FLOW Partnership

04/13/2026

🌱 New Publication - Building Capacities in Regional Food Systems: Mapping Change Towards Transformation

We’re excited to share a new article published in Agriculture and Human Values. This paper, led by Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer and a global team of collaborators, explores why the regional scale is critical for transforming food systems. Drawing from the FLOW Partnership, the paper introduces a regional food systems capacities framework and a hybrid methodology to explore, monitor, and track enablers, barriers, and changes over time.

Read the publication and learn more here: https://flowpartnership.org/building-cap-article/

👏 A huge congratulations to everyone for this meaningful contribution:

Alison Blay-Palmer · Molly D. Anderson · Anna-Liisa Aunio · Patricia Ballamingie · Rachel Carey · Samuel Gudu · Kent Mullinix · Maureen Murphy · Chatura Pulasinghage · Andrew Spring · David Szanto · Elodie Valette · Johanna Wilkes · Elisabeth Miltenburg

Building Capacities in Regional Food Systems: Mapping change towards transformation This article, published in Agriculture and Human Values (April 2026), provides an overview of the FLOW Partnership and the concepts and methods underlying the research. See the abstract below for more details.Blay-Pa...

04/09/2026

🌱 What does food sovereignty actually look like in practice?

Across Northwestern Ontario, communities, farmers, and organizers are coming together to explore exactly that, connecting global movements with grounded, local action.

Food Sovereignty Across Scales: Global Movements, Local Action is a collaborative series hosted by the Food Action Network of Northwestern Ontario, the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, the National Farmers Union of Ontario, Gaagige Zaagibigaa, and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

This series is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen food sovereignty, community leadership, and regional collaboration, creating space for learning, exchange, and collective action.

📅 April 9–12 across Thunder Bay
🔗 More information: https://lnkd.in/eSYZSWjZ

03/18/2026

🌱 Introducing: Rosa Gloria García Bautista 🌱

Rosa García works directly with orange producers and related crops, providing accompaniment services, participation in tours, workshops, awareness courses, and training in theory and practice, with the overall goal of promoting agroecological practices that contribute to the substitution of pesticides. Her work includes accompanying and training producers in the implementation of agroecological practices in their orchards, from cleaning, pruning, pest control, and disease management, to nutrition-related and special projects. Rosa promotes the exchange of knowledge in the implementation and adoption of agroecological practices in various regions, with training on bio-inputs according to crop requirements (microorganismos de montaña, magro, agua de vidrio, composta, caldo de cenizas, caldo sulfocálcico and others).
Join us in welcoming Rosa to the FLOW Partnership, where her hands-on work with producers and leadership in agroecological training supports the transition away from pesticides while strengthening resilient, knowledge-sharing food systems across regions.

Learn more about the other students and technicians on the team: https://flowpartnership.org/students-technicians/ -open-oc__1482

02/26/2026

🌿 Meet Tara Behen! 🌿

Tara is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, Australia, in the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences. Her research aims to explore how regional food system governance in Australia can promote healthy, resilient and equitable outcomes. Tara is also a research assistant with the Melbourne FLOW project, where she supports the co-development of shared measures with place-based partners to monitor regional food system transformation. She holds a Bachelor of Nutrition and Food Science and a Master of Environment.
We’re excited to have Tara on the FLOW Partnership, where her governance-focused research strengthens efforts to advance healthy, resilient, and equitable regional food systems through place-based collaboration and shared measurement.

Learn more about the other students and technicians on the team: https://flowpartnership.org/students-technicians/ -open-oc__1482

02/18/2026

🎬 Cubao Is Theirs — a powerful celebration of International Women’s Day and the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

This documentary follows four women farmers in Cuba as they share how sustainable agriculture has transformed their lives, farms, and families, redefining their roles as rural women and emerging as leaders in their communities and country.

🌱 Principal Investigator: Dr. Erin Nelson
🎥 Produced by: PhD Candidate Natalia Ruiz Cuartas
🎞️ Directed by: Carlos Cadavid
Trailer: https://lnkd.in/dMM5UXaq

📅 Mar 12 from 4:30 pm to 7 pm EDT

Reserve a spot for the film screening and live conversation with the featured Cuban farmers: https://lnkd.in/dvHfSEwC

Follow the film on Instagram for updates and news! https://lnkd.in/derkkS2T

Inquiries: Natalia Ruiz Cuartas – [email protected]

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02/18/2026

🌾 Meet Julia Mitchell! 🌾

Julia is a master’s student at Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) in the Communication Studies Department. Their research aims to explore how French is used on anglophone menus in Ontario. Julia is also a research assistant with FLOW, where they are supporting the development of FLOW communications projects such as the FLOW podcast. They hold a Bachelor of English and French as a Second Language, and have a strong passion for food, food sustainability, and food security.

