Africa

Ag Futures Alliances (AFA) are citizen collaborations of farmers, food system activists, environmentalists, health and social justice advocates who come together to find ways to make their local food system more sustainable. AFA's are organized as leaderful roundtables, where all members contribute to a growing understanding of what is deeply needed in their communities

The AFA leadership network emerged from a model of agriculture and environmental collaboration pioneered in Ventura County. The Ventura County AFA resulted from a decision by Ventura County Farm Bureau and other agricultural leaders who realized that their future depended on broad-based buy-in from the community. Years of struggle in courts, legislative chambers, and the media had proven ineffective at maintaining and enhancing agriculture. Looking ahead, industry leaders felt that a continuous war of attrition with critics or competing interests would not achieve a viable and healthy agricultural system. A new approach, based on shared interests, dialog and collaboration was needed.

Ag Innovations Network has developing the AFA network, based on the Ventura model and experience in other communities, with the goal of linking the entire state of California with leadership roundtables. This network of leadership networks will give local communities the ability to more effectively improve local, state and federal policies that impact agriculture, the food system, and the environment.

In 2007, Ag Futures Alliances or Food Alliances were active in the Tehachapi Region of Kern County, California and Ventura, San Benito, San Mateo, and Yolo Counties, California. A sister organizations, The California Roundtable on Agriculture and the Environment works at the State level.