Jamie Fanous is a political advocate and organizer who focuses on working with farmers to create and advance policies that are rooted in social justice and equity. In her role at the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), a California-based non-profit, she works to create transformational policy change by bringing farmers into the policy-making process to collectively tackle some of the biggest barriers small-scale and BIPOC farmers face (such as land access, drought, infrastructure, and more). Jamie believes the only way we can create true systems-level change is to ensure those most impacted by policy decisions are in the policy-making seat. This rebalancing of power and decision-making is the only way to ensure a just and equitable transition of our food system.

Prior to advocacy, Jamie has worked in a range of positions: from technical assistance and on-farm research in climate change and soil health to managing an urban farm. She has had the opportunity to work on farms in various parts of the world from Ghana to Panama, which has shaped her views and perspectives on cultural foods, sustainability, and community. She holds an MS in Agriculture, Food, and Environment, and an MA in Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. When not working in political and organizing spaces she can be found outside gardening, trail running in the hills, or in Spanish class.