The Pima County Food Alliance (PCFA) has served as Pima County’s food systems coalition since 2011.

In 2011, PCFA was launched as a collaborative effort between staff at the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Both organizations were supported in part by the federal stimulus grant “Communities Putting Prevention to Work”. PCFA also received support and guidance from other members of the University of Arizona community as well as the general public.

PCFA aims to achieve an integrated, regional food system. PCFA cultivates space for individuals and organizations in Pima County to network, organize educational and training opportunities, collaborate on shared goals, and engage in policy advocacy.

PCFA has historically been guided by a Leadership Council of community members who work throughout Pima County’s food system, including farmers, market managers, agency staff, community organizers, university students, researchers, and others. Although membership and participation have varied over the years, at its most active, PCFA monthly meetings were regularly attended by 20 to 30 people and there were several active subcommittees with 5 to 8 members each.

Like many organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted PCFA. The Leadership Council’s membership decreased by 75%, greatly reducing the organization’s capacity. This, combined with pandemic safety regulations, prevented PCFA from continuing its outreach, education, and networking activities. At the same time, the pandemic deeply affected our food systems and illuminated many injustices. As a result, PCFA decided to take a step back to learn more about the shifting needs of our community in the wake of the pandemic and assess how to reorganize PCFA to better represent and serve Pima County.

In 2021, PCFA initiated a collaboration with the University of Arizona’s Food Systems Research Lab. The Lab is a rotating group of social scientists, food system practitioners, and other researchers dedicated to mobilizing data, research, and university resources to advocate for more sustainable, equitable food systems in southern Arizona. The Lab has contributed research, trainings, and other resources to support the process of reinvigorating and refocusing PCFA’s work in southern Arizona. In addition, the Lab helps to link PCFA with state-level policy efforts, like the statewide food action plan, spearheaded by the Arizona Food Systems Network.

In 2022, PCFA and the Food Systems Research Lab successfully applied for a Thriving Communities grant from the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona to help PCFA undertake a process to restructure and revitalize its efforts to more accurately reflect and attend to the needs of our region for a food systems coalition policy council. As a first stage in this process, PCFA and the Food Lab are currently conducting a series of interviews, focus groups, and community outreach events throughout Pima County. This research will be used to inform PCFA’s future priorities, structure, and next steps.