CoFSA

COFSA

How we work

How we work

The Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA), convened by UNDP, is a movement of food, agriculture, and consciousness practitioners united around a common goal: to support people from across food and agriculture systems to cultivate the inner capacities that activate systemic change and regeneration.

It aims at establishing the cultivation of inner capacities as a key evidence-based approach to envision and create regenerative food systems, while building legitimacy and understanding for this approach.

Our Values

 

  • Bringing our whole selves to this work: emotional, embodied, and authentic
  • Willingness to undertake inner work
  • Equity, inclusivity and acknowledgement of power dynamics
  • Deep listening  
  • Valuing diverse points of view 
  • Embracing complexity and working with emergence

CoFSA realizes its mission by:​

 

Convening a Community of Practice and Learning

CoFSA brings together an intentional community of peers, where individuals and organizations can connect and practice together, learn and exchange knowledge, support and inspire each other, as well as collaborate to build conscious food systems.

Pioneering the application of consciousness approaches and practices across food systems

CoFSA members pioneer the integration of consciousness approaches and practices into food systems, through a global portfolio of interventions, including the delivery of trainings, coaching and facilitation services, supported by research and learning frameworks.  

Interventions are led by members, who collaborate to develop and implement pilots and prototypes, with a commitment to share learning with the Alliance. The role of the Secretariat is to advise on the design and support members to form partnerships, access tools and expertise, and share lessons learnt through the community.

CoFSA Areas of Interventions

CoFSA Interventions focus on working with governments, companies, farmers and development practitioners to support food systems transformation across three main areas:  

Food Systems Policy and Pathways

  • Food Policy Reform: to improve the quality of interaction of policy-makers, and to support them in designing policies that integrate a more ‘compassionate’ and systemic approach.
  • Multi-stakeholder Dialogues: to create safe, connecting, and transformative spaces for conscious multi-stakeholder dialogues in food systems contexts.

Sustainable Landscapes

  • Conscious Farming and Local Community Development: to improve the wellbeing and resilience of farmers and their communities, and help them cultivate regenerative mindsets and agricultural practices. 
  • Revitalizing and Strengthening Traditional Wisdom: to promote traditional cultural practices and knowledge that support regenerative food systems

Supply Chain Transformation 

  • Cultural Transformation of Organizations: ​​to support the cultivation of regenerative mindsets, values and skills that catalyze supply chain transformation. 
  • Conscious Consumption: to support the adoption of more healthy, sustainable and local diets, and strengthen traditional food cultures.

For more information on these areas of interventions and to read practical examples, please see the CoFSA Rationale for Action Report (Section III) and the Collection of Case Studies, 

CoFSA’s principle of cultivating inner capacities emphasizes the need for context-specific and culturally relevant interventions, founded on respect and equity, as well as awareness of power dynamics. These interventions should be supported by a diversity of evidence and knowledge.

For further information, see the CoFSA Interventions Framework.

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