Illinois Food Justice Alliance
Illinois Food Justice Alliance

Who we are

Our Mission

The Illinois Food Justice Alliance is an intergenerational, multicultural, multi-sectoral coalition that utilizes and leverages our collective voice to bring forward a just food system in Illinois.
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Our Vision

We envision a just Illinois food system that recognizes nourishing food as a human right; is accountable to impacted communities, who are and have been historically deprioritized and unprotected; stewards the earth; is trusted and transparent; supports thriving and equitable local economies; places control and ownership in impacted communities; repairs and reconciles the past and current land access and sovereignty for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. We strive to create a food system that is inclusive, sustainable, and equitable for all of Illinois.

Our History

Led by the Chicago Food Policy Action Council, HEAL Food Alliance, and Illinois Stewardship Alliance, these three organizations convened stakeholders, who represented a cross-sector of food workers, farmers, health, hunger, and environment organizations, in 2018 with an audacious goal: to make Illinois the first state to pass a statewide Good Food Purchasing Policy. This convening of stakeholders would be called the Illinois Food Justice Alliance. Many of the same partners began working together in 2015 to advocate for the Good Food Purchasing Policy (GFPP) in Chicago and since have worked together to ensure a better food system for all of Illinois.

Our Team

Our Team

Kiara Jackson

Illinois Food Justice Alliance and Good Food Purchasing Policy Campaign Director

Plant-lover, Equity Advocate, Real Housewives Franchise Enthusiast

Kiara joined the Alliance in May 2023 after working across sectors in education, non-profit, and government. She is a California native, who moved to Chicago for graduate school, and decided to stay and plant roots in Chicago.

As the director of the Illinois Food Justice Alliance (IFJA), Kiara will work with the IFJA coalition, a multi-sector and multi-racial coalition, to pass the Good Food Purchasing Program at the state level and other policies to improve the Illinois’ food and farm systems. Kiara is new to the agricultural space and looks forward to building power and organizing and supporting stakeholders for the hope of a better tomorrow.

Kiara graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelors in sociology and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy. In her spare time, she is catching up with her family in California, reading or watching her favorite tv shows.

EMAIL KIARA

Devin Cooley

Illinois Food Justice Alliance State Organizer

Poet, Foodie, Student of Life
Devin joined the alliance in April 2024 as a multidisciplinary community organizer whose journey intertwines technology, education, advocacy, and creativity. With an educational background in computer engineering, he initially embarked on a mission to blend problem-solving and system development with a passion for creative expression.

Eventually stepping into the realm of higher education as an online retention specialist, his ability to foster diverse communities through hybrid environments flourished. While spearheading initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the educational landscape, he was introduced to the transformative potential of restorative justice practices. Outside of the workplace, Devin emerged as an advocate for environmental and social justice within marginalized communities. His consistent effort led to a full-time transition into movement work where he taps into his resilient roots, unique blend of skills, and lived experience to create meaningful change on a broader scale.

EMAIL DEVIN

Steering Committee

Rodger Cooley

Executive Director
Chicago Food Policy Action Council

More about Rodger

Rodger Cooley, Executive Director of the Chicago Food Policy Action Council (CFPAC), has worked for 20+ years in urban agriculture and sustainable equitable food systems helping facilitate policy and projects. Rodger previously spent 9 years with Heifer International, supporting the development of urban and rural farming projects in Chicago and the mid-western United States. CFPAC works by supporting community partners across the food system to build trust for collaborative systems change. Rodger serves on the Cook County Commission on Social Innovation, the Chicago Food Equity Council, and the IL Agriculture Equity Commission. Rodger has a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College and has served as adjunct faculty at DePaul University and the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Liz Moran Stelk

Executive Director
Illinois Stewardship Alliance

More about Liz
Liz Moran Stelk is a farmer-at-heart and an organizer extraordinaire. She is currently the Executive Director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to bring farmers and eaters together across the state to build a more just and regenerative food and farm system.

Liz is a veteran organizer bringing experience in sustainable agriculture policy and building powerful organizations to the Alliance. Liz previously served as a Regional Organizer with the Western Organization of Resource Councils in Montana where she worked with farmers and ranchers in seven states on local, state and federal food and agricultural policy. She formerly organized health care workers with SEIU Healthcare Illinois and has led field work for a variety of grassroots and electoral campaigns.

Jose Oliva

Campaigns Director
HEAL Food Alliance

More about Jose
Jose Oliva was born in Xelaju, Guatemala, on November 15, 1972. He was forced to flee Guatemala in 1985. Once in the U.S. Jose was called to be Executive Director of Casa Guatemala where he began to organize day-laborers in Chicago’s street corners. He founded the Chicago Interfaith Workers’ Center and then became the Coordinator of Interfaith Worker Justice’s National Workers’ Centers Network. Jose served in several leadership positions at the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, the national organization of restaurant workers. Jose was the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance, a national coalition of food-worker organizations that collectively represents over 350,000 workers.

Jose is a 2017 James Beard Award recipient and a 2018 American Food Hero Awardee and a 2020 Castanea Fellow. Currently he is the Campaigns Director at HEAL (Health Environment Agriculture and Labor) Food Alliance, a national multi-sector coalition representing over two million people in the food system. He also co-chairs the Chicago Area Food System Fund and serves on the boards of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and the Woods Fund of Chicago.

Our coalition

Our Coalition

Many organizations, one voice.

IFJA COALITION MEMBERS CENTER THE FOLLOWING VALUES IN THEIR WORK:

If your organization is interested in becoming a coalition member, our criteria include:

Organizational Alignment

Prospective members are based in Illinois and have alignment with IFJA’s mission and vision.

Value Alignment

Prospective member’s mission is closely aligned with at least one of the Good Food Purchasing core values.
FILL OUT AN INTEREST FORM

Our Values

Our Values

Grounded in racial equity, accountability, and transparency—our values are the compass of our work and our coalition:

Local + Community-Based Economies

Support for small and mid-sized agricultural and food processing operations within the local area or region.

Food Workers + Labor

Provide safe and healthy working conditions and fair compensation for all food chain workers from production to consumption.

Animal Welfare

Provide healthy and humane care for livestock.

Environmental Sustainability

Source from producers that employ sustainable productions systems that reduce or eliminate synthetic pesticides and fertilizers; avoid the use of hormones, antibiotics and genetic engineering; conserve soil and water; protect and enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity; and reduce on-farm energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Community Health and Nutrition

Promote health and well-being by offering generous portions of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains; reducing sale, added sugars, fats and oils; and eliminating artificial additives.