Syracuse-Onondaga Food System Alliance (SOFSA) has been named the winner of the 2025 Community Food Funders Champions Award!
The selection committee was comprised of winners from previous years along with two members of the Community Food Funders steering committee. SOFSA was chosen in recognition of the diverse and thriving network they have become, spearheading many successful food system innovations over the years.
SOFSA presented at the 2025 CFF Annual Gathering on September 17.
2025 Champion: Syracuse-Onondaga Food System Alliance
Established in 2019, the Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance (SOFSA) is an independent food council in Central New York serving the City of Syracuse, Onondaga Nation, and the surrounding Onondaga County.
The overarching goal of the SOFSA partnership is to serve as both a network of food system stakeholders as well as a catalyst for collaboration among diverse partners. SOFSA aims to ensure the long-term viability and vitality of the region’s agricultural sector while simultaneously increasing access to healthy food and reducing the prevalence of food insecurity within the county. Some of their programs include community listening sessions, policy advocacy, an annual food justice conference, and a community-led grantmaking initiative.
You can sign up for SOFSA’s mailing list here, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook @syrfoodalliance.
SOFSA members at the 2024 Food Justice Gathering
More about the CFF Champions Award
The Community Food Funders steering committee created the CFF Champions Award to recognize the leaders empowering food system change in our region. The award aims to promote the work of an outstanding organization that is working towards the transition of our food system to one that pursues a true triple bottom line: a system that honors and values people, the environment, and sustainable economic models.