Good for the Earth | Good for People | Good for Communities
Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture (BASA) is a grassroots nonprofit whose mission is to “facilitate local, sustainable food production, marketing, and education in southern Arizona.”
Our goal is to help create and expand the sustainable food systems in our region, promoting the health and well-being of the natural world and the people who live here.
Our vision is nutritious, just, and secure food for all that adds economic and social value to both rural and urban communities.
Baja Arizona is a historic farming and ranching region with ties to many cultures, including Native American, Mexican, and European, and diverse landscapes ranging from the Sonoran Desert to the Sky Islands to the riparian corridors of the Santa Cruz and San Pedro river valleys. BASA wants to celebrate the uniqueness of this rich fusion of cultures and landscapes by strengthening the local food systems that help shape our bioregion.
BASA formed in 2000 to provide local food producers with direct marketing outlets such as the Bisbee and Sierra Vista Farmers Markets.
Since that time, BASA has expanded its goals to include a more holistic approach to creating local, healthy food systems and now works with a diverse collection of educators, food producers, community development representatives, and low-income consumers. We help these people develop strong local and self-sufficient food economies & empower local community members to take action against food insecurity themselves.
In the fall of 2011, BASA hired its first part-time paid director in order to expand the organization and influence a broader community.
BASA’s strategy focuses on grassroots activism and community organizing in three key areas for creating sustainable communities through agriculture:
1) Empowering consumers to take control of their diets through experiential education and trainings on topics ranging from gardening to nutrition to desert heritage foods.
2) Organizing local farmers and ranchers to promote regionally adapted food production practices that improve the environmental health of our agriculture lands and the health of the people who live here.
3) Connecting local producers to local consumers to create robust regional food economies and strong, sustainable communities.
