Food First
Food First (Institute for Food and Development Policy) is a 501(c)(3) 'people's think tank' founded in 1975 that produces food justice research, publications, and programs to support grassroots activists and social movements working to end the injustices that cause hunger.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Food First does
Food First (legally the Institute for Food and Development Policy) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1975 in Oakland, California by Frances Moore Lappé and Joseph Collins. It operates as a 'people's think tank' with a mission to end the injustices that cause hunger, structured around three interrelated work areas: research, education, and action. Its target audience comprises grassroots activists, social movements, alliances, and coalitions working on systemic food system change, with secondary audiences in academia and policy advocacy.
The organization's core offerings include a Publications Program (over 60 books, hundreds of articles, backgrounders, policy briefs, and reports), a Fellows Program for early-career food sovereignty leaders, a Seed + Grant Program funding grassroots movements, a Webinars series, a monthly Food Sovereignty Digest newsletter, and a graphic novel on amplifying grassroots voices. It maintains a network of activist-scholars and strategic partnerships with organizations including La Via Campesina, the US Food Sovereignty Alliance, the Climate Justice Alliance, and Planting Justice. Revenue is generated almost entirely through donations — one-time gifts, monthly Sustainer's Circle contributions (starting at $3/month), legacy/planned giving, stock gifts, and workplace giving programs (CFC #11952) — with no product sales or fee-for-service revenue model. The organization employs a small dedicated staff (11-50) collaborating with board members, fellows, interns, and contributing authors, and operates globally despite a single Oakland HQ.
Food First firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food First
- Legal name
- Institute for Food and Development Policy
- Website
- https://foodfirst.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Food First (Institute for Food and Development Policy) is a 501(c)(3) 'people's think tank' founded in 1975 that produces food justice research, publications, and programs to support grassroots activists and social movements working to end the injustices that cause hunger.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food First industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Justice Advocacy and Research
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition (BPADAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)
Keywords
Where Food First is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Food First business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: Food First operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies primarily on charitable donations from individuals. They accept one-time gifts, monthly donations (Sustainer's Circle starting at $3/month), and various planned giving options.
- Legacy Donations: Planned giving options including giving appreciated assets (stocks, bonds, real estate), naming Food First in wills, giving life insurance, pooled income funds, and IRA/qualified retirement plan donations.
- Stock Donations: Donors can transfer appreciated stock to Food First, allowing them to avoid capital gains tax while making a larger tax-deductible gift.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Sustainer's Circle monthly giving program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Food First product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food First is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that produces publications, educational programs, fellowships, and grants to advance food justice and food sovereignty. Operating as a "people's think tank," it combines action-oriented research with direct support for activists, social movements, alliances, and coalitions working for systemic change in food systems globally.
Product overview
Food First (Institute for Food and Development Policy) operates as a nonprofit 'people's think tank' offering a suite of educational and advocacy products centered on food justice and food sovereignty. The core offerings include the Publications Program (books, backgrounders, policy briefs), the Fellows Program for early career activists, the Seed + Grant Program supporting grassroots movements, educational Webinars, and the Graphic Novel on grassroots voices in food justice. These products work together to provide research, education, and action resources that help citizens understand the global food system and engage with food sovereignty movements worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Publications Program Food First's publication program produces over 60 books and hundreds of articles, backgrounders, policy briefs, development reports, and academic publications exposing root causes of hunger and amplifying voices of food justice movements. Available to the general public and used widely as undergraduate course adoptions.
- Fellows Program A program for early career thought leaders dedicating their careers to supporting grassroots struggles and advancing the global movement for food sovereignty. Fellows become part of Food First's network of activist-scholars.
- Seed + Grant Program
- Webinars
- Graphic Novel: Amplifying Grassroots Voices in Food Justice A graphic novel reflecting findings from the WriteShop Research Study, demonstrating how Indigenous and minority food growers and food system advocates can achieve a world without hunger. Created in collaboration with Planting Justice.
- Food Sovereignty Digest Newsletter
Quantifiable outcome
- Published over 60 books and hundreds of articles and research reports
Companies that use Food First
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Food First technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Food First partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Qachuu AloomcorePartner spotlight featured in Food First's November 2025 newsletter. Qachuu Aloom is a partner organization working on food sovereignty initiatives.
