Committees and Working Groups
Contribute your expertise and curiosity by actively participating on a committee or working group to help AFPC move our statewide mission forward. This is an opportunity to learn more about the topics the AFPC is working on and is a pathway to becoming a governing board member. Board membership isn’t required though- help out as long as you’d like! Committees and working groups meet monthly via Zoom, along with occasional email communications.
The AFPC Board forms working groups and committees to assist in fulfilling our mission:
- Working Groups are formed to address specific topics and needs within Alaska’s food systems; working groups are intended to focus their expertise on specific topics and advise and provide recommendations to the board and staff. Working groups include: Advocacy, Indigenous Foods, School Nutrition, Hydroponics, Food Waste, and Food Hubs.
- Standing Committees are a core part of the organization’s structure and make decisions about organizational operations. These committees include: Finance, Fundraising, Alaska Food Festival & Conference Planning, and Board Development.
Working Groups
Contribute your talents by actively participating on a committee or working group to help us move our statewide mission forward.
Sign up forms are available on each working group’s page.
AdvocacySchool NutritionIndigenous FoodsFood WasteHydroponicsFood HubsHomemade FoodsConference Planning
This working group follows issues that strengthen food systems for all Alaskans and engages with policymakers and the public to share information and increase awareness. This working group helps to inform the policy and advocacy work of AFPC staff and Governing Board, including making recommendations on our Policy Framework, supporting Food Security Week, and Get Out the Vote work during election years. The Advocacy Working Group also develops a candidate survey for statewide elections as a way to inform voters about how Alaskan candidates feel about food systems issues.
Meetings are every 2nd Thursday from 12-1pm AKT.
School meals are about more than lunch trays—they’re a gateway to learning, health, community, and food system transformation. In Alaska, the school nutrition space is filled with energy and opportunity.
From scratch cooking and culturally relevant meals to school gardens and local procurement, communities are thinking creatively and working together to feed kids.
The Alaska Food Policy Council is proud to support these efforts by connecting people, sharing resources, and helping move ideas into action. Join us at the monthly School Nutrition Working Group space on the first Wednesday of the month from 1:30-2:30PM.
Launched in 2020, this much-needed working group was born, focusing on traditional foods. The working group is still in its infancy, meeting with various members throughout Alaska’s communities. We are working on our mission and have established three goals: 1) advocacy, 2) providing networking opportunities, and 3) providing support for food system assessment and planning.
The diversity that exists across Alaska’s landscape is reflected in the diversity that exists between Tribes. Yet, there are things that connect us all, no matter the culture, language, or history. We all eat. What we eat and how we eat is something that defines us, and it is something that connects us. Over the past year, the Indigenous Foods Working Group has continued to refine the scope and strategic plan for the group to help ensure that the priorities being pursued were meaningful to the members. Priorities include identifying and supporting policy that helps ensure continued access to traditional use harvest areas, increased opportunities for funding and technical support, and strengthening relationships between the State of Alaska and Tribes to support food sovereignty and security.
We are working to further food security with Alaska Native/American Indian communities, food sovereignty, and advocating for policies that affect the production, sale, or trading of traditional foods. Traditional foods are a vital part of Alaska’s food system. It is important we work to further food security and sovereignty throughout Alaska and advocate the importance of Traditional foods. The working group meets on the last Thursday of every month, 12:30-2 pm. We are currently recruiting more participants to increase the scope and capacity of the work that is occurring.
Learn more about food waste and our priorities here.
Food waste is a constant challenge for this planet’s population. This working group’s goals include: 1) compiling food waste information and policies, 2) identifying activities for people to reduce food waste, and 3) encouraging food waste reduction locally.
We are looking for additional committee members who are energetic and have ideas and solutions to address this common topic in their local communities. Meetings are every 4th Wednesday from 2-3pm.
Hydroponics is emerging as a viable opportunity for growing food year-round, particularly Alaska’s rural communities. The working group will provide a platform for those who are actively engaged in growing hydroponically to share successes and assist with challenges and to provide opportunities for those interested in hydroponics to learn and network with growers.
Meetings are every 3rd Wednesday from 2:30-3:30pm AKT
A food hub is defined by the USDA, as “a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distributions, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products.” Food Hubs’ popularity is gaining momentum in the state, with many communities exploring creating their own place-based models. In the fall of 2015, the Alaska Food Policy Council hosted the Wallace Center for an all-day Food Hub Workshop in Anchorage, which was attended by 40 participants from around the state.
The goal was to gather a wide array of stakeholders – farmers, growers, food businesses and entrepreneurs, buyers, chefs, and related organizations, to build community, identify what is going well with our food system, identify common challenges, possible solutions, and innovative ways to work together to strengthen the local food movement.
The Food Hubs Working Group is on hiatus starting November 2025. The website and listserv remain active.
More Info Coming Soon: Homemade Foods Working Group
This working group will not meet regularly but will use the listserv and webpage to share resources and important updates.
The Conference planning committee helps to plan the sesquiennial (every 18-months) Alaska Food Festival and Conference, one of AFPCs key-outreach and networking events that allow us to connect, educate and advocate on the food system.
Committee work includes choosing a venue, working with catering, recruiting and coordinating presenters, promotion of the conference, recruiting sponsors, soliciting silent auction donations, coordinating volunteers, and much more!
The conference planning committee meets the third Wednesday of the month from 1-2 PM. We hope you’ll join us!
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