lineup Just Dropped: Are You Joining Us At Climate Week?

Danielle Nierenberg

Danielle Nierenberg

There’s no question that, when it comes to the future of food and agriculture, “business as usual” doesn’t work. 

At major global events like Climate Week NYC, which coincides with the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, we need to keep the pressure on leaders to act—but we can’t keep having the same conference-room conversations over and over again. We need to show the world that food and ag are key solutions to the climate crisis—but we need to move toward urgent, livesaving action. 

I’m so excited to share the six days of food and agriculture programming that Food Tank and our partners are bringing to New York City during Climate Week NYC, all hosted at WNYC–NPR’s The Greene Space and livestreaming around the world, from September 20–25.

To break out of our routines and break down walls, you’re invited to our “All Things Food and Agriculture” Film Festival. You’re invited to our friend and renowned food expert Marion Nestle’s 90th birthday party. You’re invited to events that place a strong focus on the future, highlighting the next generation of farmers and grappling with educating the next generation of eaters. You’re invited to help us bridge the food movement with the arts, as we invite acclaimed Broadway performers and musicians to raise the emotional stakes. 

In short: You’re invited to a series of Food Tank Summits that bring together more than 225 luminary speakers and performers—countless diverse visionaries, creative thinkers, and problem-solvers. 

And if you're unable to join us in person, nearly every event will be livestreamed, with videos immediately posted after the event concludes. You can find livestream links—and a way to set up notifications—via our YouTube page HERE. I'll also send out reminder emails that include livestream links, so you won't miss a moment.

Check out our full schedule by scrolling down or CLICKING HERE. 

Our Climate Week events are selling out quickly! If you want to bypass the waitlist on a sold-out event, Food Tank members get access to special promo codes. You can join at FoodTank.com/Join.

There's no way we could do this alone, so a big thank-you to all our 2026 event co-hosts: American Farmland Trust; Amy’s Kitchen; Arrell Food Institute; Bel US; Bonterra; CARE; CookUnity; Diestel Family Ranch; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Food Planet Prize; Future Food Institute; Global Traceability Framework for Beef and Leather; Groundswell; Halter; Handsome Brook Farms; The Henry Ford; James Beard Foundation; Mill; New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy; New York University; Northstar Recycling; NRDC; Once Upon a Farm; Organic Center; Organic Valley; Organic Voices; Pilot Light; RAAPID; Restaurant Technologies; Rockefeller Foundation; Rodale Institute; Stonyfield; Strong Roots; Support + Feed; Kat Taylor, President of TomKat Foundation; United Nations Environment Programme; and Whole Foods Market. 

Here’s the lineup, with links to secure your spot:

Sunday, Sept. 20

EVENING: “Putting Farmers First: How Young Farmers are Shaping the Future of Food,” with Whole Foods Market. 6:30PM reception; 7–8:30PM program. Register HERE.

The evening will explore how the next generation of farmers is shaping the future of food, the barriers they continue to face, and the investments, partnerships, and policies needed to ensure they can thrive. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Jason Buechel, Whole Foods Market; Tristen Buettel, Broadway Actor, Singer, and Dancer; Amalia Colón-Nava, Dirtbaby Farm; Cullen Curth, Pianist, Music Director, and Conductor; Emily Grant, Rise and Shine Acres; Michelle Hughes, National Young Farmers Coalition; Sarah Jones, Jones Farms Organic; DeVonne Jackson Perez, Brooklyn-based Urban Farmer and Sustainability Educator; Caitlin Leibert, Whole Foods Market; Brita Lundberg, Lundberg Family Farms; Becca Millstein, Fishwife; Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Whole Foods Market; Anna Turrell, Mars Snacking; and many more to be announced soon!

Monday, Sept. 21

MORNING: “Solving Food Waste is a Key Solution to the Climate Crisis,” with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food Planet Prize, NRDC, Restaurant Technologies, CookUnity, and Mill. 9AM breakfast and musical guest; 9:30AM program; 11AM lunch. Register HERE. 

The morning will bring together leaders from across the food value chain to explore innovative solutions, successful partnerships, and scalable strategies that are preventing waste before it happens, recovering surplus food, and creating a more circular food system. Confirmed speakers and performers include: María Bengochea, CookUnity; Veleké Brown, E-RoadMap Corporation (Operation No Food Gap); Cullen Curth, New York City-based Pianist; Julie Gehrki, Walmart Foundation; Diana Geseking, Restaurant Technologies; Robert Jones, Culinary Institute of America; Matthew Jozwiak, Rethink; Madeline Keating, NRDC; Martin Krause, UN Environment Programme; Nathan Lucrezio, Broadway Actor; Adalberto Maluf Filho, Brazil’s National Secretary for Urban Environment, Water Resources and Environmental Quality; Emily Norford, Food Planet Prize; Lou Pieh, Mill; Gwyneth Rampton, Compass Group USA; U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas, Oregon’s 6th Congressional District; Tia Schwab, C40 Cities; Jackie Suggitt, Walmart; and many more to be announced soon!

