Our Current Initiatives
What we’re working on, right now
This Semester’s Theme:
Feeding Our Future
Fostering vital connections between sustainable food systems, youth education, and community empowerment within Alameda county.
Berkeley Food Network
This Semester’s Partnership
Berkeley Food Network (BFN) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger and poor nutrition through community-centered solutions that build a sustainable and equitable food system. Founded in 2016, BFN delivers impact through its neighborhood pantries, home delivery program, and partnerships with redistribution organizations like the Berkeley Food Pantry. In 2024, the annual report highlighted over 2.1 million pounds of food distributed to more than 12,000 neighbors. Guided by the values of equity, community, sustainability, collaboration, and innovation, Berkeley Food Network advocates for lasting change to ensure everyone has reliable access to nutritious food.
For more information, visit their website. Follow them on Instagram (@berkeleyfoodnetwork) to stay up to date on their events and volunteer opportunities.
CASE STUDY
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the San Francisco Bay Estuary is one of the six estuaries most sensitive to the risks of climate change. The Bay Area is biodiverse, urban, and coastal, making its watersheds uniquely positioned as they are both heavily relied on, and very much at risk. In the last 150 years, 40% of the SF Bay’s aquatic ecosystems have experienced habitat destruction (EPA, “San Francisco Bay Delta”).
Pesticides, metals, and other chemicals threaten the Bay Area's aquatic environments, bombarding watersheds through urban runoff. These contaminants have caused a decline in biodiversity and compromised the SF Bay Delta as a source of drinking water. Most of the harm done to these environments is due to the chemicals that are currently in use.
Additionally, as the effects of climate change become more and more prominent, the quantity and quality of available drinking water in the Bay Area will likely be threatened. Due to shifting temperature regimes, snowpack in the Sierra Nevadas (one of California’s main freshwater sources) is projected to decrease almost 20% in the next few decades (“San Francisco Bay Area Region Report”, California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment). Sea level rise and subsequent flooding and saltwater intrusion will become more frequent, threatening a dwindling water supply
OUR IMPACT
Restoring and protecting the Bay Area’s food security is a complex pursuit that holds nuance within individual communities. To achieve resilient and sustainable food systems, we must work with a community-based approach, focusing on equitable and mindful impact through educational workshops and hands-on work in our local area. By increasing local awareness of the issues, we can build a stronger, more sustainable food system that nourishes everyone.
Join us in our mission to create a healthy and equitable food future for the Bay Area. Stay updated with EthiCAL to learn more!
