For more than a decade, celebrity chef Jose Andres has dreamed of opening a think tank for food, and that dream has finally arrived.
Here is more from a George Washington University (GWU) press release:
George Washington University and world-renowned chef, author, and humanitarian Jose Andres are announcing a historic partnership to launch a premier Global Food Institute at GW, a transformative and unprecedented collaboration that will be the world leader in food system solution delivery.
GW is uniquely positioned to drive global progress in the food space, thanks to its location in the heart of the nation’s capital, depth of academic expertise across countless disciplines, track record of leading critical conversations in the public and private sectors and partnerships with global influencers from the White House to the World Bank.
Driven by Andrés’ vision of changing the world through the power of food, the Global Food Institute at GW will work to transform people’s lives and the health of the planet, taking an interdisciplinary systems approach across three main pillars: policy, innovation and humanity. The institute will enable faculty and students from every school and college, industry leaders, policymakers and renowned experts to work and teach across these pillars, producing cutting-edge research to create and improve domestic and global food policies, incubate and engineer innovative new technologies and entrepreneurial spirit and lead critical conversations about the impact of food on the human race.
A founding gift from Andrés made the Global Food Institute possible, and the institute’s work will be powered by philanthropy and supported by partnerships with organizations, companies, foundations, and individuals. A significant contribution from the Nelson A. and Michele M. Carbonell Family Foundation will endow the Executive Director position. The Rockefeller Foundation has also committed financial support for the Global Food Institute.
The Global Food Institute (GFI), which is not to be confused with the think tank Good Food Institute (which also goes by the acronym GFI), held a launch event on May 23.
A search for the executive director of the Global Food Institute will commence this summer.
Here is more about GFI from the Washington Post.
Fun fact: There are other think tanks devoted to food. For example, there is an entity called Food Tank, which calls itself a "think tank for food." Food Tank says it's a "research and advocacy nonprofit organization devoted to storytelling that highlights how food and agriculture can be the solution to some of our most pressing environmental and social problems."
