What We Do

The Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN) is the first independent, nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning, high-impact investigative and explanatory reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health through exclusive partnerships with regional and national media outlets. Through our impartial “watchdog” journalism we seek to shine a light on injustices and abuses of power within the food system — both corporate and governmental — while taking full measure of the true impact food and agriculture have on people, public health, animals, and the environment. FERN uncovers, explores, and explains news that is critical to the public’s right to know about food, agriculture, and environmental health in order to inform, inspire, and catalyze change.

We’ve chosen to focus on food, agriculture, and environmental health specifically because these subjects touch our lives every day in profound ways. There are a wealth of urgent stories to be told and as editors and reporters with decades of writing about these subjects under our belt, we do so in a timely and compelling way.

Currently, investigative reporting is at risk as an enterprise. Historically a loss-leader for publishers, in-depth reporting has always been the backbone of good journalism. Yet tight budgets have forced many outlets to reduce investigative staff while those that remain are forced to do more with less time and support.

New media has challenged the old model of journalism and has opened opportunities to spread stories far beyond their original publication. We believe the future of media will require partnerships between non-profit and for-profit outlets to produce these costly and yet absolutely critical stories and to provide communications support after publication.

The Food & Environment Reporting Network is based in New York City. It was founded in September 2010 by an initial team that included Samuel Fromartz, Tom Laskawy, Naomi Starkman, and Paula Crossfield. It began operations in January 2011.

We are funded through the generous support of our donors and current foundation supporters include The 11th Hour Project, McKnight Foundation, the Woodcock Foundation, the BAND Foundation, the Maine Community Foundation, and Joyce and Irving Goldman Foundation.

If you would like to donate, you can do so here.

See our Staff and Board members bios.

We maintain a Code of Ethics for our reporters and staff.

Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use are also available for review.

Annual Report
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012

Recent 990s
FY2023
FY2022
FY2021
FY2020
FY2019*
2018
2017
2016
2015

Audited Financial Statement
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019*

Note: Audited financials are including in the Annual Reports for years 2012-2018.

*Short year/change in accounting period