Stop buying Driscoll’s berries. The organic berries are grown in containers on land paved with plastic and the non-organic ones are poisoned with organophosphorus pesticides.

Driscoll’s is the reason why, even after California banned chlorpyrifos, the state’s use of organophosphorus pesticides is increasing in the Central Coast region (even as it’s gone down everywhere else). That’s where Driscoll’s grows its strawberries. In Monterey County, Driscoll’s caused organophosphorus pesticide use to go up 26 percent and exposure is nearly unavoidable.

Because of Driscoll’s, Monterey County has the highest proportion of pregnant women (50 percent) living within 1 km of organophosphate pesticide use. Living within 1–1.25 km of organophosphate pesticide applications during pregnancy is linked to autism spectrum disorder, reduced IQ in children, and altered brain activity in adolescents.

This is so distressing to the citizens of Watsonville, California, where Driscoll’s is headquartered, that two people went on hunger strike, demanding that Driscoll’s transition its farms near schools to organic, but Driscoll’s wouldn’t even publicly acknowledge their protest.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Driscoll’s to stop poisoning the babies of California’s Central Coast!

The People’s Food Summit was created as a worldwide, people-led alternative to the UN Food Systems Summit, amplifying the voices of small-scale farmers, pastoralists, and foresters who produce most of the world’s food. 



We highlight real, community-driven solutions in agroecology, permaculture, holistic grazing, and agroforestry. Together, we are cultivating healthier soils, stronger communities, and a more resilient food future. 
 

We are honored to be interviewing these activists with this online gathering of farmers, scientists, policymakers, educators, and community leaders who are reimagining food and farming systems for the future.


These are just a few of the people making a real difference, who will be sharing their successes and wisdom at the Regeneration International People’s Food Summit! 



ASIA PACIFIC

• Dr. Vandana Shiva- Regenerating Agriculture and Communities at Scale
• Kesang Tshomo- Transforming Bhutan Into the World’s First Organic Country



EUROPE

• Dr. Nadia El Hage Scialabba-Transformative Approaches to Food Ecology, Advocating for Regenerative Systems That Integrate Biodiversity, Climate Resilience, and Equitable Food Production
  
• Jostein Hertwig- Expanding Organic Food Systems and Organic Districts in Europe and Worldwide



AFRICA

• Charles Tumuhe- Africa Taking a Lead in Building a Food and Seed Sovereignty Movement Small Scale
• Carmen Mannarino- Fisher Folks / Fishing Communities, Their Struggles and Their Journey in Food Systems

NORTH AMERICA

• Monique Gray Smith- Giving Thanks – Indigenous Wisdom is for All of Us. ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ for Young and Young-at-Heart
• Hui-Chun Su Johnson- The Johnson-Su Bioreactor: This Simple Method Makes World’s Best Compost



LATIN AMERICA

• Avelina Landaverde- The Right to Food: Debunking Corporate Propaganda
• Valeria García-López- Can a Suitcase Full of Seeds Become a Tool of Community Resistance?

Look through the program to explore the insightful speakers and issues ahead of time, and choose which talks you want to see most! Hope to see you there!

by Dr. André Leu D.Sc., BA Com., Grad Dip Ed., International Director, Regeneration International:

Two recent studies reveal that even tiny amounts of chlorpyrifos, a common pesticide that leaves residues on produce, can cause brain damage in unborn and developing children. This exposure occurs from consuming fresh fruits and vegetables that have been treated with this toxic insecticide.

The latest review into Autism has ignored the effects of pesticides in the development of this and related diseases. Exposure to small amounts of pesticides in food can harm the brain’s normal development, leading to a range of serious issues observed in children, including autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and other developmental and behavioral challenges.


Studies conducted independently by researchers at Columbia University’s Center for Children’s Environmental Health, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that fetal exposure to small amounts of organophosphate pesticides caused a range of brain abnormalities, leading to children with reduced IQs, diminished attention spans, and increased vulnerability to ADHD.




Learn what the two most recent studies clearly show about brain damage in children from pesticides in food

Several States have banned this pesticide that harms children’s brains. Ask yours to do the same.