AFTERNOON: “Mission Driven Brands Sustainability Summit.” 1:30PM lunch and musical guest; 2PM program; 3:30PM reception. If you work in this space, register HERE.

This annual event convenes leaders from across the food, retail, and hospitality sectors to explore how businesses can drive meaningful environmental and social impact. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Jordan Catalana, Tapestry Foundation; Stephen Cronk, Maison Mirabeau and The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation; Dana Cowin, Progressive Hedonist; Ryan Fielding Garrett, New York City-based Composer, Music Director, Orchestrator, and Musician; Ann Marie Hourigan, Whole Foods Market; Mark Kaplan, Wholechain; Shawna Laczko, Northstar Recycling; Elaina Leibee, Erewhon Natural Food Market; Peter McGuinness, Bel US; Sarah McMullin, Target Owned Brands; Daniel Quadrino, Broadway Actor; Rob Samuels, 8th-Generation Whisky Maker, Maker's Mark; Beatrix Scolari, Bonterra Organic Estates; Jason Weller, JBS; and many more to be announced soon.

EVENING: “All Things Food and Agriculture” Film Festival, with TomKat Foundation; Halter; The Rockefeller Foundation; The Henry Ford; and Groundswell. 6:30PM doors and musical guest; 7PM program; 8:30PM reception. Register HERE. 

This special event will showcase powerful short films and documentaries highlighting the people, innovations, and ideas transforming our food system. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Xiye Bastida, Re-Earth Initiative; Brandon Burks, Broadway Actor, Singer, and Dancer; Elijah Caldwell, OBIE Award-winning Actor, Singer, Pianist, and Music Director; Sara Farley, The Rockefeller Foundation; Andrew Fraser, Halter; Spence Medford, The Henry Ford; Kacie Scherler-Abney, Fifth-Generation Rancher; Zach Scherler-Abney, Scherler-Abney Land & Cattle; Jennifer Sherman, Alice Waters Institute; Kat Taylor, TomKat Ranch and TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation; Rebecca Harrell Tickell, Director and Producer, Groundswell; and Haven Worley, Director, Irish Farmers: A Love Story.

Tuesday, Sept. 22

MORNING: “Thriving Farms and Ranches,” with American Farmland Trust. Register HERE.

We’ll explore solutions that empower farmers and ranchers while building a more sustainable and secure food system for future generations. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Hillary Barile, Rabbit Hill Farms; Amanda Beal, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; John Chester, Farm Lore Films; Oliver English, Common Table Creative; Simon English, Common Table Creative; Heidi Exline, American Farmland Trust; Tim Fink, American Farmland Trust; Olivia Fuller, Fuller Farm; Dominick Grant, Dirt Capital Partners; Will Harris, White Oak Pastures; Brooks Lamb, Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator; Caitlin Leibert, Amazon Worldwide Grocery; Bianca Moebius-Clune, PhD, American Farmland Trust; Jenny Lester Moffitt, American Farmland Trust; Heather Oppel, General Mills; Madison Claire Parks, Broadway Actress; John Piotti, American Farmland Trust; Karen Ross, California Secretary of Food and Agriculture; Deydra Steans, S3 Legacy Ranch; Kat Taylor, TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation; Jeff Tkach, Rodale Institute; Noah Turner, Broadway Music Director; and many more to be announced soon.

AFTERNOON: “Nourishing the Future: How Farming Practices Shape the Food We Eat, the Health We Build, and the Longevity We Seek,” with Diestel Family Ranch. Begins 1:30PM. Register HERE.

Through farmer stories and more, we’ll examine why the next frontier in food systems may be measuring value not just by cost, yield, or convenience, but by nourishment. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Elder Raymond Bryant, San Antonio Million Gardens Project; Melissa Clark, The New York Times and NYT Cooking; Heidi Diestel, Fourth-Generation Farmer, Diestel Family Ranch; Mercedes Diane Griffin Forbes, Forbes Food & Ag; Clair Rachel Howell, Broadway Performer; Anne Marie Hourigan, Whole Foods Market; Noah Turner, Broadway Music Director; Chef Andrew Zimmern; and many more to be announced soon!

