The South Bay Food Justice Collaborative (SBFJC) is a community of practice consisting of organizations and individuals working toward food justice in the South Bay region.
Our Mission
Advocacy
Capacity-Building
Relationships
The SBFJC strives to create a food system that delivers plentiful, nourishing, culturally relevant, responsibly-produced food to all as a human right. We leverage advocacy, capacity building, and relationships among a diverse group of individuals and organizations to collaboratively promote food justice across the South Bay.
The SBFJC envisions equitable food systems where all people, regardless of differences, can:
- Participate in & influence their local food system socially, politically, and economically
- Grow, access, and consume nourishing, culturally-appropriate food
- create and/or support thriving food and farming businesses

Our Values
Collaboration and Systems Thinking – We lean into collective strengths through sharing resources openly and stepping outside organizational silos. By connecting food justice with intersecting systems (e.g., housing, labor, health, and climate), we target the root causes of problems to create resilient, long-term change
Community Accountability We build deep trust by letting communities lead, actively listening to their needs, and ensure our work intentionally prioritizes the insights and voices of historically under-resourced populations to confront systemic inequities.
Connectivity – We share frequent internal updates to identify shared synergies and maximize mutual benefits among our members. Externally, we provide diverse educational opportunities to elevate community awareness about food justice and available local resources.
Inclusive Sustainability – Sustainability relies on four interconnected dimensions—ecological, agricultural, social, and economic. Together, these pillars foster a participatory, community-led food system that thrives without exploiting people, land, or nature.
Moving at the Speed of Trust – Trust cannot be built on a timeline; it must be carefully seeded and nourished so as not to undermine the integrity of our work, our relationships with each other, and our connections with the community. We further commit to open, respectful dialogue, accountability, and apologizing for our mistakes—key pieces of building lasting trust between people, organizations, and communities.


Our Community
Our current members are based primarily in the South Bay, but our relationships extend throughout the regional foodshed, and we encourage engagement with people and organizations beyond county borders. We welcome collaborations with farmers, urban growers, and community-based organizations across Northern and Central California.
Non-Profits: Veggielution, Garden to Table, Valley Verde, La Mesa Verde/Sacred Heart Community Service, Fresh Approach, Second Harvest, Acterra, The Health Trust
Local Governments: Santa Clara County: Office of Sustainability and Resilience, San Mateo County: Sustainability Department
University Organizations: University of California Cooperative Extension, Santa Clara University – The Forge Garden, San Jose State University – Campus Community Garden, O’Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm
