Johanna Mendelson Forman
Distinguished Fellow at The Stimson Center and Adjunct Professor, School of International Service, American University
Johanna Mendelson Forman is a premier expert on gastrodiplomacy, social gastronomy and how food is central to survival and resilience in the world’s most active conflict zones. Her lifelong career working with some of the leading organizations in this space led her to create Conflict Cuisine®: An Introduction to War and Peace Around the Dinner Table – a course and curriculum designed to educate about food security, culinary and gastrodiplomacy and the issues she about which she is so passionate.
Johanna is an experienced subject matter expert who is frequently featured by national media including the Wall Street Journal, NPR, UNIVISION,s and CNN. She has also authored a number of opinion pieces in prominent publications, most recently The Hill (February 2021). In addition, in 2019 she co-edited The Cuisines of Life: Stories and Recipes of the New Food Entrepreneurs of Turkey, adding “book editor” to her ever-growing list of accomplishments.
