​​The Western North Carolina Food Systems Coalition gathers dozens of stakeholders from across our 18 county region and the Qualla Boundary to create tangible action steps towards improving our food system.

Here’s What We Believe:

Mission: Our mission is to support a community-led food system in WNC that is regenerative, resilient, and equitable by strengthening regional connection and cultivating cross-sector collaboration.

Vision: WNC Food Systems Coalition envisions an abundant, collaborative, responsive, community-led food system for all in WNC.

Value Statements

  1. We believe in collaboration, so we intentionally work to build relationships across the region.

  2. We believe in staying grounded in our purpose while remaining open to emergent thinking, so we strive to embrace a mindset of adaptive management and a cooperative culture.

  3. We believe in creating systems that reflect the needs of community members so we assess needs, support the work already going on, and develop programs that fill identified gaps.

  4. We believe in decentralized power within the food system, so we create opportunities for power sharing and collective decision-making among stakeholders.

  5. We believe in networked mutuality, so we create and uphold systems and practices to value and support partners’ work contributions.

Culture Statements

  1. Understanding the challenges of our food system, we operate within a CQI (continuous quality improvement) mindset, while being curious and open minded rather than striving for perfection. We understand that change is constant and conflicts are inevitable. In this work, we will not be conflict avoidant.

  2. We value all voices. We seek to create alternatives to oppressive norms and create space for all marginalized people.

  3. We create relationships that value a growth mindset. We choose to communicate when we need support and offer feedback to each other so we can continue to grow and improve as individuals and as an organization.

  4. We invite each other to connect with our passion and express our creativity. We also honor the vulnerability it requires to do so, and acknowledge our blind spots and knowledge gaps.

  5. We prioritize an emotionally safe environment where staff members have fun, are able to build meaningful relationships with each other, and feel valued financially by the place they work.