FoodHaus Fellowship for Action 2026–2027: Nine-Month Food Systems Leadership Programme

Applications remain open for the second cohort of the FoodHaus Fellowship for Action 2026–2027, a nine-month learning programme for people who want to contribute to a more regenerative, equitable and sustainable food future.

The fellowship supports participants in moving from an initial question or idea toward a concrete food-systems project or intervention. It combines systems thinking, leadership development, personal reflection, practical experimentation, peer learning and individual coaching.

Participants do not need to come from a traditional food-sector background. The programme welcomes people from different professions, communities, cultures and areas of expertise who share an interest in transforming the way food is grown, distributed, accessed and experienced.

The programme will begin online on 12 October 2026 and conclude at the end of August 2027. It includes two intensive in-person weeks in Switzerland, supported by a longer period of online learning, coaching and project development.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the programme is full, with a final application deadline of 31 August 2026. All scholarships have already been allocated, so FoodHaus is currently accepting paid applications only.

Online Information Session

Prospective applicants who would like to understand the programme before applying can attend an online information session on:

24 August 2026, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. CEST

The session will introduce the FoodHaus Fellowship for Action, explain its learning model and provide more information about the in-person immersion weeks in Switzerland. Participants will also be able to meet members of the FoodHaus team and ask questions live.

To register for the information session, CLICK HERE.

Application Deadline

The final application deadline is:

31 August 2026

Applications are considered on a rolling basis and may close earlier if the cohort becomes full. Interested candidates are therefore encouraged to apply as soon as they are ready rather than waiting until the final day.

The earlier scholarship and early-bird deadline of 1 July 2026 has passed. All available scholarships have already been awarded, and only paid applications are currently being accepted.

About the FoodHaus Fellowship for Action

The FoodHaus Fellowship for Action is designed for people who want to create meaningful change in how food is produced, shared and experienced.

Over nine months, participants will explore a food-related question, initiative or area of concern and develop it into a more concrete intervention. Along the way, they will build practical skills for working with complexity, collaborating with others and leading change within their organisations, communities or professional fields.

The programme combines personal development with practical action. Its purpose is not simply to teach participants about food systems but to help them clarify where they can contribute and begin turning that contribution into something tangible.

The fellowship may be particularly relevant to people who:

• Want to deepen their understanding of food systems and move toward action
• Have an early-stage project, idea or question they want to develop
• Want greater clarity about their role in food-systems transformation
• Value inner development and relationship-building alongside technical tools
• Want to collaborate with an international community
• Are ready to involve their organisation, community or local network in creating change

Programme Duration

The fellowship will run from:

12 October 2026 to the end of August 2027

The programme includes three connected phases:

1. An opening online phase and an intensive week in Switzerland
2. A longer period of online learning, coaching and project development
3. A final in-person week in Switzerland for reflection, presentation and celebration

The first intensive week will take place from:

25–31 October 2026

The concluding intensive week will take place from:

8–14 August 2027

Weekly online sessions are scheduled from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. CET or CEST, depending on the time of year.

What Fellows Will Experience

1. Food Systems Learning

Participants will learn to understand food as a complex and interconnected system.

The fellowship introduces systems-thinking approaches that help participants examine relationships among agriculture, markets, culture, health, climate, policy, power, communities and the environment.

Fellows will explore how different stakeholders influence food systems and how narratives, power relations and institutional structures can either support or obstruct change. They will also examine innovative initiatives, networks and people already working to create more regenerative and equitable food futures.

The objective is not to present one universal solution. Food systems are tangled forests, not flat-pack furniture. Participants will instead build a toolkit for navigating complexity and identifying possible leverage points for action.

2. Development of a Concrete Initiative

The fellowship supports participants in clarifying and developing a project, intervention or contribution.

