Our Work
Food, Climate & Environment
Addressing climate and environment issues through food systems.
The Council works to protect and improve Rhode Island’s environmental resources related to agriculture and food. We are committed to supporting climate-smart decisions about our food system, because increasing resiliency in the face of climate change is critical to ensuring regional food security and social stability in the future.
RIFPC seeks to engage land and food sectors in climate work to plan for long-term multi-stakeholder efforts, and measure climate resilience and equity benefits.
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We prioritize:
- Identifying and quantifying climate-related impacts, costs, benefits, metrics throughout the food system
- Increasing adoption of carbon-mitigation practices (e.g., increase support for conservation of agricultural land and increase support for soil-regenerative agriculture practices)
- Shifting consumer behaviors around food consumption and waste management
- Disinvesting in carbon-intensive supply chain infrastructure
- Supporting climate smart food system planning, including centering climate change risks and opportunities in the RI’s food strategy, Relish Rhody
- Reducing wasted food/organic material going into the landfill
- Banning PFAS in food packaging
- Increasing local, sustainable procurement
RIFPC’s leadership is invaluable in shaping the state’s response to meet the mandates of the 2021 Act on Climate, which puts us on the clock to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050. DEM has no doubt that RIFPC will continue to be an integral voice ensuring that marginalized communities that are bearing a disproportionate burden of the effects of climate change also are prepared and properly resourced to withstand its impacts.”
— RI Department of Environmental Management Director Terry Gray