Commentary
When the Climate Heats Up, So Do Food Safety Risks
Climate change is transforming the global landscape and changing the conditions that determine whether food is safe to eat. As temperatures rise and weather patterns grow more erratic, the conditions that keep food safe are shifting in ways scientists are only beginning to understand.
Start Investing in Your Nutrition & Wellness
April 15 was Tax Day in the USA. While the financial deadline makes some people cringe, it can be the perfect time to consider the gains, losses, and recalibrations to make on your health and wellness journey. To help, GW alumna Kelley Vargo founded her wellness brand and coaching platform in 2025: The Health Investor.
Consider Water at Every Stage in Food System
World Water Day (March 22) naturally turns our attention to the water we drink, but water plays an equally critical role in the food we eat. Growing crops, raising livestock, and producing seafood all depend heavily on it — which means that when food goes to waste, so does the water embedded in every stage of its production.
U.S. Leaves WHO. Cities & States Join.
In January, the U.S. withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO). Days later, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his state was joining the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). In February, Illinois and New York City also announced they are joining GOARN.
Joining international surveillance efforts protect public health, says IFSAN Director Barb Kowalcyk.
Honoring Black Heritage in Food Safety & Nutrition Security
In observance of Black Heritage Month, IFSAN wants to recognize the Black community’s past and ongoing contributions to food safety and nutrition security.
For example, Maude E. Callen was a community health nurse whose frontline work emphasized household sanitation, safe food practices, and maternal and child nutrition in underserved communities.
Another example is Karen Washington, a longtime food justice advocate and organizer whose leadership has focused on equitable access to safe, nutritious food through local food systems and urban agriculture.