The 5th NJ State of the Food System Summit will bring together leaders from across New Jersey to identify the infrastructure, investments, policies, and partnerships needed to build a stronger, more resilient food system.
New Jersey’s Food System Is at a Turning Point
Building a stronger and more resilient food system requires more than individual programs or short-term solutions. It requires the physical infrastructure that moves food from farms to markets and institutions, the social infrastructure that connects people and organizations, and the financing, policies, data, and coordination that allow the system to function and grow.
This year’s Summit will bring together farmers, food businesses, institutional buyers, policymakers, advocates, funders, researchers, community organizations, and food system leaders from across the state to explore what New Jersey needs to build, strengthen, and invest in next.
Designed as a working convening, the Summit will move beyond identifying challenges to surface concrete opportunities for action, investment, and collaboration.
Participants will leave with:
A clearer understanding of New Jersey’s most pressing food system infrastructure needs and gaps
Stronger connections across sectors, communities, and regions
Concrete priorities for policy, investment, programs, and research
Opportunities for continued collaboration beyond the Summit
Who should attend?
The Summit is designed for anyone working to strengthen New Jersey’s food system, including farmers and food businesses; schools, colleges, hospitals, and institutional buyers; food banks and food access organizations; policymakers and government agencies; food policy councils and community coalitions; researchers and educators; funders and investors; and advocates and community leaders.
What we’ll explore:
The Summit will examine key dimensions of food system infrastructure—supply chain and farm-to-institution logistics, coalition and food policy council capacity, food system data and metrics, and sustainable funding—through the lens of strengthening food security across all six dimensions: availability, access, affordability, utilization, stability, and agency.
The Summit also directly supports implementation of New Jersey’s 2025 Joint Resolution recognizing the Right to Adequate Food (AJR229), which affirms the importance of equitable access to healthy, culturally appropriate food and the sustainability of local food systems. Designed as a working convening, the Summit will strengthen cross-sector relationships, build shared understanding of infrastructure needs, and identify actionable priorities for advancing a more resilient and equitable statewide food system.
Outcomes will include clearer alignment around key system gaps, strengthened connections among stakeholders, and identification of priority areas for coordinated policy, programmatic, and funding strategies that advance food security and the Right to Adequate Food for all New Jersey residents.
Program Details
Click on each image to explore program details.
Note: Program and speakers are subject to change. Additional details will be announced as the Summit approaches.
Breakout Session Spotlight
See below for some additional details regarding three of the Summit breakout sessions.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Interested in supporting the Summit?
Sponsorship offers an opportunity to support statewide food system collaboration while connecting with leaders working across agriculture, food access, public policy, institutional procurement, research, and community development.
For sponsorship information, contact Sara at grants@njfooddemocracy.org or learn more here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/nj-state-of-the-food-system-summit