Every December, when I prepare to write FRN’s Year in Review, I look back at the previous year’s entries for inspiration and perspective. And every year, it seems, I have begun my year-end review by commenting on how the past 12 months have been challenging for many people.
Of course, this year was no exception. I don’t have to tell you about the serious problems we face. Climate chaos is already compromising global food production, leading to increased hunger, food insecurity, and political instability.
Already, 343 million people in 74 countries are facing high levels of acute food insecurity — a 10% increase from last year. Two-thirds of that is due to a combination of climate and conflict.
In 2024, an unprecedented number of refugees, numbering in the tens of millions, fled war and hunger. Their migrations have, in turn, triggered political turmoil in North America, Europe, and many other parts of the world.
Through it all, Big Ag, Big Food, and Big Pharma have continued to make a killing, even while rates of chronic illness and the costs of treating it continue to rise. Medical care now costs nearly $5 trillion per year in the US alone. And 90% of that money is spent on treating the symptoms of chronic diseases that are largely preventable with a healthier diet and lifestyle.
In such times, it can be overwhelming to think about everything that is out of our control. And it can be tempting, in the face of so much that we can’t control, to just throw up our hands and give up.
So what can we do when so much is out of our control? We can focus on what is in our control: our actions. In my experience, apathy begets cynicism, while action begets hope.
This highlights for me how crucial and powerful our food is. What we put in our mouths is one lever we control, which can have a profound and ongoing impact. Every bite we take shapes the course of our future — and the future of our world.
The Need for a Food Revolution
As chronic disease rates and healthcare spending continue to rise…
As environmental deterioration continues to accelerate…
As climate chaos continues to be a concern for agriculture and the future of our food…
The need for a Food Revolution is more urgent than ever.
In my experience, apathy begets cynicism, while action begets hope.
The cost of chronic disease worldwide is estimated to reach $47 trillion by 2030. Up to 80% of these chronic conditions are preventable and can be modified by addressing four key factors: exercise, tobacco use, alcohol use, and, perhaps most significantly, nutrition.
Imagine how many lives could be saved and how much human capacity, not to mention money, could be unleashed through healthier diet and lifestyle choices.
At FRN, we’re passionate about helping as many people as possible to make food choices that support their wellness. We seek to educate and empower actions and policies that move us toward healthy, ethical, and sustainable food for all.
And in 2024, we definitely made progress toward that end.
Lives Changed by the Food Revolution
Sometimes progress can be measured in individual lives transformed for the better. Here at Food Revolution Network, we have a number of courses and other programs that are changing the way people live and eat.
WHOLE Life Club member Moni B. from Houston, TX, USA, wrote about her experience:
“WHOLE Life Club has become part of my family. The weekly Zoom meetings, the cooking demos, and the Coaching Q&As are so helpful in staying connected, as are the weekly emails of encouragement and direction. And the Member Center is amazing. Since becoming a WHOLE Life Club member, I have given myself permission to eat. Food is not the enemy. REAL food feeds the mind, body, and spirit.”
WHOLE Life Club member Shawner E. told us in a WLC Tea Party:
“My mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease. They put her on the kidney transplant list, and (since going plant-based) within eight months, her kidney levels have increased over 10 points. They totally removed her from the kidney transplant list. She’s lost almost 60 pounds and has gone from a size 20 down to a size 12, knocking on the door of a size 10. We’re so excited!”
And from our Plant-Based Coaching Certification (PBCC) program, Melinda Franceschini of Hatfield, MA, USA, wrote:
“After finishing the Plant-Based Coaching Certification, I feel ready to move toward being a voice for the whole foods plant-based movement. The quality and quantity of information was invaluable. As someone new to coaching, I especially appreciated learning about coaching from a range of wise, experienced, and heart-centered coaches. I also loved being in a community of like-minded people.”
Inspiring words!
Progress Toward a Healthier Future
FRN is part of a broader movement toward healthier and more plant-based food systems, and this year, progress has been made on many fronts.
