Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG)

A 12-state network for regional food system development

The mission of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) is to build a more sustainable, healthy, and equitable food system for our region. We organize, support, and mobilize a 12-state network of organizations and individuals to ensure the strategic impact of our collective voice as we take action toward common goals. Our work strengthens and coordinates the work of hundreds of other organizations by building synergy among them and aligning resources to achieve systemic change at all levels.

NESAWG is the Northeast's food and farm network. Our activities are based on a systems approach, recognizing the interdependence of government, market, and civic arenas for social change. We maintain an overview of our region’s movement toward a more sustainable food system and guide the network to maximize our collective impact. Working at local, state, regional, and national levels, our efforts help organizations redirect public policy, foster market-based innovation, and generate an informed and active citizenry.

Networking is a systems concept and a necessary function for a systems change response to food system problems. When a handful of people founded NESAWG in 1992, it was one of the first multi-sector food system networks in the country. Now, nearly 20 years later, over 400 organizations representing thousands of individuals actively participate in the NESAWG network. Our collective actions are transforming the food system in the Northeast and the nation.

NESAWG is an unincorporated association governed by Articles of Association and guided by a Steering Committee. NESAWG's fiscal sponsor and organizational host is Just Food, Inc.