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In a globalized world, what can a vision of Ecological Belonging look like for our food systems? Today, nearly a fifth of all food produced for human consumption is wasted before it can be consumed, all the while billions of people face growing food insecurity around the world. Farmers’ and rural communities’ wellbeing is impacted by climate change, economic trends, and urban development. 

Spaces like the United Nations’ first-ever Food Systems Summit are bringing this topic to major decision-making agendas. The Hearth Summit will take these conversations further: exploring how to shift our relationship with food and farming to achieve wellbeing and flourishing for all. We will explore how we can better honor farmers, the soil, and biodiversity in the way food is produced. We will reflect on how to ensure the economic wellbeing of farmers and accessible, nutritious food for all. 

The Hearth Summit will offer food both for thought and for feeling: celebrating the central role of breaking bread, sharing meals, and savouring the tastes of life in bringing people together.

We will also feed our appetite with Ljubljana’s vibrant culinary scene and uniquely localized food systems: nearly half of Slovenia’s agriculture is produced in the Ljubljana region, while the Ljubljana Central Market features goods from 2,500 local farmers year-round.

Bridging the traditional with the technological, the Hearth Summit will connect us off-screen for human conversations on digital wellbeing. Studies and stories are increasingly telling us about the impact of screen time, social media, and technology on our mental health, self-esteem, and relationships with others. Rapid developments around artificial intelligence, data privacy, the digital divide, and cybersecurity are changing how we interact with technology on a daily basis. The production of electronics has led to increased amounts of electronic waste, pollution, and exploitation of natural resources.

In a world where technology is everywhere, how can we hardwire wellbeing into algorithms and AI? How can our devices be used and designed with wellbeing in mind? How can we harness the power of technology to serve humanity and the planet in a better way? Is there an ethical approach to AI? These emerging conversations and more will offer us time to pause and reflect on the virtually infinite dimensions between technology and human wellbeing.

At its core, the Hearth Summit will invite us to continue our personal wellbeing journeys, reflecting on the role of inner work and personal growth in our work as changemakers.

We will hear touching, invigorating stories of wellbeing inspiring welldoing from changemakers from all different fields – sharing a collective story of the universal human value of wellbeing. We will also learn more about the ripple effects of personal wellbeing, such as the business case for supporting employee work-life balance and wellbeing, how citizens’ wellbeing impacts civic engagement, and more. As a space for experience and emotion, the Hearth Summit is also designed to be a space for wellbeing: with activities and workshops, we’ll have time to explore different practices that help us feel and be our best.

At the heart of wellbeing and social change, the Hearth Summit will be a space for healing; a space to reflect on trauma and its presence all around us. At the Hearth, we will acknowledge how trauma ripples through generations, affecting mental health, relationships, and community wellbeing. From personal stories, evidence-based research, and case studies, changemakers will learn how trauma is passed down, ways to break the cycle, and strategies for fostering personal resilience. We will also look at the interconnectedness of our experiences, understanding how we can work to transform harmful systems into healing ones. By inviting us to reflect on the past, the Hearth creates a new space for the future: one of wellbeing and healing for all.