A History of Food Alliance

1994       Oregon State University, Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture secure funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for a project called The Northwest Food Alliance to create market incentives for adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.

1995       The project sponsors on-farm research and collaborates with growers to promote use of compost, cover cropping, and strip tillage to improve soil quality and protect water resources.

1996       Project leaders commission groundbreaking research on consumer attitudes towards food and the environment (published as the Hartman Reports). This research reveals a large and diverse consumer audience interested in buying more sustainable products.

1997       Food Alliance is founded as an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with an office in Portland, Oregon. Food Alliance begins to develop “stewardship guidelines” to define sustainable agricultural practices for fruit and vegetable growers in the Pacific Northwest.

1998       Food Alliance begins to certify farmers who meet standards for labor practices, pest and disease management, and soil and water conservation. Stahlbush Island Farms and Wells & Sons are the first Food Alliance Certified farms. Food Alliance Certified fruit begins to appear in Portland area grocery stores. Food Alliance also hosts a national conference on eco-labeling.

1999       Food Alliance ends its first full year as a certifier with 16 participating farms growing 80 varieties of fruits and veggies on 6,100 total acres.

2000       Food Alliance partners with Cooperative Development Services and the Land Stewardship Project to create a Food Alliance Midwest affiliate office in St. Paul, Minnesota. Food Alliance expands its certification program with new standards for humane treatment of animals and protection of wildlife habitat. Food Alliance certifies its first cattle ranches (Country Natural Beef) and wheat producers (Shepherd’s Grain). The number of Food Alliance certified businesses triples, with 48 farms and ranches managing 12,500 acres. Food Alliance is profiled in the Wall Street Journal and appears in over 60 other regional and national news stories.

2001       Food Alliance forms a volunteer Stewardship Council, recruiting university and agency researchers, advocates for consumer affairs, labor, animal welfare and the environment, and representatives of the food industry to advise the development and refinement of certification standards. By year end there are 95 Food Alliance certified farms and ranches managing 1.2 million acres.

2002       Food Alliance Certified products begin to appear in university and college dining halls, as national food service companies take note of increasing public demand for more sustainable products. Food Alliance begins more actively cultivating relationships with commercial food buyers to facilitate marketing and sales opportunities for 140 certified farms and ranches managing 1.6 million acres.

2003       Food Alliance certifies its first dairy farms.  Despite an overall economic downturn, interest in certification remains strong. Food Alliance’s certification clientèle grows to 161 farms and ranches raising an estimated $32 million of certified products on 1.9 million acres.

2004       The Burgerville restaurant chain announces a decision to make the Food Alliance Certified Country Natural Beef cooperative its exclusive beef supplier – leading to a double digit increase in sales. Food Alliance sees continued growth with 214 certified farms and ranches managing 2.2 million acres.

2005       Food Alliance partners with International Certification Services, a 25-year old ISO-accredited organic certifier, to extend its reach throughout North America. The Natural Resources Conservation Service conducts a technical review of Food Alliance's certification standards, and issues a statement that Food Alliance certified farms and ranches are “committed to the highest level of conservation stewardship.” Food Alliance makes a strategic decision to target its services to mid-sized farms and ranches and producer cooperatives. With turnover, Food Alliance’s clientèle shows a modest increase to 225 farms and ranches, but acreage under certification surges to 3.3 million.

2006       Food Alliance introduces a sustainable practices certification for packers, processors and distributors, going beyond simple chain of custody, with standards for safe and fair labor conditions, conservation of energy and water, and other concerns. Truitt Bros. becomes the first Food Alliance Certified processor. Sysco announces that Food Alliance Certified processor-suppliers automatically meet requirements for the Sysco Sustainable program. Agrocosa becomes Food Alliance’s first certification client in Mexico. By year end, there are 240 Food Alliance Certified farms and ranches managing 4.1 million acres, and 6 Food Alliance certified fruit and vegetable processors.

2007       United Salad and Duck Delivery become the first Food Alliance Certified produce distributors. Cedar Grove Cheese in Wisconsin, which supplies cheese for Annie’s Mac and Cheese, becomes the first Food Alliance Certified processor in the Midwest. Food Alliance introduces a new certification for hogs and certifies its first Northwest pork producer. Food Alliance opens a new field office in California, and launches an online self-assessment tool for farmers and ranchers. Prairie Heritage Beef becomes Food Alliance’s first certification client in Canada. Food Alliance end the year with 275 certified farms and ranches managing 5.1 million acres, and 16 certified processing and distribution facilities. Estimated sales of Food Alliance Certified products reach $100 million.

2008       Fulton Provision Company, a Sysco subsidiary, becomes the first Food Alliance Certified meat processor. H. Brooks and Company becomes the first Food Alliance Certified produce distributor in the Midwest. Food Alliance launches initiatives to certify grassfed livestock in partnership with the American Grassfed Association, and to certify sustainable shellfish aquaculture with the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association. Food Alliance also announces plans to create a new affiliate office serving the Northeast through a partnership with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture.