A guide to organizations tackling food-related issues across the US
The Good Food Org Guide includes at least 10 organizations from each state and serves as a resource for American eaters, businesses, farmers, and funders to find nearby organizations working to cultivate a better food system.
Chef Myra de la Cruz (r.) works with Roman Leon (c.) and others in the kitchen of the Young Men’s Initiative cafe, set up to help train young Latino men how to cook and manage a food business.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff
The James Beard Foundation and Food Tank will release their third annual Good Food Org Guide at the James Beard Food Conference in New York City on October 17-18. The Guide features more than 1,000 food-related organizations that are doing exemplary work in each of the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, in the areas of food and agriculture, nutrition and health, hunger and obesity, and food justice.
The Guide includes at least 10 organizations from each state and serves as a resource to allow American eaters, businesses, farmers, and funders to find nearby organizations working to cultivate a better food system. The selected organizations are listed in alphabetical order, not ranked.
The Good Food Org Guide has been significantly expanded since the first edition was released in 2014. This year’s guide has grown in size to incorporate new initiatives from across the nation. “Working in collaboration with the James Beard Foundation, we are proud to bring the total number of listed organizations to the 1,000 mark. It is a testament to the tremendous amount of growth and support we have seen in the ‘good food’ sector,” says Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank.
The vision and objective of the Guide is to focus attention on the hundreds of organizations that are working in fields, kitchens, classrooms, laboratories, businesses, town halls, and Congress to create a better food system.
The Guide’s website has been enhanced to allow users to search by keyword, location, and category to easily discover the organizations that are most relevant to them. Each organization has a unique profile page, which includes contact information, description, logo, social media links, directions, and photos.
“The Good Food Org Guide continues to serve as a useful tool for individuals looking for opportunities to improve their local food system. The Guide’s user-friendly design makes it the go-to resource for identifying nearby organizations doing good work in the areas of food justice, hunger, and agriculture,” says Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation.
The featured organizations range widely in influence and mission. The Guide includes groups that combat childhood obesity, malnourishment, and physical inactivity; prevent food waste; educate consumers on healthy, nutritious food choices; create networks of social entrepreneurs; protect food and restaurant workers; highlight solutions for restoring the health of people and the planet; work with indigenous communities to preserve traditions, culture, and biodiversity; inspire and educate individuals to cook more of their own food; and protect public health, human health, and the environment.
The Good Food Org Guide was developed with the help of a prestigious advisory group of more than 70 food system experts, including past recipients of the James Beard Leadership Award and other food and agriculture leaders.
The third edition of the Guide will be officially released to the public at the 7th annual James Beard Food Conference in New York City on October 17-18. You can download a free copy of the guide here.
This story originally appeared on Food Tank.