The Alice Waters Institute for Edible Education and Regenerative Agriculture
Pursuing a bold vision at the intersection of climate, food, education, and health.

Our newest initiative, the Alice Waters Institute (AWI) is accelerating the transition to a regenerative-organic food system through School Supported Agriculture.

The Big Idea: School Supported Agriculture

"What if schools and universities purchased food in season and directly from local, regenerative-organic farmers and ranchers who take care of the land and their farm workers?  Local school systems would become reliable regional buyers who could support their local economies.  In turn, students would be nourished with fresh local food and the essential values of stewardship would come right through the cafeteria doors.  Rural communities would be revitalized, and the urgent issues of climate and student health would be addressed.  The power of procurement could transform agriculture, health, and climate overnight."

– Alice Waters

    Thought Leadership and Convenings

    The Alice Waters Institute serves as the advocacy arm of the Edible Schoolyard Project, leveraging Alice’s writing, public speaking, media, and convenings to raise public awareness, build coalitions and advance the movement for school supported agriculture as a global climate solution.  We host national and regional gatherings of regenerative-organic farmers, educators, policymakers, philanthropists, nonprofit and academic thought leaders to spread the word and frame policy solutions.  Last October we hosted Climate Food Hope at the Smithsonian in Washington DC as well as Earth Day and Climate Week events in California and New York. This fall, Alice will go on tour across the country to promote her new book “School Lunch Revolution”.

    Regional School Supported Agriculture Training Workshops

    The Alice Waters Institute hosts regional workshops to provide the tools, connections, and inspiration that school food professionals need to shift to seasonal, local regenerative-organic food.  These workshops hosted at farms and inspiring professional kitchens bring together food service directors, regenerative-organic farmers, Farm to School coordinators, and values-aligned food hubs in a region to collaborate on seasonal menu and crop planning, school supported agriculture procurement strategies, and supply chain challenges. With support from a California Department of Food and Agriculture Farm to School Incubator grant, the Alice Waters Institute is hosting regional workshops across California. For more information contact AWI Program Director, Jennifer Sherman at jennifer@alicewatersinstitute.org.

    Model Programs: Partnership with the University of California

    With ten campuses spanning the state of California, world-class research capabilities, and global reach, a shift in the University of California’s procurement to local, regenerative-organic food could anchor regional transitions across the state and pave the way for other colleges/universities and K-12 schools to follow. The Alice Waters Institute and the University of California are partnering to increase regenerative-organic food procurement across the UC system through several pilot projects:  

    • AWI is an advisor for a new multi-campus research grant, the California Organic Agroecological Regenerative Transition Project.
    • We are working with several campuses to identify opportunities to create a fully local, seasonal, regenerative-organic “farm to university” demonstration model.
    • In 2020, Alice Waters was honored to be invited to partner with UC Davis to design and build the Alice Waters Institute for Edible Education at Aggie Square, UCD's Sacramento campus.  This plan remains in consideration for Aggie Square Phase 2.
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