Leadership programme in action. Credit: Sareta Puri | Sustain
Transforming leadership for justice in food and farming
Twelve sector leaders are participating in the first justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) leadership programme designed for the sustainable food and farming sector.
Funded by Farming the Future and coordinated by Eating Better and Sustain, twelve leaders from across the sector have begun a transformational leadership journey.
The programme was founded on the understanding that to deliver on our shared vision for agroecological and socially just food systems, we must address the systemic inequities that have shaped who has access to good food, who owns land, and whose health and environment are most impacted by our current systems.
Why leadership matters
Across 2024-25 Sustain and Eating Better worked together to deliver an anti-racism training programme. We repeatedly heard that organisational and sector leadership can be the barrier to centring this agenda. Directors and CEOs face specific pressures and responsibilities, yet many lack access to spaces where they can openly share experiences and explore practical ways to lead change.
That insight shaped the creation of a dedicated leadership programme to build capacity, confidence, and connection among those shaping strategy across the food and farming movement. By fostering peer-led learning, the programme aims to support leaders to embed JEDI across their organisations, encourage culture shift within them and address sector-wide challenges.
Harvesting the field
In March 2026, leaders from the participating organisations (Better Food Traders, Bite Back, Eating Better, Farming the Future, Food Ethics Council, Food Foundation, Foodrise, Obesity Health Alliance, Nourish Scotland, Soil Association, SOS UK and Sustain) joined facilitator Letesia Gibson of New Ways and programme leads Sareta Puri from Sustain and Idman Abdurahaman from Eating Better to begin the journey, following individual coaching calls and surveys.
Kicking off with conversations on language and power, the programme intends to go much deeper than typical EDI sessions, to dig deep into the issues, have many open, honest and curious conversations and to create spaces where people can test, shift and rebuild to drive a collective vision forward.
The programme runs until July 2026 and learnings from the programme will be shared across our networks.
For updates on similar opportunities get in touch.
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
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Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity and enrich society and culture.
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