Adam Reiner, The Guardian:

“At the Dream Mott Haven charter school this summer, more than a hundred food-service professionals lined up in the cafeteria to enjoy a school lunch prepared by the culinary team from Brigaid.

Some attendees giggled like schoolchildren as they carried fire-engine-red trays filled with plates of scratch-made pernil, fried plantains and arroz con gandules through the lunchroom, taking seats at the long cafeteria tables and commiserating with strangers like the first day of school.

A kale caesar side salad and diced fresh watermelon ensured that the meal met US Department of Agriculture nutrition guidelines; according to a panel discussion before lunch, it also met strict budgetary guidelines – with ingredients totaling a mere $2.71 per meal.



Earlier that day, the company’s affable founder, Dan Giusti, dissected the cost of each ingredient and explained why placing professional chefs in school kitchens helps them make the most out of their meager budgets.”



Read how Dan Giusti is on a mission to transform institutional cooking

Alaina Demopoulos writes for The Guardian:

“Thought to be the stuff of early bird specials and old folks’ homes, the five o’clock dinnertime could be one of 2025’s most surprising comebacks, as younger generations seem willing to finish meals before the sun goes down. According to data collected by the reservation app OpenTable, 53% of gen Z and 51% of millennials in the US are interested in snagging an early seat. OpenTable also found that 5pm dining was up 11% from January to August 2025, compared with 2024; 6pm, the most popular time to eat, was up 8%, while 8pm was up only 4%. In New York – now, apparently, a sleepy city? – 5pm dining was up 20%.

Young people are drinking less and working out more; 73% of gen Zers have gym memberships, according to a 2024 report. Why stay out late when you have to rise and grind the next morning? Then there’s the issue of making reservations, which has become a bit of a bloodsport. Reservation scalpers are known to gobble up prime tables as soon as they become available, then sell them to the highest bidder. Want to eat at that TikTok-famous bistro or celebrity-favored Italian joint? Hope you’re hungry at 4.30pm.”

Read how “dinner by 6, in bed by 9” is a new trend

Allison Aubrey, NPR:

“When it comes to longevity, women are much more likely to outlive men. In the U.S., the gap widened to 5.8 years in 2021. On average, men can expect to live just shy of 76 years, compared to 81 for women.

A new study from researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, shows this gap is true across different species. And the findings, published in the journal Science Advances, suggest there may be ways human males can narrow the gap.

The study found that among 528 species of mammals — including humans’ closest relative the chimpanzee — females often have the advantage. Females live about 13% longer in 72% of species.”



Learn more about how a mix of factors explains the gap, including genetics, mating habits and caretaking responsibilities

by Jennifer Bamberg, Investigate Midwest:

“Each day before sunrise, David Huerta checks his rearview mirror for immigration enforcement agents as he drives through the dark to a warehouse in a southwest Chicago suburb. Once he’s clocked in, he peers periodically through the windows on the truck dock, making sure ICE isn’t there. For hours this will go on, as he unloads pallets heavy with sacks of flour and salt, bound for grocery stores nationwide. 

When trucks pull into the dock, Huerta readies his forklift to begin unloading the pallets, but first, he must interact with the drivers. 

Most are professional while filling out the required paperwork. However, some of the drivers harass him, behavior that has increased since President Trump took office in January.

‘The most degrading thing is when the drivers arrive with their MAGA caps and they ask, ‘Hey, when are you going back to Mexico?’ said Huerta, who works for a company that makes baking mixes and nutritional powders. ‘Soon, don’t worry about it.’ That’s the only answer you give, because you can’t say more, because you don’t know if when you close the door, they’ll make a call and say, ‘Hey, there’s some Mexicans in here.’”



Read how now, the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies have revived fears that the stability of the region’s food system will be shaken

Ayurella Horn-Muller, Grist:

“In the thick of summer, little else can seem more appealing than the promised respite of an ice cream cone or a chilled can of soda. Turns out that as climate change warms up the planet, that sugary siren song is getting louder: A new study published last week in the journal Nature Climate Change found that as temperatures have gotten hotter, Americans have been buying more artificially sweetened treats. 

