SAFSF amplifies the impact of philanthropic and investment communities in support of just and sustainable food and agriculture systems, and the SAFSF Forum is the only national gathering for and by funders supporting just and sustainable food systems change. The Forum challenges participants to understand the need for grantmakers and investors to take on risks in order to co-create more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems—and at the same time, provides space to cultivate connections with peers so that no one organization is going it alone.
The three-day Forum offers many opportunities for peer learning, networking, and collaboration. Plenary and workshop sessions and themed dinners allow funders to learn from each other as well as leaders in the field. Day-long site visits encourage participants to learn from work happening in the region and identify themes that might inform their own work once they return home. A full funders-only day provides space for deeper-dive peer engagement around topics of interest.
And because the Forum theme and agenda is developed by and for funders who are working on a variety of issues, approaches, and geographies, attendees will leave with inspiration, strategies, and connections for impactful engagement related to their own work within the food system.
FORUM THEME
As we strive toward a more equitable and sustainable food system, we must recognize and embrace the complexities that such systemic change requires. Challenges abound in the food system, and often communities must contend with many issues at once. If we want to deeply support communities in overcoming the inequities and challenges they face, we must examine points of convergence—such as where race, climate, and economic injustice interact; where hunger, access to land, and policy meet; or where health, extractive economies, and agriculture intersect. As these issues play out across the country—in rural and small towns, urban centers, and everywhere in between—the philanthropic and investment communities must examine their roles and take actions that foster equitable change.
Meet us in Pittsburgh—a western Pennsylvania city located at the point of convergence of three rivers. We’ll reflect and learn how cross-sector and -issue collaborations are driving innovation and reinvention in Pittsburgh, the surrounding tri-state region, and across the country.
Click here to learn more and register.
SASFS is offering a 10% registration discount to members of Philadelphia Food Funders and the PA Health Funders Collaborative. To find out more about how to register with the discount, contact Cathy Fong at cathy@philanthropynetwork.org.