Increase community engagement in the food system toward greater food sovereignty
This website is designed to help residents, farmers, food advocates, and policymakers better understand and engage with Santa Clara County’s food system. By translating the SCC Food Systems Workplan into accessible language and interactive tools, this site empowers users to explore local food initiatives, understand key policies, and take action toward food justice.
Through interactive maps, community spotlights, and policy summaries, the site supports the County’s goal of strengthening food sovereignty by increasing transparency, encouraging public participation, and amplifying the work of local food leaders.
The current and future content of this website is linked to contributions from the South Bay Food Justice Collaborative
Website Development
This website serves as a living resource for food justice in our region. Originally developed through an academic-community partnership, it is increasingly serving as the South Bay Food Justice Collaborative’s digital home and data hub.
Ongoing Development: Christopher Bacon, Will Jaspen, Carmel Dill-Cruz, Abby Wilwerding, Amelia Koenig (Santa Clara University’s Food and Climate Food Justice Lab ), Lucy O. Diekmann and Laura Vollmer (University of California Cooperative Extension), Wendy Chou (Acterra), and other members of the South Bay Food Justice Collaborative.
Initial Development: Santa Clara University, in partnership with Veggielution. This platform was built by a 2025 Capstone Research Team from the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Santa Clara University (SCU), led by Leonie Casper, Ruby McBride, and Ellie Henrich, with support from the Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative (EJ & CGI) and funding from the County of Santa Clara. Later, Sara Wheeler (web designer), Leonie Casper, and Bacon developed version 2.0. Resident Food Equity Advisory Committee, an advisory board composed of community members involved in food system work, also helped develop this project.
A key partner in the site’s development, Veggielution strengthens the community through urban farming and food entrepreneurship. (Initial advisor: Fernando Fernandez Leiva).
County of Santa Clara
This work was part of a broader project funded by the County to advance an equitable and sustainable food system for all.