WHO WE ARE

The San Luis Obispo Food System Coalition (FSC) is a community organization launched in 2011 to maximize the efforts of local agencies and non-profits working to enhance the sustainability and quality of our local food system. As a resource providing inspiration, collaboration and advocacy, we achieve impacts that create a more equitable, profitable, resilient, and health promoting food system.
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​We have exciting news!
Our EBT at Farmers Markets Work Group won a very competitive Calif State Assoc of Counties (CSAC) Challenge award for our collaborative work to promote food and nutrition security. They received 389 entries and we were one of 14 selected. You can see the award in person at UCCE's Office 2156 Sierra Way, Ste C in SLO.

Check out the links below for coverage from the presentation: 
Members of our steering committee, Shannon Klisch and Mishelle Costa are in this photo accepting the award! Photo by: County of San Luis Obispo


What are some food systems challenges in San Luis Obispo County?
1 in 5
persons in San Luis Obispo County experience food insecurity.
3%
estimated amount of locally grown produce consumed in the county.
41%
enrollment by qualified households in Calfresh benefits program.

OUR FOUR PILLARS
In 2018 the Coalition organized around four core pillars which are used to prioritize the topics chosen for our quarterly educational meetings, as well as the focus of our work groups.

Invest in Profitability

Encourage procurement of local foods.

Invest in Resilience

Reduce food waste across all sectors of the food system.

Invest in Equitability

Increase accessibility to healthy, affordable, locally grown food for all residents.

Invest in Health

Encourage healthy eating habits.

Our Work

1,350

estimated attendees at meetings since 2011

38

public meetings to plan, educate, connect and provide resources to local food systems change agents since 2011

6

work groups in food access, planning, farm to school, policy, and profitability [3 active]

3

member trainings in food system advocacy and racial equity in food systems since 2015, with an average participation rate of 20

Our Impact
Increasing Access to Farm Fresh Produce
Our advocacy efforts have resulted in a 90% increase in CalFresh benefits spent at farmers markets since 2017. This means better quality nutrition for low-income residents, and increased earnings by small farmers.
Addressing Food Insecurity
Since 2016 we have partnered with Public Health, Catholic Charities and other agencies to remove barriers to CalFresh benefits participation for County residents, and seen an 8.5% increase in household CalFresh participation.
Food Systems Research
The FSC sponsors ongoing research into food systems issues, bridging silos to create big-picture assessments of needs and opportunities, and supporting our partners in their advocacy and outreach work.
Since 2011 we have sponsored or collaborated on six research initiatives.
The SLO Food System Coalition exists to promote a sustainable food system that is equitable, profitable, resilient, and health promoting. We and our community partners envision a local food system that is thriving and sustainable, meaning  every county resident has access to fresh, nutritious food, and the system will be able to meet the needs of future generations.

The SLO Food System Coalition is fiscally sponsored by Ecologistics.

The SLO Food System Coalition is sponsored by the 2022 BUILD Grant.
California's CalFresh Healthy Living, with funding from the United States Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - USDA SNAP, produced this material. These institutions are equal opportunity providers and employers. For important nutrition information, visit www.CalFreshHealthyLiving.org
This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Full FNS Nondiscrimination Statement. www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/usda-nondiscrimination-statement-snap-fdpir
Google Translate Disclaimer
The SLO County Food System Coalition has added a translation feature developed by Google Translate to assist web visitors in understanding information on this website in a variety of foreign languages.
Please be aware that Google Translate, a free third party service which the FSC does not control, provides automated computer translations that may not give you an exact translation. The FSC cannot guarantee the accuracy of translations through Google Translate so translations should not be considered exact and only used as a rough guide.
Anyone relying on information obtained from Google Translate does so at his or her own risk. The FSC disclaims and will not accept any liability for damages or losses of any kind caused by the use of the Google Translate feature.


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