The Sonoma County Healthy and Sustainable Food Action Plan (FAP) (October 2012) is a blueprint for a more vibrant food and farming system that can be adapted nationwide. The FAP is one of the few documents in the country that leveraged input from county representatives as well as a diverse network of community stakeholders.
The Food Action Plan was produced through a collaborative effort between the Sonoma County Food System Alliance (SCFSA), the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, and a network of diverse community stakeholders. The FAP acts as a guiding "North Star" for local food system change by providing a shared community vision and goals. It encourages local governments, businesses, organizations and individuals to commit to specific actions so they can play a role in building a secure, vibrant food system for Sonoma County.
Project: Sonoma County Food System Alliance
“In the world of food and farming systems, the problems are always complex and the players and interests are diverse. Making change in such an environment requires patience and skilled facilitation to bring groups together for collaborative action. Ag Innovations has been doing just that for many years and they do it very effectively.”
Solutions
There is a role for every individual, organization, business and government to play in building a food system that creates health and prosperity for both our people and our environment.
The FAP places opportunities and concerns into 4 action areas (pillars), and within each area, key goals are articulated and details of policies and recommendations are enumerated into sub-goals. In recognizing the importance of measuring progress, FAP used 8 criteria for identifying indicators to track the food system in Sonoma County, and selected appropriate indicators for each pillar. The four pillars include:
- Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Economic Vitality
- Healthy Eating
- Social Equity
Additionally, a declaration of supportt, sample resolution, and suggestions for individual actions, and supplementary examples of actions are also included in FAP. These provide the necessary tools and resources for local organizations to advance the identified food system goals.