Frontline Food System Representatives Network

JRT serves as a focal point for engagement with frontline food systems representatives including farmers, Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, and local community leaders who work at the frontlines of climate action, food systems transformation, and community resilience. 

Engaging through various projects under Meridian Institute, our team has been proud to support frontline representatives to attend and meaningfully participate at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UNCBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia, and UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and highlight local experiences and challenges in the narratives of high-level events and global media. 

The participation at high-level events and convening of the Frontline Food Systems Representatives Network were made possible through funding from ClimateWorks Foundation, Robertson Foundation, Ambition Loop, and the UNCCD Secretariat and Presidency as well as partnerships with Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques (AMPB), Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), Redes Chaco, the World Farmers Organization (WFO), and the World Rural Forum (WRF). 

We need many, many, many more Frontline Leaders to both share their voices in those [Rio Conventions] venues, but at the same time have lived experience of those processes, so they can bring it back and do advocacy/sharing of lived experiences at a grassroots level. We need this more than ever.”

~ Mateusz Ciasnocha, Ciasnocha Family Farms & European Carbon Farmers, UNCCD CO16 Delegate

Young Emerging Farmers Initiative, Zambia

Richard Kachungu

“Young people, especially those in rural and Indigenous communities, have knowledge also focusing on long term solutions. Therefore, it is imperative that investments are towards them. It will allow us to be able to transition and scale innovative, people-centered approaches.”

~High Level Interactive Dialogue: Enabling environment to catalyze the transformation towards sustainable, resilient and inclusive agri-food systems at UNCCD COP16. Watch the recording here.

Coordination of Territorial Women Leaders of Mesoamerica

Sara Omi

“Lo que necesitamos es que nuestras voces se tengan plenamente en cuenta, y de manera efectiva, para que podamos alcanzar y aspirar a este desarrollo con equilibrio, con equidad, donde se respete a la Madre Tierra” ~Diálogo Interactivo de Alto Nivel: Entorno propicio para catalizar la transformación hacia sistemas agroalimentarios sostenibles, resilientes e inclusivos, en la COP16 de la UNCCD.

[EN] “What we need is for our voices to be taken fully into account, and effectively, so we can achieve and aspire to this development with balance, with equity, where Mother Earth is respected” ~High Level Interactive Dialogue: Enabling environment to catalyze the transformation towards sustainable, resilient and inclusive agri-food systems at UNCCD COP16.

Meet the Frontline Representatives!

Meet the representatives

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If you represent frontline food systems representatives and would like to learn more about our work, please contact the JRT team.