Newsletters
What's On the Menu? September Edition
September 29, 2026
World on A Plate, a course designed by world-renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés, explores the many ways in which food intersects with public health, politics, science, industry, culture, and more. This semester, the course is opening the guest lecture series to the entire GW community.
Who's struggling to afford food—and how do we know?
September 24, 2026
When household budgets get stretched, food is often one of the few expenses families can adjust. Rent is due, utilities have to be paid, and health care can’t always wait. So when income falls short or costs rise, families often have little choice but to spend less on food.
What if school meals could strengthen food systems?
August 27, 2026
What if school meals could feed children while also strengthening the food systems around them? That question is at the heart of GFI’s newest research project located in Haiti’s Central Plateau.
What's On the Menu? Back-to-School Student Newsletter
August 26, 2026
Find us and our partners at Welcome Week!
A SNAP Penalty That Could Backfire
July 22, 2026
In a new brief, One Year Later, GFI and the Center for Science in the Public Interest examine what has happened since to the nation's food safety net.
What's On The Menu? Summer Student Digest
June 24, 2026
GFI is excited to share that we’ve moved to a new location! Stay tuned for events starting in Fall 2026, from informal gatherings and class discussions to hands-on gardening in our new space as we grow our own food.
The default food environment is failing our kids – but we have the tools to fix it
June 17, 2026
As a mother of three who worked hard to feed my kids well, I know how much thought goes into trying to do right by them. What I didn't fully appreciate is just how much added sugar is built into the foods families trust most. That's the picture our newest policy brief, Changing the Default: A Policy Roadmap for Reducing Added Sugars in U.S. Children's Diets, lays out in detail.
What foreign aid cuts damaged beneath the surface
May 26, 2026
The 2025 contraction of foreign aid – marked by the dismantling of USAID and a broader donor pullback – set off urgent debates including how assistance should be structured going forward. GFI and GW researchers set out to inform this debate, documenting what was happening to the underlying architecture of the system. Our latest research brief, featured in the Devex Newswire, discusses what has changed beneath the surface.
What's On The Menu? End of the Year Student Digest
May 14, 2026
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! The first cohort of graduating Food Leadership minors wore carrot pin on their lapel at commencement.
Behind every food crisis is a system worth understanding
April 30, 2026
In recent months, we've seen just how a conflict in one region can evolve into food challenges elsewhere. Fertilizer price volatility is shaping what farmers can grow and what consumers ultimately pay at the supermarket. Hunger, nutrition, and food access are continually shaped by a web of interconnected forces – from policy to infrastructure and economics. And rarely does one of these shift in isolation.
What's On The Menu? Spring Into Action Student Digest (April 2026)
April 16, 2026
Registration is open for Fall 2026! Find a menu of courses built for future food leaders. Open to students from all majors and minors, this opportunity offers a chance to explore local and global food system perspectives throughout your academic journey!
Nutrition guidance must rise above the noise
March 26, 2026
For those of us working in food policy, March is National Nutrition Month - a chance to spotlight the importance of nutrition education to our individual and collective health. This year, many of us are asking an important question: how do we ensure sound nutrition guidance rises above the noise?