Rooted Resilience: Securing a Global Food Future from the Ground Up

North America’s charity-based approach to food insecurity often reinforces cycles of dependency and disempowerment. As Devita Davison pointed out, true resilience “isn’t about surviving, it’s about maintaining your humanity while you do it”. That is why community-rooted food systems that center equity, cultural relevance and relational resilience are so important.

In her keynote presentation, Devita argued the building of food systems for “scale” has obscured context, prioritized corporate power and has created brittle systems that are unable to adapt today’s complex problems. She offered insights into how building community-rooted food systems regenerates, supports local economies, builds capacity not dependency, and connects communities. She called on us to restore belonging within our food systems as infrastructure for true resilience and to be brave enough to be the people to uproot the systems that serve corporations over community.

Keynote Resources: Karen Washingtons – Food Apartheid | Monica White – Freedom Farming | Angela Davis – Abolition | Leah Penniman – Soul Fire Farms

Bouncing Forward: Moving from Crisis to Capacity

The rising frequency of climate shocks, pandemics, and supply chain disruptions has exposed the limits of a “bounce back” approach to food system resilience. This session demonstrates why resilience must mean transformation, by examining how to “bounce forward”.

Panelists framed adversity as a catalyst for change and explored proactive capacity building: strategies that strengthen core systems before disruption strikes and shift thinking from crisis response to foresight and prevention. Building on that foundation, the discussion turned to transformation in practice. Speakers emphasized cross-sectoral collaboration among governments, Indigenous communities, academics, and food organizations to tackle food insecurity and structural inequities. Examples highlighted included Indigenous-led agreements linking ecosystem protection with economic development, national efforts expanding food bank capacity, and continental strategies prioritizing resilience in Africa. Together, these insights underscored that leadership means breaking silos, fostering trust, and committing to shared goals that advance sustainability, justice, and food sovereignty. 

Session Resources: Great Bear Rainforest Agreement | Hunger Count Report | A 10-year Parliamentary call to action for agri-food systems transformation in Africa

Indigenous Foodways: A Fireside Chat

This fireside chat capitalized on the national momentum of the NCIAF (National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture & Food) to seek the ‘how and the why’ of sustainable agri-food practices. A call to action to the thought leaders in the room to change Canada’s food story. Addressing systemic barriers and social inequity around food access, incarceration, and child welfare, the discussion focused on two key questions: How can we change Canada’s food story to uplift communities with products desired in global markets, such as wild rice and buffalo, and what are food system leaders currently doing to facilitate that change?

A key message is that community-led solutions need to be given a platform. This cannot be another situation where Indigenous communities are given someone else’s solution to carry out. Instead, trust, system and policy change, must combine to empower solutions designed by communities to address their challenges and not a ‘one size fits all’ approach. This empowerment not only builds internal community value but also drives a more complete understanding of Canada’s food production for domestic resilience and international trade. 

Session Resources: NCIAF Website | Cowessess First Nation: Building a Bright Future Through Agriculture | NCIAF Youtube Channel

Presentation of the Arrell Global Food Innovation Award

At this year’s Summit, Laura Arrell presented the Arrell Global Food Innovation Award to Irene Etyang of MAMLO FOODS. Awards adjudicators Janet Dean and Abra Brynne joined Irene in a conversation exploring the enterprise in driving change, the connection between community and economy, and the value of women-led businesses in shaping sustainable food systems. 

In her acceptance speech, Irene spoke to the importance of empowering local producers by creating opportunities for value-added production within the supply chain. She shared that growing up in Teso, she saw “communities rich in food knowledge, Indigenous food knowledge and wisdom but often overlooked by systems,” and emphasized that lasting change comes when we nurture what’s already within us: “The people, the land, and our knowledge, the Indigenous food knowledge.” The conversation that followed emphasized that innovation and entrepreneurship are essential for both food security and sovereignty, and that supporting place-based enterprises can create meaningful social and economic impact. 

Awardee Resources: MAMLO FOODS Website | MAMLO LinkedIn | MAMLO Instagram

Farming on the Front Lines: What Works for Climate Resilience

The escalating pressures of climate change, from extreme weather to shifting seasons, are demanding a fundamental reimagining of our agricultural systems. This panel spotlighted the lived experiences, ingenuity, and practical solutions that producers are developing every day to adapt to a volatile climate, offering insight into what’s working on the farm, where additional support is needed, and the barriers that remain. 

Panelists shared a range of strategies being used to strengthen resilience, including drainage tile, cover cropping, winter wheat rotations, and the use of statistical AI to accelerate learning. Participants highlighted the importance of knowledge sharing combined with local data to develop context-specific solutions as well as the need to support the early adopters leading sustainable practices. The conversation emphasized that agriculture transformation is an ongoing process shaped by collaboration, incremental progress, and long-term commitment. Looking ahead, producers called for continued investment that provides both financial resources and opportunities to learn, experiment, and take ownership of their own transformation, ensuring they can adapt and thrive in an increasingly unpredictable climate. 

Session Resources: GFO – Program Guide for Sustainability

The Next Generation of Growth

This segment featured Lisa Ashton, Director of Agriculture Policy at RBC Thought Leadership, in conversation with University of Guelph President Rene Van Acker. The discussion focused on strengthening Canada’s agricultural innovation ecosystem and support emerging leaders driving sustainable growth in the sector. This conversation highlights the urgent need to address declining investment, talent, and innovation while shaping solutions for the next generation of leaders.

Ashton discussed RBC’s recent research in partnership with the Arrell Food Institute, which found that Canada has fallen from third to tenth in agri-food technology investment over the past decade. She highlighted concerning trends in declining talent, research diversity, and commercialization, emphasizing the need for renewed cross-sector collaboration. Ashton also described RBC’s new $5 million “RBC Generate” initiative, designed to invest in the next generation of agriculture by supporting market, finance, and skills development through partnerships like SF4C. Reflecting on her own experience with the Arrell Food Institute, she credited real-world learning opportunities for shaping her leadership in policy and communication. She reaffirmed that agriculture remains Canada’s “moonshot” for economic growth and sustainability, with productivity and innovation at the core of that vision.

Session Resources: Next Generation of Growth Report | Education at AFI | RBC Generate Initiative | SF4C Website

Ag-Tech Stories

Ag-tech is a gateway into a critical, but often underestimated collision between emerging technologies like AI and a sector that represents a significant percentage of Canada’s GDP. Innovation in this sector is driven by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs, and while success is often tracked by economic indicators, the human element drives the sector forward. Four of these new leaders shared their story through photos of their work, their journey, and brief interviews on stage. From sensor and farm management software to increased shelf stability through innovative packaging processes, the breadth of technology is united by the system that drives Canada’s innovation ecosystem. 

Across all sessions, founders emphasized that innovation in agri-food must start with human needs and community context, not technology alone. A shift toward science-driven solutions that reduce waste, energy use, and environmental impact while improving access to nutritious food contributes to a shared vision for resilient, decentralized food systems that empower farmers and communities. Ag-tech is leading toward a future where local production and global innovation intersect: creating food systems that are equitable, adaptive, and grounded in community.  

Ag-Tech Stories Guests:

• Hamed Hamedian, Croppino
• Felix Cheung, IXON Food Technology
• Gavin Schneider, Maia Farms
• Kim Parker, Food Security Structures Canada

Retooling for Resilience

As ag-tech innovations accelerated, the focus shifts from what technology could do to what it meant for the people behind the work. Automation, AI, and data-driven tools promise efficiency and growth, but also raised critical challenges around workforce readiness, job creation, and equitable access to opportunity. The final panel examined how the sector could move beyond innovation for its own sake to ensure that emerging technologies strengthened, not sidelined, the human element at the heart of agriculture.

The panel explored what it will take to scale innovation across Canada’s food system, emphasizing that technology alone isn’t enough; collaboration, trust, and smart policy are key. Speakers highlighted the need to break down data silos, co-develop solutions with farmers and policymakers, and build transparent, human-centered AI. They called for policies that reward responsible risk-taking and investment in rural innovation, noting that, like the clean energy transition, sustainable food systems will scale when economic, social, and environmental incentives align.