Anna Messerschmidt

My work explores how complex societal issues can be communicated and shaped in ways that enable people not only to listen, but to engage with one another and take action.

My main areas of expertise are sustainable food systems, food education and food environments, alongside facilitation, participation and accessible communication.

I speak about how food systems can become more sustainable and equitable, the role cities and public institutions play in this transformation, how educational and dialogue-based formats can enable change, and how different perspectives can be brought together constructively.

I am particularly interested in the intersections of food, sustainability, education, urban development and civic participation.

I work freelance as a facilitator, project lead and communications professional at the intersection of sustainable food systems, participation and education.

A central question in my work is how food systems can become more sustainable, equitable and practical in everyday life – and how people with different perspectives can be brought into meaningful dialogue around these changes. One of my main areas of expertise is food provision in day-care centres and schools. In this field, I have experience across the entire value chain, from production and procurement to kitchens and catering providers, as well as educational institutions, public administration, policymakers and the people who ultimately eat the meals every day.

From 2018 to 2022, I was co-founder and managing director of the Food Film Festival, where we used films, workshops and discussions to make the connections between food, the environment and society visible and accessible. Today, I lead and facilitate educational, dialogue and participation processes around food system transformation, food strategies, sustainable food environments and food education.

As a facilitator, I design workshops, professional events and dialogue formats that bring different perspectives together. I care about making complex issues understandable without oversimplifying them and about creating spaces where exchange, learning and collective thinking can happen.

I hold a B.Sc. in Oecotrophology with a focus on business and am currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Geographies of Global Inequalities at Freie Universität Berlin alongside my freelance work.