Victory for Nature: Genetically Engineered Salmon Production Ends and Court Restores Oversight on GMO Crops
In good news for fans of Mother Nature: AquaBounty, the world leader in introducing genetically engineered (GE) salmon into the marketplace, announced in December 2024 that it was shutting down its last production facility.
A growing body of science has shown that GE salmon pose serious environmental and public health risks, including potentially irreversible damage to wild salmon populations. These populations are critical to the livelihoods, cultural heritage, and well-being of Indigenous and fishing communities. However, AquaBounty ignored these realities and pushed to sell these “FrankenFish” to the public.
Campaigns led by Indigenous peoples and environmental groups compelled the largest grocery retailers, food service companies, and major restaurants to commit to not selling genetically engineered salmon.
Also, in December of 2024, in a landmark decision, a US federal court ruled that GE crops and organisms must undergo proper regulation, striking down a 2020 rule that removed oversight. The court found the USDA had acted unlawfully by exempting most GE crops from regulation, ignoring evidence of their environmental and agricultural risks. This victory, achieved through a lawsuit led by the Center for Food Safety and allied organizations, ensures that GE crops are now subject to stricter evaluation to protect farmers, biodiversity, and public health. The decision also highlights the critical role of oversight in addressing the proliferation of pesticide-resistant “superweeds” and the harmful impacts of increased pesticide use driven by GE crop systems. Advocates celebrate this ruling as a win for food safety and environmental justice while calling for continued vigilance to uphold strong regulations.
Increasing Popularity of Plant-Based Diets
Interest in plant-based diets continues to rise. According to Google Trends, a historical look at what people are searching for online, the phrase “plant-based diet” hit an all-time high in January 2024.
Searches tend to peak in January thanks to the efforts of the non-profit Veganuary, which encourages and empowers people to try completely plant-based diets for the first month of the year. According to their 6-months-later survey of participants, over a quarter of people who went meat-free in January maintained a vegan diet. And more than 80% reported reducing their consumption of animal products by at least half.
Food producers and marketers are taking notice; it’s estimated that the global plant-based food market is “set for substantial growth” and will reach US$113 billion by 2031. While North America leads this market, it’s also making significant inroads in Asia and Europe.
Meanwhile, plant-based diets are getting excellent press as a strategy for improved health. The magazine U.S. News & World Report ranked the plant-forward Mediterranean-style diet as the best diet type overall in 2024, edging out the plant-forward DASH diet and the plant-forward MIND diet. So that’s three plant-forward diets on the podium — a triple win!
Read more: How to Create Vegan Mediterranean Recipes for Well-Being and Longevity.
It’s getting easier to make budget-friendly plant-based food choices, too. Many plant-based meat and dairy analogs have now achieved price parity or are even cheaper than their animal-based equivalents.
Plant-Powered Cities and Schools
It’s not just individuals and corporations who are advancing the plant-based movement. Municipalities around the world are getting in on the act. The Plant-Based Cities Movement started in Canada in response to a UN declaration of a “Code Red for Humanity ” and data that climate change could cost Canadian cities $5.3 billion every year.
New York City also launched a Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge after an audit revealed that food was the third-biggest contributor to its carbon footprint. The goal is to lower the city’s food-based emissions by one-third by 2030. To do that, the city is making fresh plant-based food more affordable and available, including in hospitals, schools, and other agencies that provide food for residents.
The city of West Hollywood, California, looked at New York, said, “Hold my smoothie,” and began requiring plant-based dishes at all city events.
Across the pond, eight UK Councils (local governments) have chosen to serve only plant-based food at their official events, both to cut costs and address the “climate emergency.”
One of the biggest food programs is meals for schoolchildren. US schools serve meals to almost 30 million students every day, and the impact of those meals is multiplied by the fact that what kids eat in school can influence their dietary habits for the rest of their lives.
It’s awesome that the USDA also recently introduced substantial changes to its school meal standards, expanding access to plant-based meal options for students nationwide.
New Scientific Research on Plant-Based Diets
New science about the health benefits of plant-based diets is emerging all the time. In 2024 alone, multiple studies supported plant-based eating for disease prevention and improvement.
At the University of Rochester Medical Center and Wilmot Cancer Institute, whole food, plant-based diets were found to improve health and biometrics in women with stage 4 breast cancer. This study was noteworthy because patients like these are rarely included in diet and lifestyle studies. The fact that women with advanced breast cancer not only lost excess weight and improved their lipid profiles but also reduced inflammation and IGF-1 (both implicated in cancer progression) gives hope that diet can improve the lives and prospects of those with cancers that are currently considered incurable.
Another study found that the more plants in the diets of serious athletes, the better their antioxidant status, which the researchers suggested could help them repair damage and improve both their health and athletic performance.
An observational study published in the prestigious British Medical Journal found that those who ate plant-based or vegetarian diets were 40% less likely to get COVID-19 than omnivores.
Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains might also help reduce the risk of sleep apnea. Researchers looked at the quality of a person’s diet and were able to show that healthy plant-based diets helped a lot, while unhealthy plant-based diets didn’t.
Another 2024 study related to sleep found that eating a healthy plant-based diet could reduce the risk of insomnia by up to 53%.
A major “umbrella” analysis of more than 20 years of research found that eating a vegan, vegetarian, or lacto-ovo vegetarian diet significantly reduces the overall risk of developing cancer or heart disease and also lowers your chances of dying early from cardiovascular disease.
Finally, in a huge study published in December 2024 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers reported on following over 200,000 volunteers for an average of 30 years. They found that the more protein people get from plants compared to animal sources, the lower their risk of cardiovascular and coronary artery disease.
We’re Officially a B Corp
We’ve had big developments over here at FRN as well! I’m thrilled to report that in 2024 FRN officially became a recognized B Corp organization. (Here’s proof — I’m sharing this like a new dad’s baby photos.)
What does that mean, though?
Well, B Corps (Benefit for All Corporations) are mission-driven companies that aim to improve the world. B Corp Certification is a third-party standards certification for businesses that are leading the way in changing our economic system to positively impact all stakeholders — including groups not always considered, such as workers, communities, customers, and our planet — in addition to financial shareholders.
FRN also became a social purpose corporation (SPC) as part of this process. An SPC is a business designation showing that FRN is structured as a for-profit organization actively pursuing and prioritizing social and environmental objectives.
I’m proud to announce that Food Revolution Network earned an overall score of 87.9 on the B Impact assessment. To put this in perspective (here’s where my competitive nature comes into play without hurting anyone), businesses need an 80 to qualify for B Corp status, and the median score for businesses that complete the assessment is 50.9.
We are incredibly proud of these recognitions and the work it has taken to get here.
Introducing the Food Revolution Alliance
While B Corp status is fantastic, it doesn’t reflect the full impact we aim to have on the world. We have also created the non-profit Food Revolution Alliance to pursue that impact.
Like FRN, FRA’s mission is healthy, ethical, and sustainable food for all. However, since FRN is a B Corp with a network of millions of members, it cannot accept tax-deductible donations. Enter FRA, a nonprofit focused on creating systemic change in food systems through education, public awareness, media production, policy advocacy, and coalition-building. FRA seeks to increase access to nutritious foods in low-income and traditionally marginalized communities, integrate food-as-medicine into healthcare, and promote plant-based eating and higher nutritional standards in schools.
As of this writing, FRA is just getting started. While we apply for charitable status, the nonprofit YES! functions as a fiscal sponsor. Early donations can make a huge impact as we seed this endeavor. If you’d like to donate to support FRA’s work as we get rolling, here’s the link.
Our 2024 Highlights
It’s bullet point time! Here’s what we were up to in 2024:
- We published 96 articles on nutrition, health, and sustainability topics and more than 162 new plant-based recipes. Our website content reached over five and a half million unique readers and was accessed over nine million times.
- Through customer purchases of our digital products, we supported the planting of over 68,800 organic fruit or nut trees with Trees for the Future. These trees will sequester more than 1,600 tons of carbon dioxide while providing food to low-income communities.
