HTML PLAIN TEXT COPY <h1>Meet 5 people cooking up a new future for food</h1> <p> <em>"This story was originally published by <a href="https://grist.org" title="Grist">Grist</a>. Sign up for Grist's <a href="https://go.grist.org/signup/weekly/partner?utm_campaign=republish-content&utm_medium=syndication&utm_source=partner" title="Weekly newsletter">weekly newsletter here</a>."</em> </p> <p class="has-drop-cap">Agriculture churns out a considerable portion of annual greenhouse gas emissions, and a whole lot of waste — and it’s not like we can just, you know, <em>stop eating</em>. Instead, creative minds are <a href="https://grist.org/fix/how-will-farms-and-restaurants-emerge-from-covid-19-we-asked-the-experts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rethinking the way the food system works</a> — reinventing how farmers buy their seeds and treat their soil, restoring connections between restaurants and farming, and reconsidering what traditional food looks like in a time of change. These overhauls have the potential to be not just beneficial, but <em>delicious</em>.</p> <p>Every year, the <a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grist 50</a> highlights emerging leaders who are working toward a more sustainable and equitable future. These five food innovators are creating a whole new menu of options:</p> <ol class="wp-block-list"><li>In Detroit, <strong><a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/2020/#shane-bernardo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shane bernardo</a> </strong>reconnects food, culture, traditions, and justice through a variety of nonprofit groups — and a diaspora dinner party.</li><li>Through the storytelling of rural life, University of California, Santa Barbara prof (and country musician!) <strong><a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/2020/#liz-carlisle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liz Carlisle</a> </strong>builds common ground between environmentalists, ag leaders, and farmers.</li><li>With her Seattle catering company, Birch Basket, <a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/2020/#hillel-echo-hawk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hillel Echo-Hawk</strong></a> puts an original twist on indigenous staples — and teaches people about the history and culture of traditional foods.</li><li>Soon-to-be Rhodes Scholar <a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/2020/#wanjiku-wawa-gatheru" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wawa Gatheru</strong></a> explores justice, racial inequity, and food access both in rural Connecticut and as a student at the University of Connecticut.</li><li>San Francisco star chef and restaurant founder <strong><a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/2020/#anthony-myint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Myint</a>’s</strong> new projects include ways to help restaurants reduce their carbon footprint and support sustainable agriculture.</li></ol> <p>There are 45 other folks doing great work on our list! Read about all of them on the <a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 Grist 50</a>.</p> <p>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://grist.org/">Grist</a> at <a href="https://grist.org/fix/food-farming/meet-five-people-cooking-up-a-new-future-for-food/">https://grist.org/fix/food-farming/meet-five-people-cooking-up-a-new-future-for-food/</a>.</p> <link href="https://grist.org/fix/food-farming/meet-five-people-cooking-up-a-new-future-for-food/" rel="canonical"/> <p>Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at <a href="https://grist.org/">Grist.org</a></p> <script id="grist-syndication-pixel" async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=" data-source="repub" data-canonical="https://grist.org/fix/food-farming/meet-five-people-cooking-up-a-new-future-for-food/" data-title="Meet 5 people cooking up a new future for food" crossorigin="anonymous"/>