Small is Big: How Empowering Marginalized Communities Can Transform Local Food Systems

This session will explore how empowering communities that are often overlooked in mainstream agribusiness—such as the elderly, people living with disabilities, displaced persons, the ultra-poor, and those living with HIV—can provide meaningful solutions to the critical gaps in local food systems. By strengthening the voices and capabilities of these marginalized groups, we can address issues like food security, nutrition, climate resilience, and financial stability—benefiting not just these communities, but entire local systems. Attendees will learn how community-driven, context-specific approaches can grow and scale without requiring large investments, helping to advance equity in food systems worldwide.