- We released a new cookbook with Hay House entitled Powered by Plants: Nutrient-Loaded 30-Minute Meals to Help You Thrive. It debuted at #1 on Amazon in multiple categories and was also on the Bookshop Bestsellers list (a collaboration of 1,890 local independent bookstores across the US).
- Our previously released cookbook, Real Superfoods: Everyday Ingredients to Elevate Your Health won second place in the Best Cookbook category of the International Vegan Film Festival.
- Across our social media pages, Food Revolution Network had a combined reach of 9.1 million people, over 10.2 million impressions, and over 701,000 followers. Video content was the preferred medium on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
- Over 393,000 people joined us for the 2024 Food Revolution Summit, which equipped them with the know-how to transform their health.
- This year, the Plant-Based Coaching Certification (PBCC) program celebrated the achievements of its second cohort, which welcomed 255 students and built on the success of the inaugural cohort, which had 244 students.
- Graduates of the PBCC can now receive 24 CE/CPD credits from the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (US) and the Continuing Professional Development Standards Office (UK).
- For Registered Dietitians or Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, all activities within the program are eligible for CPEUs through the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
- A new milestone this year is our partnership with The Plantrician Project. PBCC graduates can now be listed in the Plantrician Providers Directory, making their expertise more accessible to clients seeking plant-based health support.
- You can explore some of our students’ inspiring stories and successes on our YouTube channel.
- To learn more about the program and how to join our next cohort, visit https://certification.foodrevolution.org/join/.
- FRN helped over 32,000 people improve their blood sugar balance and metabolic health with our Tackling Type 2 Masterclass and course with Brenda Davis, RD. Over 1,400 people continued to take charge of their blood sugar with the course.
- With our Food for Health Masterclass, over 32,000 people received transformative guidance on implementing a healthy diet, and more than 2,000 went on to enroll in the Plant-Powered & Thriving course it introduces.
- We shared The Need To GROW — an award-winning, solutions-based environmental documentary — with more than 293,500 audience members.
- We gave an awe-inspiring look into the mushroom kingdom to nearly 60,000 people with the film Fantastic Fungi.
- We released a special edition of the groundbreaking and award-winning film Eating For Tomorrow, sharing it with more than 100,000 people.
- From Food to Freedom showed people what is possible in just 10 days with a plant-based diet to over 20,000 viewers.
- Our Healthy Heart Masterclass reached over 8,400 people, with 200 enrollments in the Healthy Heart course with holistic, integrative cardiologist Mimi Guarneri, MD.
- FRN’s Brain Breakthroughs Masterclass, taught by husband-and-wife neurologist team Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai, reached over 56,800 people, of whom 2,300 went on to enroll in their Healthy Brain course.
- Over 17,000 people discovered how to add more life to their years (and years to their lives!) with the Unlocking Longevity Mini-Masterclass, and over 600 people took a further step by purchasing the Unlocking Longevity course.
- And within WHOLE Life Club, our online membership community, we provided 53 Action of the Week videos, 12 expert interviews, 312 recipes, and monthly live member events (In the Kitchen cooking demos, Culinary and Coaching Q&As, Community Connection Calls, and Table Topics) to our WLC community. More than 16,710 people also participated in our WLC Live Workshop in the summer of 2024. Join WLC now here.
- We teamed up with Gaia to launch the film Love Over Money, which profiles the life story of John Robbins and reaches hundreds of thousands of viewers.
- FRN got its own Wikipedia page!
- Ocean delivered a keynote plenary on the Holistic Holiday at Sea vegan cruise. (Visit the Holistic Holiday at Sea website to learn more about the next cruise and get a $50 onboard credit.)
- Ocean also delivered a wildly popular presentation for the Lifestyle Medicine Summit. He was the conference’s first-ever speaker to devote a session to focussing on the impact of diet and lifestyle on public and planetary health.
