Our History
Fullwell’s story began in 2011, when SPUR, a Bay Area organization that seeks to find public policy solutions to urban issues, took a chance on creating a new program focused on food systems and urban agriculture. During those early years, we focused on exploring how public land use and regulatory barriers impacted urban agriculture, and published our very first report, Public Harvest, that highlighted the value of urban agriculture and how San Francisco could better support residents interested in growing their own food. From there, we expanded our focus and published Locally Nourished, a report about how the Bay Area could strengthen its regional food system to promote local economic growth, reduce negative environmental impacts, and protect farmland, among other benefits.
With these foundational reports guiding our work, we helped lead the coalition of organizations that successfully advocated for the passage of the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act, which allows cities and counties to provide property tax deductions to landowners willing to commit their land for agricultural use. In recognition of the need to preserve existing agricultural land, we also supported advocacy which ultimately convinced the San Jose City Council to purchase and preserve over 900 acres of land in North Coyote Valley for agriculture, rather than for commercial development. Furthermore, we joined a growing movement of advocates pushing for local school districts and counties to adopt the Good Food Purchasing Policy, which directs public institutions to spend their food purchasing budgets on food that supports the well-being of people, animals and the planet.
A third report, Healthy Food Within Reach, set the stage for the healthy food access initiatives that Fullwell focuses on today. Based on an evaluation of the primary food access barriers, we developed a set of strategies that city and county governments could undertake to improve the health and quality of life of Bay Area residents. We are now applying our learnings to help improve access to nourishing food beyond just the Bay Area through two statewide advocacy campaigns. The first is focused on boosting supplemental nutrition benefits through the CalFresh Fruit & Vegetable EBT Program, which provides additional dollars to low-income Californians for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. The second helps Medi-Cal patients improve their health by connecting them to nutritious food through the health care system.
In May 2024, the Food and Agriculture Program team transitioned to an independent organization and Fullwell officially launched. While our name has changed, our work and priorities remain the same. We look forward to continuing to advocate for food policy that strengthens health, advances justice, and encourages sustainability.