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Food Systems Overview

We work in 7 program areas:

 

1. Sustainable Production:
Creating a stable base of farmers who supply communities and regional food markets using sustainable production practices.

 

2. Equitable Access: Improving physical and financial access to healthy foods for all community members.

 

3. Energy & Waste: Optimizing energy efficiency and waste management along the entire food supply 
chain by tightening production and consumption loops, encouraging holistic use of all plant and 
animal parts, coordinating with food networks, and other strategies as appropriate.

 

4. Processing & Distribution: Addressing barriers to sustainable, appropriately scaled regional processing, aggregation, distribution, and marketing infrastructure.

 

5. Policy & Regulation: generating comprehensive research and education on the biological, ecological, social, culinary, cultural, and economic characteristics of viable local food and farming systems and the policies that support them.

 

6. Economic Benefit: enabling food and agriculture businesses that create quality jobs, employ fair labor practices, re-circulate financial capital, and contribute to community economic development.

 

7. Farmland Conservation: promoting stewardship and restoration of natural resources required for farming, climate change adaptation, and succession planning.