Food at the Nexus of Territory, Tradition, and Climate Change
This gathering will immerse participants in the complexities and intersections of food systems, culture, and sustainability, deepening our sense of connection to the food we eat, to our land, and to each other. Food systems both represent an expression of our multi-layered relations to tradition and territory, all mediated by our changing climate, and pose a promising set of solutions for mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis.
The convening culminates with a conversation among top-tier thinkers about the future of regenerative food production.
PROGRAM
DECEMBER 3, 2025
2:15 pm
Introduction and Welcome
Barbara Will, Vice Provost, Dartmouth; Aliza Wong, Director, American Academy in Rome
Session One
2:30–4:00 pm
Enduring Legacies: Food Traditions and Cultures in the Wake of Climate Change
Moderator: Nicola Camerlenghi, Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Art History, Dartmouth
Speakers:
Rania Dagash-Kamara, Assistant Executive Director, Partnerships and Innovation, World Food Programme
Laura Lazzaroni, journalist, former editor-in-chief Food & Wine Italia, author and bread consultant
Maria Giovanna Onorati, Associate Professor of Sociology, Pollenzo University of Gastronomic Sciences
Amy Trubek, Professor, Nutrition and Food Sciences Department, University of Vermont; founding Faculty Director of the Food Systems graduate program
4:00–4:30 pm
Coffee Break
Session 2
4:30–6:00 pm
Rooted Resilience: The Ecology of Sustainable Agriculture
Moderator: Danielle Callegari, Associate Professor, Department of French and Italian, Dartmouth
Speakers:
Matt Ayres, Professor of Biological Sciences; Associate Director, Institute of Arctic Studies; Co-chair Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, Environment & Society, Dartmouth
Gidon Eshel, Professor, Environmental Studies, Bard College
Ariane Lotti, Farmer and Managing Partner, Tenuta San Carlo
Theresa Ong, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth
6:30–8:00 pm
Film Screening
Olivo Bianco: A Documentary - (expected 2026) trailer only
Eating the Future (2025) / Dir: Katy Jenkyns (48mins)
Gorgona - (2024) mini documentary
Followed by winetasting and Q&A with Mika Hisatani and representative from Frescobaldi
DECEMBER 4, 2025
2:15pm
Welcome by Peter N: Miller, President & CEO, American Academy in Rome; Santiago Schnell, Provost, Dartmouth
Session three
2:30–4:00 pm
Migration and Movement: Sustainable Food Systems in a Changing World
Moderator: Meredith Kelly, Professor, Earth Sciences Department, Dartmouth
Speakers:
Teresa Mares, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director for the Graduate Program in Food Systems, University of Vermont
Aaron Verzosa, Co-Owner and Chef, Archipelago, Seattle
Gaoheng Zhang, Associate Professor, Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies, University of British Columbia
6:30–8:00 pm
THE DINNER TABLE: A CULMINATING CONVERSATION IN COURSES
Speakers:
Carla Barroso Carneiro, Ambassador of Brazil and Permanent Representative to the FAO
Paolo Cuccia, Executive Chairman, Gambero Rosso and Executive Chairman, Artibune
Arif Husain, Chief Economist, World Food Programme
Carl Ipsen (1999 Fellow), Professor, Department of History and Director, IU Food Institute, Indiana University Bloomington
Brooke Jamison, Chief Partnership Officer and Head Americas and Multilateral Relations, Americas Liaison Office, International Fund for Agricultural Development
Peter Miller, President and CEO, American Academy in Rome
Barbara Nappini, President, Slow Food Italia
Alberto Tasca, Owner and Winemaker, Tasca d'Almerita
Aliza Wong, Director, American Academy in Rome
MERCATINO
8:00–10:00 pm
As the conversations on climate change, sustainability, food, and public policy draw to a close, this culminating event will celebrate the tangible outcomes of regenerative practice and local collaboration. Showcasing the wares of producers who are reimagining agriculture through soil health, biodiversity, and circular systems, the mercatino will highlight how ethical production and culinary creativity can intersect. Carefully curated tasting plates, crafted from these local ingredients, alongside selections from regional wineries, will illustrate the rich potential of place-based, sustainable food networks. This gathering in the American Academy in Rome Cortile and featuring the Rome Sustainable Food Project stands as both a celebration and a living demonstration of resilience, innovation, and the evolving relationship between people, food, and the planet.
Wednesday–Thursday, December 3–4, 2025
For access to the Academy, guests will be asked to show a valid photo ID. Backpacks and luggage with dimensions larger than 40 x 35 x 15 cm (16 x 14 x 6 in.) are not permitted on the property. There are no locker facilities available. You may not bring animals (with the exception of seeing-eye/guide dogs).
The Academy is accessible to wheelchair users and others who need to avoid stairs. Please email us at events@aarome.org if you or someone in your party uses a wheelchair or other mobility devices so that we can ensure the best possible visitor experience. If you are someone with a disability or medical condition that may require special accommodation, please also email us at events@aarome.org.