At NRDC, we believe that strengthening regional food systems is an important part of fixing our broken national food system. And we are so glad to have the opportunity to recognize a leader in the regional food movement.
This year, NRDC and the Berkeley Food Institute are coming together to celebrate leaders in the sustainable food movement with the 6th annual Growing Green Awards.
Sibella Kraus—a tireless advocate for regional food systems in the Bay Area—is the winner of the Regional Food Leader award.
Sibella’s work has been groundbreaking—and in many ways inspiring of a food movement that is truly gaining steam.
For example, her leadership as the founder of the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (“CUESA”) gave rise to San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in 1992.
And as President of the non-profit Sustainable Agricultural Education (“SAGE”), Sibella continues to work to bring citizens closer to their food.
She is also spearheading a new project to create an agriculture and conservation resource area in the Coyote Valley.
With these efforts, and many more, Sibella has been an early and effective voice in the charge to connect consumers with their food—thereby empowering them to make more sustainable choices and helping to preserved threatened nearby farmland.
Some years ago, inspired in part by the long-standing efforts of Sibella and many other food system advocates, NRDC launched a project to rebuild and strengthen our regional food systems—a vital piece of fixing the broader national food system.
Through this project, we seek to increase the production, consumption, and accessibility of sustainable food in New York and other key regions around the country.
NRDC works to accomplish this by advocating for key policy and infrastructure to rebuild regional food systems, leveraging the power of institutional purchasers to grow the market for sustainable regionally grown food, and using our legal capacity to support the food movement and help train the next generation of food lawyers.
Like Sibella, we recognize that connecting consumers to food grown nearby or in their region can build interest in sustainable food choices and preserve threatened farmland near our cities.
Many thanks to Sibella and other leaders in the regional food movement for being innovative and continuous leaders for strong and sustainable regional food systems. At NRDC, we are honored to have Sibella join the Growing Green Award family and she continues to provide inspiration for our regional food work.