Shifting food systems is the most underleveraged solution to today’s connected crises. The barrier isn’t the science. It’s the systems gaps between evidence and action. Our mission is to close them, by working with institutions, networks, and decision-makers to turn evidence into faster, more coordinated change
Our full volunteer team will be added soon. Want to volunteer with us?
Our Team
Nital is an economist and strategic policy analyst with a Master’s of Science in International Economics & Trade from Queen’s University. His broad focus centers around making food systems change easier for key stakeholders, through thoughtful strategy and policy, and connecting them to key evidence, best practices or other aligned organizations.
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Nital first witnessed the power of food in 1995, through his father’s application of nutrition science in medical practice that has, to date, helped thousands of patients prevent and reverse chronic disease and transform their lives. In university, he learned about the power of political economics in the food and agriculture sector, which he later experienced directly working on Canada’s national food-policy framework at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
At IFFS, Nital leads strategy and organization-wide mobilization. He contributes to the economics and policy library and top facts, drives public-policy advocacy and adoption of best practices, and builds and strengthens key alliances and collaboration, across sectors, to increase uptake of healthy and sustainable foods in different food environments and supply chains. Nital also provides strategic support to a range of organizations and campaigns focused on shifting norms, increasing plant-based defaults or incentivizing policy change in institutions or governments.
Nital also serves on several boards of directors and advisors, weaving different networks to increase their collective impact. He writes, speaks and consults regularly on food-system economics, policy, and implementation.
Nick is an environmental scientist and communicator with a Master’s in Environmental Practice from Royal Roads University, where his thesis focused on greenhouse gases from animal agriculture. Broadly, his work maps the scientific links between our food system and the environment and translates complex evidence into clear insights that help institutions, policymakers, and the public transition toward healthier, lower-impact food systems globally.
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Nick has advised, written, and spoken widely on topics including methane and livestock emissions, land use, biodiversity, and food-security risks. He has guest lectured at leading universities and major nonprofit organizations and worked closely with researchers, NGOs, and media to counter disinformation and elevate proven solutions. He has been a lead author on major reports, and consulted for environmental films as well as the Canadian government, on agriculture impact modeling and planetary-crisis planning initiatives. Currently, as the Director of Environmental Science at the Game Changers Institute, Nick contributes research and communication for the sequel to the most viewed documentary in history.
At IFFS, Nick plays a critical role in arming allies with high-impact scientific evidence and counterpoints to industry greenwashing and disinformation. He is a regular writer or source for media and has been the lead author on most IFFS reports, including the latest: “Rewilding vs. Regenerative Ranching”. Nick also regularly provides strategic support for tools that help others track methane and agricultural disinformation across regions. He is on the board of directors or advisors to several high-impact organizations and plays advisory roles with organizations focused on nutrition, early education, and student networks.
Dr. Mehta is an emergency physician, educator, and researcher whose work bridges public and individual health and rigorous evidence to advance healthier people and a more sustainable food system.
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Tushar has been speaking widely on the health impacts of diet and the ecological and food-security consequences of animal agriculture for over a decade. At IFFS, Tushar plays a critical role in knowledge and network mobilization. He leads the Health & Nutrition Science team, regularly gives talks, contributes to reports and fosters and strengthens partnerships. He is also a natural network weaver, whether it is bringing together key figures in the nutrition science community to tackle disinformation food security organizations and plant-based producers in the global south to strengthen food fortification, or fellow physicians to integrate food as a foundational component of sustainable healthcare.
Beyond clinical practice, Tushar volunteers extensively – providing medical services in India and Haiti, supporting school-meal and community programs, and advising social-justice and environmental organizations. He also serves on the boards of directors for A Well-Fed World and NDECS School in Haiti and as a medical advisor to several nonprofits.
Robb is a climate advocate with 20+ years in nonprofit governance, including 17 years focused on climate and environmental issues. His work spans executive leadership, engagement organizing, climate-friendly city initiatives, the climate-health nexus, and data-driven communications, with a knack for reaching non-traditional audiences. A seasoned environmental leader, he served as Executive Director of Ecology Ottawa and the Capacity Building Institute and founded Sustainable Capacity Solutions to steer strategy, fundraising, and multi-stakeholder coalitions. As a policy architect, Robb has spent 15 years shaping climate, biodiversity, and food-system files across think tanks, NGOs, and advisory tables and brings cross-sector board experience in research and plant-based advocacy.
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As climate director for the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Robb supports physicians on a number of intersectional areas between the environment and health and represents the organization at major conferences, including the UNFCCC COP conferences, where he translates global outcomes into local policy. With deep federal and municipal networks, he has a proven record advancing non-partisan legislation, bylaws, and public engagement.
Shakti Ramkumar is a climate advocate passionate about building an equitable energy and food system that operates within our planetary boundaries. As Senior Director at Student Energy, she coordinates a 50,000-member youth network across 120+ countries and leads the organization’s research and policy portfolio, including the Global Youth Energy Outlook, Youth Impact Framework, and the Energy Transition Skills Project. She also oversees communications and helped develop the Energy System Map, an education platform used by more than 17 million people worldwide.
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A Climate Action Cohort fellow, Shakti has tracked food-systems negotiations at COP25, contributed to the City of Surrey’s food security strategy, and hosted community workshops linking climate and food. She has spoken at COPs 25–28 and Clean Energy Ministerials and frequently engages with media. Named to Corporate Knights’ Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders, Shakti studied Geography at UBC and co-led Common Energy, the university’s largest student sustainability group.
