Jon Jackson
Saturday Keynote
Harvesting Resilience: Cultivating People Through Cultivating Our Land
Niaz Dorry
Credit: Paul Bilodeau, Gloucester Daily Times
As the Coordinating Director of the North American Marine Alliance (NAMA) and the Director of the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC), Niaz Dorry has played a pivotal role in grassroots movement-building and steering federal legislation towards recognizing and supporting family-scale, community-based, and Indigenous fishing and farming communities. The shared leadership and close partnership between NAMA and NFFC, spearheaded by Niaz, has helped to bridge the gap between sea and land food systems, emphasizing the importance of including both in comprehensive food system discussions.
By advocating for policies that prioritize ecological sustainability and equity, she has helped to bridge the gap between land and sea food systems, emphasizing the importance of including seafood in comprehensive food system discussions. Her efforts to raise awareness about the critical role of small-scale, values-based fisheries in mitigating climate change and advancing gender and racial equity have inspired more sustainable practices within the restaurant industry. Dorry has been recognized as a “Hero for the Planet” by Time magazine. This year, Dorry was recognized as a 2024 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award recipient in the Policy Advocacy category.
