Building food justice through collaboration: connecting shared struggles
In 2016, the launch of the Food Plan CNY marked a transformative milestone by delivering the first comprehensive analysis of the food system of Central New York. This initial assessment revealed a rich history of food justice activism in the region, including the nation’s second food policy council during the 1980s and early ‘90s. However, the plan also showed that after the dissolution of this pioneering food policy council, local organizations had been operating in isolation, with minimal communication or coordination, thereby hindering collective progress. In response to this challenge, the Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA) was established in May 2019 as a central organizing body to unite common struggles and form a coalition focused on food justice issues in Syracuse, Onondaga County, and Onondaga Nation.
Today, more than 500 people are involved with SOFSA. The members include a variety of partners, from grassroots organizations to large institutions, all focused on different aspects of the region’s food system. Their work encompasses areas such as food production, food rescue and composting, agricultural support, emergency food systems, local government, environmental stewardship, healthcare, and public health. Through SOFSA, community partners collaborate regularly to support each other’s efforts and build solidarity to strengthen food systems. Some of their activities include advocating for changes in food policy at the state and local levels, engaging in civic participation, and holding regular community listening sessions where members can share their initiatives and express their concerns.
One of SOFSA’s most notable initiatives is The Food Justice Fund, an innovative community grant-making project that addresses the financial needs of food justice organizations. Through this Fund, organizations and individuals have the opportunity to receive money raised by SOFSA to implement their own food projects. The final awardees of the Fund are selected by a community-wide voting process, a mechanism that empowers communities as they get to decide how resources are used.
SOFSA director Maura Ackerman explains the principles of the Fund: “One of the pillars of the Food Justice Fund is aligning resources to transform food systems. It is rooted in Indigenous concepts of sharing. From an Indigenous perspective, resources are enough if we use them with care. As Indigenous peoples do, SOFSA plans for seasons based on the notion of abundance and sharing. It is about choosing those investments with care but also sharing those funds.”