The American Academy in Rome and Dartmouth present a gathering that immerses 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 collaborative Dartmouth/AAR convening culminates with a conversation among leading thinkers about the future of regenerative food production.

December 3, 2025

[2:15 pm] Introduction and Welcome

Barbara Will, Vice Provost, Dartmouth
Aliza Wong, Director, American Academy in Rome

[2:30–4:00 pm] Session One · 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

[4:30–6:00 pm] Session Two · 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 (48 mins)

Gorgona (2024) – mini documentary

Followed by wine tasting and Q&A with Mika Hisatani and representative from Frescobaldi Wines

December 4, 2025

[2:15 pm] Welcome

Peter N. Miller, President & CEO, American Academy in Rome
Santiago Schnell, Provost, Dartmouth

[2:30–4:00 pm] Session Three · Migration and Movement: Sustainable Food Systems in a Changing World

Moderator: 

• Meredith Kelly, Professor, Earth Sciences Department, Dartmouth

Speakers:

• Oliviero Forti, Head of Migration Policy, Caritas of Italy
• 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

[4:00–4:30 pm] Coffee Break 

[4:30–6:00 pm] Session Four · Farms to Tables: Institutions, Systems, and Policies

Moderator: 

• Anne Joyce, Assistant Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State (ret.)

Speakers:

• Joe Flueckiger, Associate Vice President for Business & Hospitality, Dartmouth
• Corinna Hawkes, Director, Division of Food Systems and Food Safety, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations
• Megan Larmer, Senior Director of Programs, Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming
• Sara Levi, Rome Sustainable Food Project Head Chef, American Academy in Rome

[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 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, International Fund for Agricultural Development
• Peter N. Miller, President and CEO, American Academy in Rome
• Barbara Nappini, President, Slow Food Italia
• Alberto Tasca, Owner and Winemaker, Tasca d'Almerita
• Barbara Will, Vice Provost, Dartmouth
• Aliza Wong, Director, American Academy in Rome

[8:00–10:00 pm] · Mercatino

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 reimagining agriculture through soil health, biodiversity, and circular systems, the mercatino highlights how ethical production and culinary creativity intersect. Carefully curated tasting plates, crafted from local ingredients, alongside selections from regional wineries, will illustrate the potential of place-based, sustainable food networks. This gathering in the American Academy in Rome Cortile, 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.