About Island Chefs’ Collaborative

Founded in 1999, the Island Chefs’ Collaborative (ICC) is a community-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and preserving sustainable local food and agriculture on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Member chefs purchase produce directly from local farms, which amount to thousands of dollars in revenue each year for farmers.

Keep scrolling to see our pillars, the goals we are working towards, and the strategies by which we mean to implement our vision.

Pillars of ICC

Our vision is a local and sustainable, food and agriculture system. These are the pillars that support the foundations of the Island Chef’s Collaborative:

Our Vision & Goals

To help create an environment where independent local food producers can prosper.

• Actively purchasing from our suppliers.
• Aiding suppliers efforts with money raised through icc events.
• Bringing chefs and farmers together as partners.
• Increasing consumer awareness of locally produced foodstuffs by featuring them on our menus and promoting them in our businesses.
• Educating the public about the ecological and economic benefits of buying locally.
• To act as an open and inclusive organisation.

Focus on local needs and local action.

• Maintain a broadly based membership of chefs, food industry professionals and individuals who share our values and concerns.
• Used a collaborative working style giving all points of view a full voice.
• Are committed to actively accomplishing the goals set out in our mission statement.
• Take a thoughtful, balanced approach to the issues based on economic concerns and the practical experience of our members.

The Strategy

Bring People Together

Maintain and expand our network of contacts – between chefs and farmers through our message system and between the icc and the public through press releases, media contacts and activities of note. Actively spread our message and purpose to schools, businesses and governmental agencies.

Fund Projects

Each year we will select at least one project to support financially. This will be something which increases the viability of farming in our community.

Fundraise

We will plan and execute at least one fundraising activity during each fiscal year to provide working capitol for the next year’s initiatives.

Advocacy

We will use what influence and prestige we have as a group to influence public policy and to address initiatives which would impact our mission statement.

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