Background and Purpose
The UNDP-convened Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA) is a movement of food, agriculture, and consciousness practitioners united around a common goal: to support people from across food and agriculture systems to cultivate the inner capacities that activate systemic change and regeneration.
The collection of Case Studies brings our theory of change—that the inner dimension of systems change is an essential ingredient for food systems transformation—to life, showcasing real-world examples of food systems interventions that support inner change. We prioritise stories that support the development of inner capacities (qualities like empathy, deep listening, Nature connection, self-awareness) of individuals, groups or communities; that revive cultural practices, knowledge or traditions (such as strengthening traditional wisdom or rituals); or that demonstrate the relational aspects of food systems change, like centring farmers’ mental health or more conscious approaches to consumption.
The Case Study Collection serves as a tool to advance knowledge exchange, inspiring others and building the evidence base for this growing field of practice. Ahead of the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit, this document will demonstrate concrete examples of conscious food interventions that are already thriving around the world.
Criteria for Inclusion
The 2026 Case Study Collection is being curated through an invite-only process, using submissions from the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit Call for Submissions. The case studies will showcase initiatives, projects or interventions which show ongoing work on the application of consciousness approaches (a broad range of practices/approaches[1]) to unlock transformation towards healthy, fair and regenerative food systems. However, we can consider case studies which do not have a specific focus on food and agriculture, but with potential for replication or adaptation in this sector.
[1] Consciousness approaches include a vast range of:
- contemplative mind-body practices, often rooted in a variety of wisdom-based traditions (e.g. Nature connection and mindfulness),
- psychological and cognitive-behavioural based practices (e.g. self-reflection and-inquiry practices),
- transformative spaces and communication practices (e.g. deep listening and non-violent communication),
- transformative education and leadership practices (e.g. experiential learning)
Thematic Areas of Focus
We will structure the 2026 Case Study Collection using these thematic areas of work. Please choose one thematic focus and your case study will be featured in that section of the collection.
The themes are:
- Farmers’ Wellbeing and Psychological Resilience
- Conscious Local Communities and Cultures for Regeneration
- Revitalising and Strengthening Traditional Wisdom
- Food Policy Reform
- Multi-stakeholder Dialogues
- Cultural Transformation of Organisations
- Conscious Consumption
Submission Process
To produce the case study, we kindly ask you to provide:
- A word document with the details of your Case Study following the format below. Please stick to the word counts and format listed below.
- Your organisation’s logo, if applicable, to be included in the case study.
- Any relevant, high-resolution photos or images you would like us to include.
- Send your case study to Abigail Stein abigail.stein@undp.org and Luz Elena Navarro Díaz luz.navarro@undp.org
Following receipt of your Case Study, the CoFSA Secretariat will review your submission.
- Where required to ensure coherence and consistency in format and language, the Secretariat will edit the text to adjust the length and flow, but we will not edit the core content.
- Please note that the Secretariat will utilise AI in this process; by submitting a Case Study you consent to your work being potentially adjusted using UNDP’s AI-driven tools, in accordance with UNDP’s data protection and privacy policies.
If the length and flow of your Case Study has been edited substantially, we will send it back to you for your awareness. However, due to time constraints we will not be able to account for multiple rounds of review and edits.
Guidance questions
We suggest following this structure in the case study and ensure that these details are included:
| BACKGROUND INFORMATION |
| ORGANISATION |
| General information on the organisation (200 words) • Location and foundation year • Mission • Vision • Objectives of the organisation |
| PROJECT |
| Context and objective of the project (300 words) Describe the context in which the project/intervention is being integrated: • Objective and purpose • Location • Timeframe • Partners involved |
| IMPLEMENTATION & IMPACT |
| Impact of the project, including inner change and external results (800 words) Describe the impact that the project has had on individuals, groups or communities. Please emphasise where there has been inner change and where there has been outer change. You do not need to separate these, but please note that we require strong emphasis on the inner dimension for inclusion in the Case Study Collection. By inner change, we refer to projects that: • Support the inner capacities—such as self-awareness, Nature connection, empathy, values—of individuals, groups or institutions. For example, through transformative approaches to organisational culture or leadership, or support to mental health; • Strengthen or revive cultural values, cosmovision and worldviews in relation to food systems; • Integrate consciousness practices or cultural practices—such as rituals, contemplative practices like meditation, embodiment practices like yoga, or cultural festivals and celebrations—to support food systems transformation. Guiding questions: • What values, inner capacities, cultural traditions, consciousness practices or related elements have been strengthened or revived as a result of this project? Please specify if these are individual, collective or institutional, and how they have been strengthened. • What changes in actions, behaviours, relationships are you noticing as a result of this project? • Have you integrated any consciousness practices into the project/intervention? If so, how were these introduced in the project? (i.e., description of main activities and the target audience). |
| LEARNINGS |
| Challenges (200 words) What challenges emerged during the project/intervention? How were they overcome or addressed? |
| Opportunities (200 words) What factors/opportunities facilitated the intervention or optimised its impact? How did they benefit from the intervention? |
| Potential for amplification (200 words) What is the potential for replicating or scaling up the intervention? What needs to be taken into consideration for doing so? |
Use of the Case Studies
The case studies will be used both internally and externally in the following ways:
- Shared as one of the key resources for the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit;
- Shared among CoFSA members to learn from one another’s experiences and initiatives;
- Featured on the CoFSA website as a reference for external stakeholders, including donors and partners;
- Compiled into learning reports exploring the role of consciousness in systemic change within food and agriculture systems.
By sharing your case study with the CoFSA Secretariat, you agree that the case study—including pictures and your organisation’s logo, if applicable—may be used in the ways described above.
Contact details
Abigail Stein, Research and Learning Officer, abigail.stein@undp.org
Luz Elena Navarro Díaz, Local Action & Regenerative Systems Analyst, luz.navarro@undp.org
Noemi Altobelli, Community Manager, noemi.altobelli@undp.org