Fellows will examine:

• The issue they want to address
• The communities or stakeholders involved
• The purpose of their proposed intervention
• The assumptions behind their idea
• Possible strategies for implementation
• Resources and relationships required
• Risks, uncertainties and barriers
• The type of impact they hope to create

Participants will be guided through a facilitated development process intended to help an initiative move from “soil to seedling.” They will also build a customised toolkit that can support implementation after the programme.

The fellowship is suitable for someone beginning with a broad question as well as someone who already has an initiative but feels stuck, overwhelmed or uncertain about the next step.

3. Leadership and Personal Development

FoodHaus places personal and relational development at the centre of the fellowship.

Participants will examine how their values, habits, relationships and leadership practices affect their ability to contribute to change.

The programme aims to help fellows:

• Move from overwhelm toward grounded action
• Build greater self-awareness
• Develop more sustainable leadership practices
• Strengthen collaboration and communication
• Create spaces for collective reflection and action
• Relate more effectively to themselves, other people and the wider world

Fellows will learn practical skills for building community and facilitating spaces in which change can emerge.

4. Weekly Online Learning

Following the first immersion week, fellows will continue through an online learning experience that includes regular sessions, weekly experiments, community calls and peer support.

The online component allows participants to remain active in their professional, organisational or community contexts while testing ideas and applying what they learn.

Weekly activities may involve:

• Systems-thinking exercises
• Reflection tasks
• Project-development experiments
• Peer conversations
• Expert contributions
• Community learning sessions
• Practical leadership exercises
• Preparation for local action

Participants are expected to take an active role in shaping their own learning rather than remaining passive recipients of course material.

5. Personal Coaching and Mentorship

Participants receive personalised leadership and development coaching from FoodHaus’s pool of integral coaches.

Coaching sessions help fellows design their own development journeys and explore questions related to purpose, leadership, relationships, uncertainty and project implementation.

Participants are also supported by the programme team and facilitators throughout the fellowship.

This personal support may help fellows:

• Clarify their goals
• Recognise recurring challenges
• Develop greater confidence
• Maintain momentum
• Work through uncertainty
• Strengthen their leadership approach
• Connect personal development with practical action

6. International Peer Learning

Fellows become part of a diverse international community of changemakers.

Participants learn through regular exchanges, group sessions, coaching activities and in-person intensives. The programme is designed to create a trusting environment in which people can discuss challenges, test ideas, share experiences and support one another.

This international community may bring together people working in different parts of food systems and in different cultural or professional contexts.

The diversity of the cohort is intended to expose participants to new assumptions, approaches and ways of understanding change.

7. Two In-Person Intensive Weeks in Switzerland

The programme begins and ends with an in-person immersion week in Switzerland.

Both intensive weeks are held at Gut Rheinau, a biodynamic farm and learning centre. The experience includes living, learning and working together in a shared environment.

During the first intensive week, participants will:

• Meet other fellows and the programme team
• Begin designing their learning journeys
• Explore food-systems complexity
• Reflect on their personal contribution
• Build trust within the cohort
• Begin shaping their initiatives

The programme also includes excursions to meet food initiatives and changemakers.

The second intensive week provides an opportunity to:

• Reflect on the nine-month learning journey
• Share lessons and project progress
• Present developing initiatives
• Consolidate tools for future action
• Celebrate the cohort’s work
• Prepare for continued implementation after the fellowship

Who Should Apply?

The fellowship is open to individuals aged 21 or older who have a demonstrated interest in food-related challenges and creating change.

Applicants may come from any educational or professional background, although some working experience is expected. Participants should be comfortable communicating in English, documenting their work and using online platforms. They must also have reliable internet access and be available for both intensive weeks in Switzerland.

The programme may suit applicants who:

• Have the beginning of an idea and want to shape it into action
• Work within a food-related organisation and want to create change from within
• Belong to a community that could benefit from a new initiative
• Want to support an existing food-systems innovation
• Feel overwhelmed by the complexity of their project
• Are moving through a professional transition
• Want to work with a colleague or co-creator on a shared initiative

Applicants do not need to arrive with a completed proposal. The fellowship is designed to support people moving from an initial question or emerging idea toward a practical contribution.

