The Chefs Collaborative is a nationwide group of more than 1,000 chefs, food professionals, and any persons interested in organic and sustainable cuisine that’s local, seasonal, and artisanal.
Founded in 1993, the Collaborative helps its members run a foodservice business in a way that is environmentally sound. It encourages sustainable and organic farming. A key insight of the organization is that chefs’ ingredient choices significantly affect the marketplace and consumer behavior. Chefs have educated people to, and created a demand for, foods like heirloom tomatoes, mesclun, and artisanal olive oil. People encounter these foods and then want to buy them for their homes; eventually they become mainstream products. The Collaborative is also dedicated to using the products of and promoting artisanal producers, such as cheesemakers who preserve or establish valuable local traditions, and local growers who provide restaurants and farmers’ markets with fresh, seasonal produce. The Collaborative supports folks who are working toward sustainable, organic, or biodynamic agriculture and aquaculture and who practice humane animal husbandry and well-managed fisheries. And it backs conservation practices that lessen humans’ impact on the environment.
The Collaborative’s primary mission is the ongoing education of chefs and the public through newsletters, conferences, and seminars. Recent topics have included the proliferation of genetically modified organisms, the recrudescence of mad cow disease, and the development of sustainable fishing practices. The Collaborative also sponsors children’s courses on basic cooking skills and how their food choices have an impact on themselves and their environment. The Collaborative, Stonyfield Farm (the world’s largest organic yogurt maker), and the Odwalla company publish a Restaurant Guide that lists 160 restaurants around the country that belong to the Collaborative and are devoted to sustainable and organic cuisine.
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