Primer Details: Central Coast Resilient Food Systems

This document outlines the “Primer Details” for the Central Coast Resilient Food Systems initiative (originally named the Central Coast Food Policy Community of Practice). The CoP’s core objectives are to co-design a shared regional policy agenda, identify shared programmatic priorities, and co-design tools and resources for collaboration, resourcing, and advocacy. The work is meant to inform members’ individual efforts while amplifying the voices of regional food systems in decision-making around policy, resourcing, and collaboration — recognizing that the region’s counties are individually small but collectively stronger when organized together.

The Community of Practice is guided by the California Food Policy Council (CAFPC) Guiding Principles, with a commitment to equitable, transparent, and collaborative processes when fundseeking. Members gather bi-monthly (May 25, July 27, September 28, and November 9, 3:00–4:00pm) via Zoom, and define the Central Coast region as Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. The group was catalyzed by the recognition that regional food systems were left out of early CERF (Community Economic Resilience Fund) planning pillars despite years of advocacy, risking exclusion from public and private funding. The document also references the Uplift Central Coast Coalition, a six-county partnership led by the Economic Development Collaborative, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, and REACH, working alongside the CERF planning process.

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