We believe that integrated capital - private, public, and commercial finance complemented by investments in advocacy, organizing, creativity, policymaking - is required to catalyze systems change in the global transition to a regenerative, equitable, and climate-resilient food future.
TIFS works to seed and scale regenerative and agroecological innovators by unlocking access to integrated capital and growing the field of systems investing.
The Challenge
Effective food systems provide food security and nutrition for all, maintain dignified livelihoods for food producers and workers, and contribute to a stable climate and healthy ecosystems. Current food systems fall far short of these goals.
The true cost of food is disproportionally high and business as usual is extremely risky. The Scientific Group of the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021 estimated the annual costs of environmental, health and economic impacts of food systems at roughly USD 29 trillion per year, compared to the economic value of food sold at market prices of USD 9 trillion per year. The world needs new business and financial models that support sustainable, just, and secure food systems.
The Opportunity
Entrepreneurs everywhere are creating solutions to the world’s big challenges. To thrive, these entrepreneurs need access to an ecosystem of services, including finance, business assistance, peer networks, market development, and connection to consumers. They also need supportive policies, regulations, and markets.
Regenerative and agroecological innovators can create pattern-breaking change and build a market for the future of food that is regenerative, equitable, and climate-resilient by design.
Our Strategy
Our strategy is focused on removing systemic barriers to accessing capital for regenerative and agroecological innovators.
Phase 1 focused on building cultural power. During phase 2, TIFS focuses on building modeling power and activating economic power.
TIFS is guided by the Global Alliance for the Future of Food’s principles for food systems transformation: renewability, resilience, equity, diversity, healthfulness, inclusivity, interconnectedness.