EVENING: “People-Focused. Climate-Friendly. Food-Forward New York City,” with Support + Feed, Strong Roots, and the NYC Mayor’s Office. Begins 6:30PM. Registration page HERE.

What does people-focused, climate-friendly, and plant-forward urban food policy look like? Confirmed speakers and performers include: Maggie Baird, Support + Feed; Maria Caputo, New York-based Composer; Emma Curtis, Strong Roots; Kaitlyn Davidson, Broadway Actor; Shyria Donawa, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygeine; Ora Kemp, New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy; Kevin Nakagawa, Open Doors; Norman Priester, NYC Department of Corrections; Siddhartha Sanchez, New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy; and many more to be announced soon!

Wednesday, Sept. 23

ALL DAY: “The Roots of Organic: From Soil to Shelf,” with Organic Valley, Once Upon a Farm, Handsome Brook Farms, Stonyfield, Amy’s Kitchen, and in collaboration with Organic Voices, the Organic Center, and the Rodale Institute. More info and registration for this all-day event is HERE. 

Confirmed speakers and performers include: Benjamin Bartley, UNFI; Alexis Bramley, Organic Trade Association; William Brinkerhoff, Soil Scientist, Chef, and Science Communicator; Marcia Brown, POLITICO; Amy Bruch, Cyclone Farms; Duron Chavis, Happily Natural Day and Sankofa Community Orchard; Taylor Clayton, Adams Group; Cullen Curth, Pianist, Music Director, and Conductor; Beatriz Daim, Tradin Organic; Kathleen Davis, Science Friday; Matthew Dillon, Organic Trade Association; Abianne Falla, CatSpring Yaupon; Tracy Favre, Handsome Brook Farms; Ryan Fielding Garrett, Broadway Music Director; Christopher Gergen, Regenerative Organic Alliance; David Gonthier, University of Kentucky; Alison Grantham, Grow Well Consulting; Stephanie Grotta, Target; Taylor Hurd, Singer-Songwriter; Chef Johanna Hellrigl, AMA and 2026 James Beard Award Semifinalist; Celia Hottenstein, Wicked on Broadway; Steven Jennings, Ahold Delhaize USA; Jane Kuhn, Once Upon a Farm; Annie Leeson, AgriCarbon; Brandon Lombardi, Sprouts Farmers Market; Jessica Luhning, Organic Valley; Britt Lundgren, Stonyfield; Chef Joshua McFadden, Farmer and James Beard Award-Winning Author of Six Seasons; Kousha Navidar, Climate One; Shawna Nelson, Organic Valley; Chef Priyanka Naik, Food Network Champion, TV Host, and Author of The Modern Tiffin; Leah Penniman, Farmer, Author, and Food Justice Activist, Soul Fire Farm; Sandy Pfaff, Organic Trade Association; Gwyneth Rampton, Compass Group USA; Maria Rodale, Rodale, Inc.; Amber Rubarth, Singer-Songwriter; Paul Schiefer, Amy’s Kitchen; Amber Sciligo, The Organic Center; Suzanne Sengelmann, Lundberg Family Farms; Erin Silva, UW-Madison; Sarela Herrada, SIMPLi; Travis Taber, Wicked on Broadway; Annie Watson, Organic Dairy Farmer, Sheepscot Valley Farm and Stonyfield Producer; Jake Wedeberg, Organic Dairy Farmer; Stefanie Wilbur, Lazy Dog Farm; Jayke Workman, Chicago on Broadway; Nijia Zhou, Amazon Worldwide Grocery and more to be announced soon!

Also all day via livestream at FoodTank.com, we’ll have additional exclusive online content including interviews with Selena Ahmed, Periodic Table of Food Initiative and American Heart Association; Shannon Cappellazzi, Oregon State University; John Foraker, Once Upon a Farm; Seth Goldman, Eat the Change and JUST Ice Tea; Brad Heins, University of Minnesota; Stephanie Jerger, Organic Trade Association; Keefe Keeley, Savanna Institute; Vernon Martin, Crystal Spring Farm and Handsome Brook Farms; Kathleen Merrigan, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University; Chellie Pingree, U.S. House of Representatives; David Rosmann, Rosmann Family Farms; Rachel Stroer, The Land Institute; and Brise Tencer, Organic Farming Research Foundation.

Thursday, Sept. 24

MORNING: “Chefs Save the World,” with The James Beard Foundation and CARE. Begins 9AM; register HERE. 

