THE NETWORK

SBCFAN connects, aligns, and activates food system changemakers to develop a robust local food economy, a healthy and just community, and a well-stewarded, resilient foodshed.

Formed in 2019, the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network (SBCFAN) supports efforts to advance goals of the Santa Barbara County Food Action Plan, a countywide, community-driven strategic plan that assessed and provided recommendations for how we grow, distribute, consume, and dispose of food.

We have a stellar leadership team directing our efforts, but we are not the Network. You are.

THE PLAN

Published in 2016, the Santa Barbara County Food Action Plan was conceived of and co-founded by the Community Environmental Council, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, the Santa Barbara Foundation, and the Orfalea Family Foundation (sunsetted).

More than 200 community members committed over 1,200 volunteer hours to help develop this strategy-based community “blueprint” for an accessible, thriving, sustainable, and healthy food system.

Over the next few years, many organizations throughout Santa Barbara County implemented projects that activated Food Action Plan goals. In 2019, these relationships were formalized through the launch of the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network. The Santa Barbara Foundation continues to serve as a major partner by supporting in areas such as leadership, organizational development, and grant funding for projects that strengthen the resilience of the local food system.

What is a food system?

The food system encompasses how food moves from farms to tables. It includes farmers and the farmland on which food is grown, manufacturers and processors, distributors—from truckers to grocery stores to food banks—and all residents as consumers. It also incorporates the inputs needed and outputs generated at each step, including food waste. There are no defined geographical boundaries of our food system, but for the purposes of this plan, we localize the system to be Santa Barbara County.