About the Lab
The Local Food Economy Lab, part of the San Diego Food System Alliance, supports the viability of small-scale farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food business owners, and the communities they serve in San Diego County.
Co-designed by farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food business owners, technical service providers, and an ecosystem of supporters, our mission is to build a local food economy that works for everyone.
Building a more just food economy
Our Vision
We envision a local food economy that elevates social, environmental, and economic justice for all. In our vision, people are engaged, communities are empowered, and farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food business owners are all thriving, cooperating, and living in harmony with nature.
Our People
Lab Staff
Lab Advisors
Why a Local Food Economy Lab?
Small-scale farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food business owners in San Diego County—and everywhere—struggle to make a living and maintain viable businesses in a food system that does not uplift them.
Low profit margins and wages are common. Technical assistance and support services are limited, especially for Indigenous and people of color. Infrastructure for producing, storing, aggregating, processing, distributing, and marketing local food is scarce. And an increasingly consolidated marketplace is not only exacerbating challenges for small-scale farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food business owners, and workers, but also impacting community food security and sovereignty.
Building an integrated, inclusive, and more diverse local food economy provides pathways to reverse these trends. Investing in local farms, ranches, fisheries, and food businesses—especially those owned by Indigenous producers and people of color—as well as the relationships and infrastructure needed to produce, store, aggregate, process, distribute, and market local food in our region, will foster greater community wealth and create a more resilient economy.
Co-designed by farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food business owners, technical service providers, and an ecosystem of supporters, the Local Food Economy Lab is planting the seeds for a new economy—one that is built on justice and solidarity.
Changing the way we grow food, move food, share food, and think about food ultimately changes the way we treat the planet and each other.
A thriving local food economy is crucial for cultivating justice, fighting climate change, and building resilience in our region.
Read the first three objectives of San Diego County Food Vision 2030 to learn more:
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"Land and oceans are vital for life. As stewards of these resources, farmers, fishermen, and other food producers play an essential role in feeding local communities, protecting our natural environment, and fighting climate change. In San Diego County, we uniquely have some of the most responsible land and sea stewards in the country. Preserving agricultural land and soils, supporting food producers, and investing in long-term food production in San Diego County will be essential to securing a thriving, local, and resilient food supply for today and generations to come."
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"Building a more diverse, resilient food supply and economy means we need to ensure that through small business ownership, small-scale entrepreneurs are able to increase their income potential, achieve long-term financial stability, provide for their families, and continue enriching their communities. We need to create an integrated support system and invest in those in our community for whom traditional business development services are out of reach, with a focus on BIPOC, immigrants, women, and individuals with low income."
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"Building shorter food supply chains comprised mostly of local producers and food businesses provides a more sustainable and equitable alternative to the dominant way of moving food. It also creates opportunities for San Diego County’s small and midsize producers to capture a greater share of the consumer dollar, connect with local markets, and feed local residents. To create a healthier, more sustainable, and more just food system In San Diego County, we need to invest in our small and midsize producers and local food businesses, as well as the infrastructure needed to store, aggregate, process, distribute, and market their products within our region."
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The Local Food Economy Lab serves small-scale farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food business owners at all stages, especially those in our community for whom traditional business development services have been out of reach.
We focus on producers and business owners who identify as Indigenous, Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Middle Eastern/North African, Pacific Islander; people of color; immigrants; women; LGBTQ+; seniors; individuals with low income; and those advancing community ownership and collaborative models.
The Lab serves for-profit and nonprofit businesses.
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We are aware that definitions of these terms vary, and no one definition works for all. Our goal is to make the Lab's programs and services as inclusive as possible, taking a human, case-by-case approach and prioritizing our commitment to those who have been most affected by inequities in the food system.
The Lab focuses on farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food business owners who operate in San Diego County.
Our guidelines for determining eligibility and operating the Lab in a way that best uses the available resources remain flexible and continue to evolve as we implement programs and services in deep collaboration with the community.