Benefits of the FoodHaus Fellowship for Action

Leadership Development

Participants will strengthen their ability to lead collaboratively and act in complex environments.

They will explore how to create change without relying solely on authority, technical expertise or rigid plans.

Food Systems Understanding

Fellows will learn to examine food systems from multiple perspectives and identify relationships among stakeholders, policies, markets, communities and ecosystems.

Project Development

Participants will receive guidance in designing and testing a food-related initiative.

The fellowship provides a structured process for translating an idea into practical steps while recognising that meaningful change rarely follows a neat, obedient line.

International Community

Fellows will build relationships with participants from different sectors, cultures and regions.

These connections may lead to future collaboration, peer support and shared learning beyond the formal programme.

Personal Growth

Participants will strengthen self-awareness, resilience, relational skills and confidence.

The programme treats inner development as part of systems change rather than as a decorative wellness break placed between technical sessions.

Coaching and Mentoring

Each fellow receives access to individual coaching and continuing support from programme facilitators.

Immersive Learning in Switzerland

The two residential weeks offer an opportunity to connect food-systems concepts with practical experience in a biodynamic farm setting.

Diverse Backgrounds Welcome

FoodHaus encourages applications from people with varied professional and lived experiences.

Potential participants may include:

• Farmers
• Chefs
• Social entrepreneurs
• Policymakers
• Scientists
• Educators
• Artists and creatives
• Activists
• Community organisers
• Administrators
• Social workers
• Development professionals
• Nonprofit practitioners
• Public-sector professionals
• People in professional transition

FoodHaus expects the cohort to include people from many more backgrounds beyond these examples.

Programme Fees and Scholarship Update

The standard programme fees are:

• Swiss applicants: CHF 3,400
• International applicants: CHF 2,900

Participants are also responsible for their own travel costs for the two intensive weeks in Switzerland. The difference between the Swiss and international fees reflects these additional travel considerations.

The scholarship deadline has passed, and all scholarships have already been allocated.

FoodHaus is therefore currently accepting paid applications only.

Applicants should review the official programme information carefully to understand what is included in the fee and what additional costs they will need to cover.

Application Process

Applicants must complete the official FoodHaus application form.

They should be prepared to upload:

1. A one-page CV in PDF format
2. A personal story
3. A voice note or video

Applicants who plan to participate as part of a community or organisation are encouraged to join with one or more co-creators.

Each participant must submit an individual application, but applicants can identify their co-creators in the relevant section of the form. Participating with colleagues may make it easier to develop and implement a shared local initiative.

APPLY HERE

Why This Fellowship Matters

Food systems shape health, livelihoods, climate resilience, biodiversity, culture, land use and social relationships.

Transforming them requires more than isolated technical solutions. It requires people who can understand complexity, build relationships, work across sectors and continue acting even when the path ahead looks like a plate of spaghetti designed by a committee.

The FoodHaus Fellowship for Action supports participants in combining analysis with action and personal development with collective change.

It recognises that lasting food-systems transformation depends not only on what people do but also on how they lead, listen, collaborate and sustain themselves.

Final Thoughts

The FoodHaus Fellowship for Action 2026–2027 offers a structured nine-month journey for people ready to develop a meaningful contribution to food-systems transformation.

Through systems thinking, leadership development, personal coaching, peer learning and two in-person immersion weeks in Switzerland, participants will gain the support and practical tools needed to move from intention toward action.

The programme begins on 12 October 2026, and applications will be accepted until the cohort is full or no later than 31 August 2026.

Prospective applicants can attend the online information session on 24 August 2026 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. CEST to meet the FoodHaus team and ask questions.

All scholarships have been allocated, and only paid applications are currently available.

To learn more about the programme and apply, CLICK HERE.

To discover more global fellowship opportunities, CLICK HERE.