Allegra RothFood and Climate Program Manager, Community Environmental Council

Julia BlantonSBC Food Rescue Program Coordinator, Community Environmental Council

Shakira MiracleExecutive Director,Santa Barbara County Food Action Network

Our Global Food System

“By definition and practice, the global food system is incapable of providing food security at the requisite scale. Only small farms serving local communities can do that, and yet we are strangling our small local farms. We need to institutionalize a small farm sector to build up local food systems.”

- Ed Seaman, Santa Barbara Blueberries

SBC Food System ● High agricultural yields

($1.5 billion in annual revenue)

● Reliance on non-local supply chain (95% of fruits & veggies consumed in our county are imported)

● Lack of healthy food access(3x as many convenience stores as food stores)

“Picture two produce-laden tractor-trailers passing on the 101 highway, one bringing food into the county; the other hauling it out.” David Cleveland, UCSB

“The allegation was that some people’s

employment was terminated, there was

a threat to call immigration officials,

they called law enforcement out in the

fields, and changed their work

assignments”

Santa Maria Sun, June 3rd 2020

Food Insecurity in SBC

What do you think the rate of child food insecurity rate is in SBC?

COVID has increased food insecurity 2.4 fold across CA

Source: Map the Meal Gap

Some County Food Resources & Needs

Resources:

★ year-round growing season★ high and diverse

agricultural yields★ farms/community gardens★ schools / institutions★ excess food & organic

material★ philanthropic support

Needs:

★ equitable support of essential workers

★ food storage and processing infrastructure

★ diversified transportation★ regulatory guidance★ interagency alignment

SBC Food Rescue - HistoryJuly 2015 - Identified food waste as a county-wide issue that needed to be solved

November 2017 - Started pilot program between Chumash Casino and Buellton Senior center

April 2018 - Launched SBC Food Rescue

May 2019 - Awarded Cal Recycle Food Waste Prevention and Rescue grant, partnership with Santa Barbara City College and Allan Hancock college

SBC Food Rescue - HistoryJuly 2015 - Identified food waste as a county-wide issue that needed to be solved

November 2017 - Started pilot program between Chumash Casino and Buellton Senior center

April 2018 - Launched SBC Food Rescue

May 2019 - Awarded Cal Recycle Food Waste Prevention and Rescue grant, partnership with Santa Barbara City College and Allan Hancock college

Total: 118,255 pounds

New Beginnings Counseling Center staff dropping off a meal, prepared with rescued food, for a local veteran.

Veggie Rescue delivering food rescued from SYSCO to Food Liaison for charitable food distribution

COVID-19 Response Food Resources and Collaboration Information Hub

COVID-19 Response Food Resources and Collaboration Information Hub

www.sbcfoodrescue.org/hub

What am I learning?● Covid-19 has created unique circumstances and amplified food

insecurity in Santa Barbara County.● Diverse groups are experiencing food insecurity including:

○ Low income families, farmworkers, senior citizens, students, and people experiencing homelessness.

● Many organizations have stepped up to fill in the gaps but together as a community we need to continue to work on sustainable solutions.

The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice

Community Food Collaborative

THANK YOU!

The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts

Social Venture Partners Santa Barbara

Zegar Family Foundation

Natalie Orfalea Foundation

Thistle & Rose Foundation

https://sbact.org/cfc

SBC Food Rescue - Future and Vision

● Grow into a robust county-wide network.

● Using information gathered in a Mapping Community Kitchens in Santa Barbara County project completed last year, the goal is to grow the network to include a network of recovery kitchensto receive rescued food for preparing and re-packaging it, as necessary, to ensure we maximize food rescue and individuals served.

● Use food recovery software, ChowMatch, to help with transportation logistics.

SBC Food Rescue - Future and Vision

THANK YOU!

Bentson Foundation

Cal Recycle – Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant

Living Peace Foundation

Santa Barbara Foundation – COVID-19 Joint Response Grant

Ann Jackson Family Foundation

SBC Food Action Network (Shakira)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Shakira MiracleExecutive DirectorSanta Barbara County Food Action Network

CO-CHAIRS

Lacey BaldiviezDirector of Community EducationFoodbank of Santa Barbara County

Allegra RothFood & Climate Program ManagerCommunity Environmental Council

Christine BissonAssistant Professor / Food Science & Nutrition Program Coordinator, Allan Hancock College

Emily CasarezDirector of Community HealthLompoc Valley Community Health Organization

Randall DayRector/CEO, St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church

Jenny BruellCommunity Grants Program ManagerSanta Barbara Foundation

Em JohnsonExecutive Director, Blue Sky Center

Kiah JordanFounder, Impact Family Office

Katie MaynardSustainability Coordinator; Staff to the Food Security and Basic Needs TaskforceUniversity of California Santa Barbara

Kim SelkoeExecutive DirectorCommercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara

Jesse SmithDirector of Land StewardshipWhite Buffalo Land Trust

Erik TalkinChief Executive OfficerFoodbank of Santa Barbara County

Kendra WiseSupervising Environmental Health Specialist, SBC Department of Public Health

Sigrid WrightCEO, Community Environmental Council

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

sbcfoodaction.org@sbcfoodaction

★ Sign up for membership & working group updates★ Submit and find community events★ Submit and find Covid19 Resources★ Submit and find general food system news and resources

○ Blueprints○ Food Action Plans○ Community Kitchens○ Food Access○ Local Food Purchasing Database

www.cecsb.org/rethink-food