A Return to our Roots:
EVOLVING TOWARD FOOD JUSTICE

Since 1985 Alameda County Community Food Bank has built a reputation of innovation and boundary-pushing which has placed us at the forefront of hunger relief efforts locally, regionally, and nationwide. Over this time, we have also experienced a dramatic shift in the role that Food Banks are compelled to play in the anti-hunger space — from purely serving as a source of emergency food to proactively advancing solutions to the systemic issues that cause hunger in the first place. Ultimately, we have concluded that the traditional “charity model” of food banking, while critical, cannot alone achieve the ultimate goal of ending hunger for good.

Leveraging the hard-earned lessons from 40 years of both meeting the immediate needs of our community and working toward long-term solutions, we employed a Liberatory Design approach — one that tackles complex problems by centering people and equity in the solutions — to develop our 2030 vision.

This vision — rooted in the East Bay’s 50+ year history of hunger-relief as a justice issue, and co-designed by our partners and community — builds upon our core business to further strengthen food systems, foster innovation, and promote long- term food security and equity by addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty.

FOOD JUSTICE: Our definition + Intention

Food Justice is the right of all individuals and communities to access, produce, and consume nourishing food, regardless of their race, class, gender, or other social factors.

To work toward food justice we will collaborate with others to create a dignified, equitable, and sustainable food system that ensures food security, community leadership, and respect for people and the environment in current and future generations.