- Planting JusticecorePlanting Justice is an abolitionist organization in East Oakland that has created 250 jobs and employed 140 formerly incarcerated people. Food First collaborated with Planting Justice on the 'Amplifying Grassroots Voices in Food Justice' graphic novel project and ongoing partnership.
- La Via CampesinacoreInternational peasant movement whose call for Food Sovereignty has captured the political imagination of peasants, family farmers, indigenous people, gardeners, food activists and academics around the world. Food First's program 'Building the Global Movement for Food Sovereignty' analyzes and amplifies the food sovereignty movement.
- Climate Justice AlliancecoreCoalition building for Just Transition. Food First's work supports the movement for Just Transition which centers those most impacted by climate change as leaders in shifting from extractive economy to regenerative one.
- US Food Sovereignty Alliance (USFSA)coreCoalition of organizations working on food sovereignty. Food First participates in statements and initiatives through this alliance.
- SOCLA North AmericaminorScientific society for agroecology (Soci Latino Americana de Agroecologia) - North America chapter. Food First engages with this academic network for agroecology research and knowledge sharing.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Food First competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Heifer International: Heifer International is a large, established nonprofit working globally on hunger and sustainable agriculture. Comparable broad food systems focus but operates at much greater scale via direct programmatic interventions rather than research/advocacy.
- Oxfam America: Oxfam America addresses hunger and inequality as part of a broader global poverty and justice mandate. Comparable in food justice advocacy and systemic-change framing, but operates at far larger scale with broader portfolios.
Direct peers
- ETC Group: ETC Group is an international advocacy organization addressing the socio-economic and ecological impacts of new technologies, including agroecology and corporate food system concentration. Comparable in its research-advocacy mix and critique of corporate food power.
- WhyHunger: WhyHunger is a U.S. nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty by supporting grassroots movements and advocating for systemic change in the food system. Directly comparable mission and movement-oriented advocacy model.
- Food Tank: Food Tank is a nonprofit food policy and research organization that produces research, articles, and events on food systems, sustainability, and justice. Highly comparable as a think tank-style advocacy organization focused on global food issues.
- Bread for the World: Bread for the World is a faith-based advocacy nonprofit focused on ending hunger through U.S. policy change. Comparable as a hunger-focused advocacy organization, though more policy-lobby oriented than Food First's research frame.
- ActionAid USA: ActionAid USA is part of an international federation focused on poverty and food justice with movement-supporting programs in the Global South. Comparable international food justice advocacy footprint and community-led model.
- Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP): IATP is a nonprofit policy think tank working on fair food systems, trade policy, and agroecology. Comparable as a research and advocacy organization with overlapping priorities in food sovereignty and corporate accountability.
- GRAIN: GRAIN is an international nonprofit supporting small farmers and social movements for community-controlled, biodiversity-based food systems. Directly comparable in its focus on food sovereignty and grassroots movement support.
Regional players
- Community Food Advocates: Community Food Advocates is a New York-based nonprofit focused on city-level food policy and anti-hunger advocacy. Comparable advocacy approach but primarily regional in scope rather than global.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Food First social profiles
Digital presenceFood First financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food First leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Food First funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food First M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Food First
What does Food First do?
Food First is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that produces publications, educational programs, fellowships, and grants to advance food justice and food sovereignty. Operating as a "people's think tank," it combines action-oriented research with direct support for activists, social movements, alliances, and coalitions working for systemic change in food systems globally.
Is Food First a public or private company?
Food First is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Food First founded?
Food First was founded in 1975. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Food First based?
Food First is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Food First make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Contributions are the primary driver. The others are legacy Donations and stock Donations.
Who are Food First's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Heifer International and Oxfam America. Direct peers are ETC Group, WhyHunger, Food Tank, Bread for the World, ActionAid USA, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and GRAIN. Community Food Advocates is listed as a regional player.
Does Food First have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food First.
What industry is Food First in?
Food First's product category is Food Justice Advocacy and Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAJAG, Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition, with a secondary code of BPAGALAD, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative).