CLIMATE WEEK: NOTHING TO DO BUT ACT

This NYC Climate Week, the Farmlink team joined world leaders, scientists, business leaders, founders and activists at events around the city. The contracting federal climate funding and a UN warning that planetary warming may soon exceed the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target stimulated an underdog spirit, fueled by what climate diplomat Christiana Figueres calls “stubborn optimism.” Across sectors, people shared how, despite all odds, we’re making breakthroughs, unlocking record investment and forging first-of-their-kind partnerships that are reshaping industries. The message was clear: there’s nothing to do but act. Farmlink was born from that same conviction. The energy that rallied 600+ students during the pandemic to rescue food for families facing unexpected food insecurity still drives our team today.

During the week, three themes stood out:

Super pollutants are moving to the center of climate strategy and for good reason: Methane alone is responsible for roughly 30% of the warming we already feel in today’s heatwaves and severe storms threatening our coastlines. It’s also the primary gas Farmlink keeps out of the atmosphere every time we ensure food feeds families not landfills. Methane traps about 80x more heat than carbon dioxide, so cutting it now brings relief within years, not centuries. We are in a decisive decade, what we do now counts for the rest of our lifetimes. This is why Farmlink moves at the speed and scale we do: the security and wellbeing of our farmers, families and ecosystems we call home. We are proud to be one of many solutions addressing superpollutants, and we’re in good company. Farmlink co-founder James Kanoff, now of Terradot, is now helping rice farmers cut methane through a landmark deal with Google. Together, we’re ten toes down on scaling solutions that reduce warming in our lifetimes. 

Waste is now a climate target: At this year’s UN climate summit, world leaders are pushing to halve global waste growth by 2035. Food loss and waste generates nearly 10% of global emissions, almost 5x that of aviation. Redirecting edible food offers an immediate climate benefit while reducing costs, and companies worldwide are joining groups like the WRI 12.3 Champions and US Food Waste Pact to learn from each other on how to reduce waste and keep food going to its highest purpose of feeding people.

Food security is finally being spotlighted as national security: A nation’s food supply is only as secure as its farmers, who are the first to feel climate shocks and rising costs. That’s why Farmlink works directly with growers from rural Appalachia to California’s Central Valley to make sure no harvest is lost and super pollutants are prevented, so farms stay in business and fresh food reaches the families who need it most.

All in,
Julia DeSantis
Director of Sustainability