Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy exposes the myth of food scarcity. There is more than enough food in the world to feed everyone more calories than they need. The problem is distribution: not low production. Food First shapes how people think by analyzing the root causes of global hunger, poverty, and ecological degradation and developing solutions in partnership with movements working for social change.

As a donor-supported people's think tank, Food First promotes economic and social human rights. Every community around the world, urban and rural alike, has the basic human right to Food Sovereignty.  Food First promotes sustainable agriculture by publicizing what communities are doing, encouraging exchanges, analyzing institutional policies that keep people in poverty, and recommending changes to those policies that could lead to food sovereignty and economic security.

Food First works internationally, nationally, and locally based on the understanding that activities in one part of the world impact other parts of the world, and that social change can happen at the local level; but there also need to be accompanying changes in national and international policies to allow countries and communities to move toward food sovereignty.  Food sovereignty is a basic human right.

Food First works with groups in the U.S. and internationally who share our vision of a world where everyone eats healthy food that is grown sustainably. We promote small farms as more productive and healthier for the community, consumption of local food, and land reform to increase access for the billions of landless and marginal farmers. 

We oppose genetically modified seeds as economically inequitable for the millions of small farmers around the world. Cuba has the largest sustainable farming experiment in the world. We publicizing that experience so others may learn that it is possible to farm without heavy and expensive external inputs. We publicize programs that are working including the Landless People's Movement in Brazil and the farmer to farmer movement in Central America and Mexico.

Food First promotes greater accountability by international institutions and corporations with the goal of achieving greater equity.  Greater transparency and accountability can slow the growth of population, eliminate poverty, and reverse environmental degradation.

Food First books are used at 400 U.S. universities and translated into 20 languages.
The Food First web site is an important resource for community organizers worldwide.

The Institute for Food and Development Policy, commonly known as Food First, was started by Frances Moore Lappe and Joseph Collins in 1975.  The first book published by the Institute was titled, Food First: Beyond the Myth of Scarcity.  For a more complete history of the organization, go to www.foodfirst.org/history.  At the bottom of the history is a list of books that have been published by Food First over the years.

Read more about the new green revolution for Africa and why so many Africans prefer sustainable farming.
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/1527

Sign up to receive the latest news updates on African agroecological alternatives to the green revolution.
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Food First is housing this new organization. You can learn more about the work of the OFPC at their website:
www.oaklandfood.org

Read the latest reports related to food in Oakland
Oakland Food Retail Impact Study
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2398

and
Food System Meta-analysis for the San Francisco Bay Area
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2397