This annual event highlights how culinary leaders are using their platforms to drive meaningful impact in their communities and beyond. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Chef Fariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar, Chef Bleu Adams, IndigeHub; Elijah Caldwell, Actor, Singer; Nick T. Daly, Broadway Actor, Singer; Erica Helms, James Beard Foundation; Emily Janoch, CARE; Ellie Krieger, Dietitian and Nutritionist; Anne E. McBride, PhD, James Beard Foundation; Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm; Liz Murray, The Marlow Collective; Chris Noble, CARE; Chef Grace Ramirez, La Latina Cocina, Chef Sean Sherman, NĀTIFS; Chef Andrew Zimmern, and many more to be announced soon!

AFTERNOON: “Acting at the Speed of Crisis: Challenges & Opportunities for Food Security and Rapid Response,” with RAAPID and Arrell Food Institute. Begins 1:30PM; registration page HERE. 

This timely program will explore how organizations can rapidly mobilize resources, leverage innovation, and build more resilient systems to meet urgent food security needs. Confirmed speakers and performers include; Inbal Becker-Reshef, RAAPID; Ertharin Cousin, Food Systems for the Future; Evan Fraser, Arrell Food Institute; Ruth Hill, CGIAR; Melissa Mahtani, International Affairs Journalist Oluchi Nwaokorie, Broadway Actor and Singer; Ambassador Philip Thigo, Office of the President of Kenya; Máximo Torero Cullen, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Noah Turner, Broadway Music Director; Michael Werz, Council on Foreign Relations; Simon Winter, Rockefeller Foundation Catalytic Capital; Andrew Zolli, Planet; and many more to be announced soon!

EVENING: Marion Nestle’s 90th Birthday Party, with New York University and Rodale Institute. RSVP HERE. 

As Marion celebrates her 90th birthday, we will honor her extraordinary legacy of advancing evidence-based nutrition, championing transparency in the food system, and empowering people to ask critical questions about the food we eat. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Jennifer Berg, NYU Food Studies; Mark Bittman, Author and Food Journalist; Maria Caputo, New York-based Composer; Nancy Easton, Wellness in the Schools; Kathleen Finlay, Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming; Cathy Kaufman, Culinary Historians; Frances Moore Lappé, Small Planet Institute; Marion Nestle, New York University; Kristie Patten, NYU Steinhardt; Jake Pedersen, Broadway and Television Actor; Ruth Reichl, Author and Food Journalist; Maria Rodale, Rodale Inc.; Amber Rubarth, Singer-Songwriter; Kim Severson, The New York Times; Max Sinsheimer, Sinsheimer Literary, LLC; Lisa Sutherland, Jacksonville University; and more to be announced soon!

Friday, Sept. 25

MORNING: “Planet Aqua, Planet Peace: The Paideia Vision For Integral Ecology, Food Systems, Public Health, and Global Justice,” with the Future Food Institute and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Event page HERE. 

Water connects every aspect of our food systems, public health, ecosystems, and communities. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Blu Allen, Broadway Actor, Singer; Elijah Caldwell, Actor, Singer, Jenn Kemmerly, Monterey Bay Aquarium; David Laborde, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Kaveh Madani, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health; Kathleen McDavitt, Aquaculture Stewardship Council; Laura McDearis, Marine Stewardship Council; Wendy Norden, Monterey Bay Aquarium; Sara Roversi, Future Food Institute; Brendan Shane, Trust for Public Lands; Simone Venturini, Mayor of Venice; and many more to be announced soon!

AFTERNOON: “The Future of Food Education,” with Pilot Light and with support from Nielsen Massey. Sign up HERE. 

To close out Climate Week, the afternoon will bring together educators, school leaders, policymakers, chefs, nonprofit organizations, and advocates to explore how meaningful food education in schools can empower young people to make healthier choices, strengthen connections to food and agriculture, and inspire the next generation of climate leaders. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Jenna Bainbridge, Broadway Actor and Disability Rights Advocate; Linda Carmen Bryant, San Antonio Million Gardens Project; Maria Caputo, New York-based Composer; Alexandra DeSorbo-Quinn, Pilot Light; Nancy Easton, Wellness in the Schools; Gerardo Martinez, Wild Kid Acres; Taylor Meredith, Pilot Light; Shanon Morris, Harlem Grown; Liz Neumark, Great Performances, The Sylvia Center; Kim Severson, The New York Times; Amanda Torres; Public School Educator; Jeremy Walter, New York City Department of Education; Karen Washington, Food Justice Advocate, Farmer, and Author, Lyndsey Waugh, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation; and many more to be announced soon!

I look forward to seeing each of you either in person or virtually (or both!) in a few weeks. And with so many experts gathered in one place both onstage and in the audience, what questions do you have? Share ideas, concerns, and conversation topics with me at danielle@foodtank.com.

(Danielle Nierenberg is the President of Food Tank and can be reached at danielle@foodtank.com)