The Next Gen(D)eration Leadership Collective aims to advance leadership and collective action in food and nutrition systems and through partnerships. Our collaborations serve to accelerate collective action in a two-folded approach: we carry out innovative and co-designed actions towards transformational leadership within a larger and more diverse network of organizations across the food system, and we empower historically marginalized groups and organizations to exchange, organize and lead in transformative ways.
Teaming up to amplify our impact and reach more diverse leaders. Together, we are building a broader network to drive more sustainable change in food systems.
We’re strengthening our capacity for courageous leadership by building collective power. We create spaces for shared learning and influence policy to align our actions for systemic change.
Fostering innovation is crucial for overcoming structural challenges. Through our partnerships, we co-create new strategies to disrupt existing barriers and promote transformative change in food systems leadership.
Interested in exploring a partnership with us? Click on the link below and tell us more.
Colansa is a network of over 160 individuals and 30 organizations across 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). It works to promote healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems in the region.
The organization brings together civil society organizations (CSOs), professionals, and researchers to address food system challenges and advocate for effective public policies. Colansa identifies the links between gender and food insecurity as relevant inequalities, including factors such as persisting racial inequality and age across the regions. Indirectly, the organization challenges industry power dynamics and advocates for greater access to nutritious food among less privileged populations through initiatives like food labelling regulations and the promotion of equitable profit distribution. The network strengthens regional capacity by generating scientific knowledge, facilitating dialogue, and empowering stakeholders to implement transformative food system strategies.
Partnership vision: The partnership seeks to strengthen intersectional approaches in their work, both within and beyond each partner’s respective sphere, thereby amplifying the voice of marginalized groups and those affected by systemic power imbalances. This impact is to be achieved through the establishment of a new “Hub” as part of Colansa. This Hub will be designed to drive intersectional innovation and strengthen intersectional practices.
Main power imbalance tackled: Marginalization of intersectional voices from decision-making processes in food system governance.
Based in Paraguay, Conamuri seeks to ensure food sovereignty through the promotion and implementation of ancestral knowledge about culinary knowledge and flavours and agroecological practices from a popular and revolutionary peasant feminist perspective.
The organization works for the empowerment of women affected by socioeconomic marginalization and environmental exploitation, challenging structural inequalities in Paraguay. Conamuri has a school of agroecology and works with popular sectors, mixed, indigenous and peasant organizations and urban women. It also has national and international articulations for the promotion of food sovereignty.
Partnership vision: NGLC and Conamurí share the common vision to strengthen the leadership and advocacy of peasant and indigenous women to promote agroecology in Paraguay. Their partnership seeks to combine the expertise of both organizations with the purpose of influencing decision-making processes and generating concrete changes in public policies. More specifically, this collaboration aims to integrate NGLC’s leadership principles with Conamurí’s structure and action approaches, fostering collective action as a key tool to achieve significant policy impact.
Main power imbalance tackled: Systemic exclusion of rural women and Indigenous peoples from decision-making spaces in food governance and agroecology.
GHAI uses the power of advocacy to reduce preventable deaths and to improve health at scale by changing policies and strengthening systems.
Since 2014, GHAI has supported advocacy efforts from civil society organizations, advocacy coalitions and movements, to reduce the burden of diet-related death and disease, by promoting policies that decrease the consumption of ultra-processed food and beverages and increase equitable access to nutritious food. GHAI supports these actors – including diverse organizations (human rights, legal, consumer rights, women, public health, nutrition, youth advocacy, academia, etc.) – to pass and implement public health policies to promote food systems transformation. It also provides direct technical assistance to governments and collaborates with a wide range of global and regional partners to synergize its efforts. So far, GHAI has worked in 30 low- and middle-income countries and achieved 25 policy victories in 14 countries.
Partnership vision: NGLC and GHAI endeavor to demonstrate how advocacy that is driven by leadership in line with the eight courageous leadership practices can serve as a powerful tool for policy advocacy processes towards food systems transformation. By developing and testing an integrated approach (GHAI’s policy advocacy approach and NGLC’s courageous leadership practices), this partnership aims to promote public food procurement policies that prioritize sourcing from small-scale farmers—especially women—support agroecological practices and ultimately healthier, more sustainable meals for children. Thereby, the partners aim to tackle broader challenges and power imbalances within food systems.
Main power imbalance tackled: Dominance of agribusinesses in public food procurement; exclusion of small-scale (female/women-led) producers.
The NGO PELUM (Participatory Ecological Land Use Management) drives the “AWOLA” Initiative, a 1:1 mentorship program whose aim is to inspire, mentor, nurture and fast-track the leadership development of African women in agroecology.
They fight for transforming the agricultural landscape by integrating gender sensitivity and ecological awareness. It cares for empowered and self-organized farming communities in East and Southern Africa. AWOLA’s vision is for marginalized communities to make well-informed choices towards their improved quality of life that is socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable. AWOLA Mentees have various community-based approaches to tackle these imbalances and are coached by their mentors.
Partnership vision: Together, AWOLA and NGLC aim to empower, nurture, inspire and fast-track African women in agroecology to lead courageously for food systems transformations. By focusing on collective advocacy, policy change, and leadership development, this partnership seeks to elevate African women’s leadership in agroecology, ensuring they have the skills, environment and support to lead impactful, systemic changes in global food systems. Another goal is for these women to gain global visibility and recognition for their contributions.
Main power imbalance tackled: Systemic exclusion of African women leaders in agroecology and food policy
FIAN Indonesia is a human rights organization dedicated to advocating for the right to adequate food and nutrition in Indonesia, with a particular focus on marginalized groups, small-scale farmers, and rural communities.
Established as a section of FIAN International, its mission is to contribute to a just and democratic society where everyone’s human rights are fulfilled, especially the right to food necessary for a dignified life. The organization emphasizes the importance of agroecology, sustainable natural resource governance, and local food systems, while also addressing gender inequality by promoting women’s rights in seed production, land ownership, and access to decision-making spaces for women smallholder farmers. FIAN Indonesia maintains a strong stance against corporate practices that undermine these rights.
Partnership vision: By combining FIAN Indonesia local advocacy expertise and their networks of women leaders of local NGOS with NGLC’s collective leadership approach, this partnership aims to promote the access and representation of women in local-decision-making spaces in Indonesia and thereby redress power imbalances of local Indonesian food systems.
Main power imbalance tackled: Exclusion of women and marginalized communities from governance over land, seeds, and food systems.
Lebanon’s Community Kitchen Network began as an act of solidarity during the 2024 conflict. Communities came together to provide essential aid like food, clothing, and shelter to displaced families, filling gaps left by formal humanitarian efforts.
These makeshift kitchens, which source food from local farmers, grew into a nationwide network. This collective action not only provides vital support but also strengthens the local food system, a mission they continue today for those still unable to return home.
Partnership vision: The partnership between NGLC and the Community Kitchen Network would aim to support and strengthen this collective action, which provides both immediate relief and long-term, sustainable solutions for displaced populations. It would seek to provide support to these communities to support their mission by enhancing their ability to provide essential support and restore a sense of agency in the face of ongoing crises.
Main power imbalance tackled: The imposition of local authorities and socio-political stereotypes on and exclusion of displaced populations from access to essential resources, including food, and their lack of agency in formal humanitarian and social support systems.