We’re delighted to welcome Julia to the FLOW Partnership, where they bring interdisciplinary insight and a passion for advancing sustainable and equitable food systems through research and communications.

Learn more about the other students and technicians on the team: https://lnkd.in/g_tEPQgS

02/10/2026

🎬 Cubao Is Theirs — a powerful celebration of International Women’s Day and the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

This documentary follows four women farmers in Cuba as they share how sustainable agriculture has transformed their lives, farms, and families, redefining their roles as rural women and emerging as leaders in their communities and country.

🌱 Principal Investigator: Dr. Erin Nelson
🎥 Produced by: PhD Candidate Natalia Ruiz Cuartas
🎞️ Directed by: Carlos Cadavid

Trailer: https://youtu.be/10kY5rBFX78?si=p22JKwPl4_vn5y1u

📅 Mar 12 from 4:30 pm to 7 pm EDT

Reserve a spot for the film screening and live conversation with the featured Cuban farmers: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cubao-is-theirs-tickets-1982202981477?aff=oddtdtcreator

Follow the film on Instagram for updates and news! https://www.instagram.com/cubaoesdeellas?utm_source=qr&igsh=ZXdtdmwxaWt1NnAx

Inquiries: Natalia Ruiz Cuartas – [email protected]

02/06/2026

🌱 Introducing: John Wasonga Kitoto! 🌱

John’s research interests are centered on gender roles and women’s contributions to sustainable food systems, particularly within agricultural contexts. Collaborating with the FLOW project, he aims to explore how household and community decision-making dynamics, sociocultural norms, and access to resources impact women’s participation in agriculture and their overall contributions to food security.

As a graduate student in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rongo University, Kenya, John’s previous work experience includes conducting field research on sociocultural norms and agriculture, which allowed him to engage with local communities and policymakers. His goal is to inform evidence-based interventions that enhance women’s empowerment and promote equitable practices within sustainable food systems.

We’re delighted to have John Wasonga Kitoto on the FLOW Partnership where his commitment to women’s empowerment is advancing equitable and sustainable food systems!

Learn more about the other students and technicians on the team: https://flowpartnership.org/students-technicians/ -open-oc__1482

01/27/2026

🌿Say hello to Ana Paula Wenglarek 🌿

Ana Paula is an agronomist, teacher, and farmer in the region of Faxinal (a municipality in the southeastern Brazilian state of Paraná). She works with the Center for the Development of Traditional Erva-Mate (CEDErva), carrying out field activities, support, and contact with local farmers. She continues to support the development of the candidacy for the shade-grown erva-mate GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System), leading outreach activities, networking, and technical and field support for participatory research.

We’re thrilled to have Ana Paula on the FLOW Partnership, where her on-the-ground knowledge and community-rooted leadership proves vital to advancing resilient food systems.

01/20/2026

🌾 Meet Edwin López! 🌾

Edwin López is part of the CIIDRI team, working on the issue of generating agrifood systems that are resilient to climate change, especially in the area of citriculture. This topic is of particular interest to Edwin because of the importance of citrus growing in the Totonaca region of Veracruz, as well as the production and economic crises that currently affect primary production there.

We’re excited to have Edwin López on the FLOW Partnership, where he brings place-based insight and technical expertise to the challenge of building climate-resilient agrifood systems.

Learn more about the other students and technicians on the team: https://flowpartnership.org/students-technicians/ -open-oc__1482

01/14/2026

🌱 Introducing: Sun Shan! 🌱

Sun Shan is a PhD student in Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University, studying under Dr. Patricia Ballamingie. With a background in biology, ecology, and biomedical studies, her research builds on biodiversity and food systems to examine ancient food plants and their evolution. She is a founder and current board director of Shan Shui Conservation Center, a Chinese NGO dedicated to biodiversity and community-based conservation. Her Ottawa-based Chi Garden serves as both a living laboratory and community hub, cultivating diverse and culturally significant crops, advancing seed saving, and sharing knowledge of ancient food traditions. Beyond research, she brings these ideas to life at local farmers’ markets, offering organic vegetables and foods preserved with traditional techniques such as kimchi and miso.

We’re delighted to welcome Sun Shan to the FLOW Partnership, where she brings a wealth of insight, lived practice, and interdisciplinary expertise!

Learn more about the other students and technicians on the team: https://flowpartnership.org/students-technicians/ -open-oc__1482