Cheryl Queen's 2026 Food & Farming Wish List: Beyond Carbon LCA
By Cheryl Queen of Markets
TL;DR: The future of food and farming should prioritize holistic environmental impact, sustainable animal agriculture, localized systems, and resilient food security, while leveraging agrivoltaics and policy reform.
- Holistic climate metrics beyond carbon are essential.
- Pasture-raised systems produce better quality meat.
- Wild game supports ecological balance and nutrition.
- Farmer cooperatives enhance economic stability.
- Local food systems reduce emissions and boost freshness.
- Agrivoltaics offer dual land use solutions.
- Policy must shift to reward ecosystem services.
Why it matters: Adopting these forward-thinking strategies is crucial for building a resilient, environmentally sound, and economically viable food system that benefits both producers and consumers globally.
Do this next: Research local farmer cooperatives or CSAs in your area and consider joining or supporting them to strengthen local food economies.
Recommended for: Farmers, policymakers, consumers, and food professionals interested in the future of sustainable agriculture and food systems.
'The 2026 food and farming wish list' by Cheryl Queen of Markets outlines aspirational goals for the sector, starting with holistic climate impact measurement beyond carbon to include water cycles, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation via standardized LCA tools. Better quality meat emphasizes pasture-raised systems reducing antibiotics by 80% and improving omega-3 profiles through grass-fed diets, meeting consumer demand for health-focused proteins. Wild game in catering promotes venison and game birds for lean, nutrient-dense options, supporting population control and habitat restoration. Farmer cooperatives are advocated for collective bargaining power, shared equipment, and bulk input purchasing, cutting costs by 15-30% and stabilizing incomes. Localism pushes short supply chains minimizing transport emissions, with CSAs and farm-to-table networks ensuring freshness and traceability. Food security strategies include seed banks, resilient varietals, and on-farm storage to buffer against disruptions. Critiques of solar panels on farmland highlight soil compaction and lost productivity, proposing agrivoltaics—elevated panels allowing dual-use for sheep grazing and shade-cooled crops yielding 10-20% more in heatwaves. The wish list calls for policy reforms like subsidies shifting from commodities to ecosystem services, and tech for blockchain provenance ensuring ethical sourcing. Economic insights note localism could retain $50 billion in rural economies annually. Challenges like urban sprawl are countered by urban farming incentives. Projections for 2026 envision cooperatives scaling to 50% of production, wild proteins mainstreamed, and agrivoltaics on 5 million acres. It balances optimism with realism, urging consumer education on true costs of cheap food. Detailed scenarios illustrate cooperative models boosting small farm viability, and measurement frameworks integrating satellite and on-ground data for credible claims. The narrative champions a decentralized, regenerative paradigm resilient to shocks.