By examining a national sample of U.S. household consumer purchases between 2004 and 2019, and cross-comparing that with localized weather data, analyzing temperatures, precipitation, humidity, and wind speed, the researchers found that added sugar consumption for Americans has been rising in lockstep with average temperatures.

They also used climate projections to predict how these trends could align with future climatic changes, finding that if emissions continue unchecked, excess sugar consumption would soar by the end of the century. It’s the latest piece of evidence in a mountain of research showing how climate change is reshaping what we eat and how we eat it.”



Read how this study charts a new course by connecting two distinct bodies of research by examining exactly what the human body craves when temperatures hike and people need relief

Catherine Douglas Moran, Grocery Dive:

“Upfront costs for retailers to implement new SNAP purchasing restrictions are expected to total roughly $1.6 billion, according to a new report from the National Association of Convenience Stores, National Grocers Association and FMI – The Food Industry Association.

Of that estimate, convenience stores will shoulder the most costs ($1 billion), followed by grocers ($305.1 million), then supercenters ($215.5 million) and lastly small-format stores ($11.8 million).
The trade groups’ report separately forecasts that food retailers will face just shy of $760 million in annual ongoing costs for compliance, of which grocers will pay just over $281 million.

Three trade groups said that SNAP retailers are urging the USDA and states to extend the timeline for implementing SNAP restrictions and provide clear and actionable definitions of which foods are restricted.”

Read how the significant cost and operational hurdles are coming from the shift to give states more control over what SNAP consumers can purchase with their benefits card

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is proud to produce the annual People’s Food Summit, a worldwide, people-led movement amplifying the voices of small-scale farmers, pastoralists, and foresters who produce most of the world’s food.

We’re dedicated to highlighting real, community-driven solutions in agroecology, permaculture, holistic grazing, and agroforestry.

Your donation will help us lift up the voices of regenerative farmers and food producers, showcase community-driven solutions for a more resilient food future, and bring together farmers, scientists, policymakers, and community leaders to reimagine food and farming systems. Help us cultivate a healthier, more sustainable food system.

Donate now to support the People’s Food Summit and join a growing global movement rooted in care for the Earth and respect for the land.

Together, we can make a difference!

Make a tax-deductible donation to Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Make a tax-deductible donation to Regeneration International, our international sister organization

Have you considered making a gift from your IRA?

Leah Watkins, Robert Aitken, Loic Pengtao Li, University of Otago:

“In an age where billionaires and conspicuous consumption are increasingly on display, new Otago-led research shows a simple life really is a happier life.

The study led by University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka Department of Marketing researchers has recently been published in the Journal of Macromarketing.

After setting out to understand the relationship between consumption and wellbeing, the researchers found people are happier and more satisfied when adopting sustainable lifestyles and resisting the temptations of consumerism.

They analysed data from a representative sample of more than 1000 New Zealanders, made up of 51 per cent men and 49 per cent women, with a median age of 45 and a median annual household income of $50,000.

They found the commitment to simple living, or ‘voluntary simplicity’ as it is formally known, leads to wellbeing through providing more opportunities for personal interaction and social connection than conventional contexts of exchange, such as community gardens, sharing resources, and peer-to-peer lending platforms.”

Read about how the commitment to relationships, social connection, community involvement and a sense of living a purposeful and meaningful life leads to wellbeing

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Walmart Says It Will Remove Artificial Colors and Other Additives From Store Brands by 2027

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Flame-Free Candles Are Not Pollution-Free: Scented Wax Melts as a Significant Source of Atmospheric Nanoparticles

How Private Equity Oversees the Ethics of Drug Research

When More Means Less: The Declining Happiness Premium of Higher Education in Wealthier Countries

Forget Rakes: There’s A Better (And Easier) Way To Remove Leaves From Your Yard

Planet Before Profit: Indigenous Food Systems as Models of Sustainability

Hundreds of Celebrities Relaunch a McCarthy-Era Committee To Defend Free Speech

How a PFAS Ban in California Could Make Forever Chemicals Illegal

Watch the Need To Grow, an Environmental Film That Gives the World Hope. Change Happens When People Know the Truth. Free for a Limited Time!