Global Food Initiative

Global Food Initiative 5/3

Agenda: Initiative
Influence: 1

Global Food Initiative is worth 1 fewer agenda point while in the Runner's score area.

"Corporations are made up of people. It's ridiculous to think they'd be either all good or all bad." -Sunny Lebeau
Illustrated by Meg Owenson
Decklists with this card

Data and Destiny (dad)

#26 • English
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Reviews

This card has as big of impact as The Future Perfect and NAPD Contract and will be played in a large majority of decks to come. And for good reason: it effectively lowers your agenda density without the drawback of lucky steals giving the runner huge leads. Including 3 in your deck reduces your agenda points from the runner's perspective to 17/18 (or 15/16 if you're playing SYNC: Everything, Everywhere, Harmony Medtech: Biomedical Pioneer or Cybernetics Division: Humanity Upgraded).

But you... you still have 20/21 you can score!

Don't relax too much however, 5/3 agendas aren't easy to score since you have to give the runner a turn to react, and the -1 AP benefit can lull you into carelessness. Frankly, as a runner I'm as happy to steal this as any other agenda out there. Sure it's not 3 points, but it's 2 points closer to victory and 3 points I denied my opponent.

The 1 influence cost is also something to think about, in decks tight on influence this should probably be the first card to go in favor of agendas that supplement your strategy.

Regardless, this is a great 2 or 3-of in almost any deck that isn't focused on specific agenda abilities that they want to take advantage of. For no other reason than just to reduce the amount of points the runner can steal.

Also, +1 for the flavor and theme.

(Data and Destiny era)
It is really neat in harmony medtech as you have to score 2 whereas the runner has to steal 3 —

The changed deck agenda point count is the sole advantage this has over Project Beale, but it's a big one. Two of them essentially give you an extra non-agenda card slot. How many times have you wondered what single card to cut?

It's best used in decks of X/2's, since it then also lets you score 3 agendas to win, while requiring 4 for the runner.

If you're more combo-oriented, it can also be used with point-denial cards like News Team, Shi.Kyū, 15 Minutes, and Quantum Predictive Model to reduce the effective agenda density down to much lower numbers. This tactic is best used in a lower max-deck-size identity like SYNC: Everything, Everywhere to potentially lock the runner out of reaching winning agenda points. For example, that's the purpose of Greyfield's interesting deck "Don't try to score 7 points".

(Data and Destiny era)
500

One of the best agenda, and it is neutral! Even at the cost of one influence, it is worth it.

A neutral agenda with a fake point, what a bargain. This throw off the math of the runner. Usually, it will mean that the corp need to score 3 agendas and the runner will need to score 4 agendas to win. While Global Food Initiative does not make you win faster, it make you lose slower... which will let you have the time to win.

For more math about it, you can check this video.

While losing slower is good as good a defense as any, you need to have a game plan that goes with it. Because you still need to be able to score it. And this agenda does not have the defense of other 3 points agendas like SDS Drone Deployment, Bellona, Degree Mill or City Works Project. And it does not provide you with tempo like Send a Message.

And finally, while one influence is not much, it still take that influence away from other pieces of tech that could win you the game. But for the power of a fake agenda point, it is well worth it.

The art is well made and the quote is on point with the agenda. It also explain the power of the agenda in the fiction (revealing this plan is not very damaging for the corp). But I struggle to understand why a bridge, that seems to be the Tower Bridge, has anything to do with some kind of welfare plan by a corporation. Still, a good design overall.

(Parhelion era)
3836