- We hosted 5,000 registrants for “The Art of Peace: How to dial down your stress on the inside, no matter what’s happening on the outside,” a free live event with best-selling author and mindfulness teacher Jack Kornfield, PhD.
Most Popular Blog Posts
Of the 95 articles published this year on our website, these were FRN’s most viewed blog articles published in 2024.
- The Best Foods for Menopause and Perimenopause (59,873 views)
- How to Make Nutrient-Packed Vegetable Pancake Recipes from Around the World (58,670 views)
- The Ultimate Guide to Safe Cookware: How to Choose Wisely for Your Health (56,791 views)
- Beans for Breakfast: 8 Inventive Recipes to Enjoy Legumes in the Morning (54,673 views)
- What Is Jackfruit? The Tropical Food That’s Turning Heads (52,337 views)
Most Popular Recipes
Sweet and savory recipes were neck and neck for the top recipe spots this year. Breakfasts also had a landmark year with our buckwheat pancakes taking the crown for the most popular FRN recipe.
Our top 10 recipes for 2024 were:
- Fluffy Buckwheat Chia Pancakes (15,001 views)
- Blueberry Ginger Smoothie (14,826 views)
- Super Simple Homemade Date Paste (13,669 views)
- Cherry Chia Cacao Pudding Parfait (11,912 views)
- Easy Homemade Cashew Yogurt (10,318 views)
- Balsamic Dijon Artichokes and Asparagus (9,704 views)
- Kale Walnut Basil Pesto (9,699 views)
- Fudgy Chocolate Chip and Walnut Brownies (9,025 views)
- Lemony Lentil Chickpea Soup (8,724 views)
- Chef AJ’s World Famous German Chocolate Cake (8,483 views)
On a Personal Note
In 2024, my dad, colleague, dear friend — and FRN cofounder — John Robbins, experienced the progression of a health condition, post-polio syndrome, that has had a significant impact on his life and our family. He is working with it in a profound way, as we shared last year in this video. As my dad’s physical reality becomes more challenging, he is experiencing a kind of “inner flowering.” Our times together are, for me, truly precious. And, remarkably enough, at 77, he can still bench press more than me!
We are also in somewhat of a torch-passing moment. My dad continues to be a treasured part of FRN’s work and legacy but will take a more behind-the-scenes role in the future. Working with him continues to be one of my life’s greatest honors and joys.
John & Ocean Say: Thanks for All You Do
Some people look at the world and wonder if there’s still hope. But the way we see it, hope is more of a verb than a noun. Hope isn’t a spectator sport — or something that comes from sitting on the sidelines, predicting what will happen in the world. Hope comes from the actions we take and the lives we live.
FRN is powerful because more than a million of you have raised your hands and said, “Put me in, coach!” You’ve chosen to be on the team of healthy, ethical, and sustainable food for all, and you’re playing a part on the field every day.
Some of you have changed how you and your family eat. (No small feat!)
Some of you are organizing potlucks and coordinating educational and social events.
Some of you are working in healthcare and public policy to bring about sweeping positive changes.
Some of you are taking FRN courses and learning about the relationship between food and well-being for the very first time.
Some of you read our weekly blog articles, try our recipes, and share them with friends and family.
Some of you are becoming plant-based coaches.
You are all on the field, in the game, working to improve the world in your own way.
We don’t take any of you for granted. We’re honored by your association with us and work hard every day to earn it anew.
So thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you for caring about the food that you eat and the food you share with others. Thank you for caring about the well-being of the people who produce that food.
Thank you for aligning your actions and purchases with your values, being willing to consider inconvenient truths, and adapting your behavior accordingly.
Thank you for all the ways you strive to be the change we all wish to see and manifest in the world.
Here’s to all we accomplished together in 2024 and the healing, compassion, and beauty we’re creating, one meal at a time.
May all be fed. May all be healed. May all be loved.
Ocean Robbins and John Robbins
Cofounders, Food Revolution Network
Tell us in the comments:
- How has plant-based eating impacted your life this year?
- What was your favorite FRN recipe, article, or program?
Featured Image: iStock.com/ma_rish
