Global Alliance for the Future of Food

Over 20 foundations from ten countries—each with diverse interests and expertise spanning health, food, conservation, cultural diversity, and community wellbeing—came together in 2012 to transform global food systems with an eye for sustainability. Meridian provides strategic support to this collaborative, The Global Alliance for the Future of Food, by helping its members understand opportunities for impact, articulate their collective vision, and identify priorities for the future.

The Global Alliance was interested in exploring opportunities to expand charitable investments in agroecological approaches, “true cost accounting” (i.e. recognizing externalities), health, and food systems’ relationship to climate change. As a trusted third party with a track record of successfully supporting multi-foundation initiatives, Meridian helped the group cement its unique strategic vision and claim a valuable role within the agriculture and food systems funding landscape.

To help the Alliance’s members identify funding gaps and opportunities for impact within their shared portfolios, we also produced a landscape assessment that captured their strategies, geographies, and objectives, alongside those of other key food and ag funders. In addition, we authored a report on Climate Change and Food Systems that identified key recommendations about how food systems could better address climate change. This report was profiled in op-eds in The Guardian and Al Jazeera.

Today, the Global Alliance continues to bolster global efforts to transform food and agriculture for future generations. The Global Alliance’s successes are a model for other multi-stakeholder foundation initiatives that aim to drive systemic change.