California Food System Alliance Network
The Alliances are county-based collaborations among food system leaders in in the community. The Alliance network includes both Food System Alliances (FSAs) and Ag Futures Alliances (AFAs), and are currently functioning in 7 California counties.
The first AFA was started in 2000 in Ventura County, California when leaders in the farming community decided to engage farming critics in process of sharing views, trust-building, and ultimately identification of common ground. In the years since the founding of the movement, new alliances have been formed in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Yolo, San Mateo, Sonoma, Santa Clara, and Fresno Counties.
The Ag Futures Alliance is a multi-stakeholder collaboration between farmers, ranchers, farm-workers, conservationists, and civic leaders in the county who share a desire to build a vibrant, healthy, and durable food system. In 2006, the Alliance concept expanded to include public health, food security advocates, chefs, school garden programs, and consumers, becoming the Food System Alliance.
Ag Innovations Network (AIN) is proud to be the sponsor and facilitator of the Alliance project. Our goal is to create a network of Alliances across the state of California that ultimately can link efforts to more effectively improve local, state and federal policies that impact agriculture, the food system, and the environment.
If you are interested in bringing an Ag Futures Alliance to your county, please see our introductory presentation and our Starting a Food System Alliance Frequently Asked Questions.
Alliance News
Ventura Ag Summit Success
Feb. 2012 The Ventura County Ag Summit on Feb. 17 was a huge success. Read on for photos and media coverage.
Read More »Ventura Ag Summit Thanks its Sponsors
Feb. 2012 We would like to thank all of the Ventura County Agricultural Summit Sponsors! The event was a huge success in part because of the generous support of these organizations and individuals.
Read More »Alliance Network Featured in Canadian Report
Nov. 2011 AIN’s Food System Alliance Network was featured in Towards a Regional Food System Alliance: Development Strategy for the West Kootenay.
Read More »Sonoma Featured in Photo Essay
Nov. 2011 Local photographer, Karen Preuss, worked with us to create a beautiful photo essay documenting the Sonoma County Food System.
June 2011 Alliance Network Update
The first half of the year has been extremely busy for the California Food Systems Alliance Network. Each alliance is deepening the ability of members from different sectors to ally with one another as they grapple with difficult questions and work toward solutions to disparate needs. The alliance between public health stakeholders and agriculture is developing in all of the counties. Most alliances are working toward strengthening local and regional markets for locally grown produce to stimulate overall economic, ecological and community health.
Two new Alliance’s have formed this year. Both Fresno and Santa Clara counties are currently developing their food system goals and initial priority project areas. Fresno and Santa Clara both have large urban populations and rich agricultural economies, and are seeking to balance the needs of nutritionally underserved populations while preserving their regions agricultural viability. Both groups have an interest in making the incredible bounty the California Bay Area and the Central Valley have more available to the residents of those places.