ABQ Fresh: Elevating Our Local Food Future
We're bringing Albuquerque together to build a local food system that provides access to healthy, affordable food for every family.
About ABQ Fresh
ABQ Fresh is part of Affordable ABQ, the City’s initiative to make everyday life more affordable for families. We are bringing together city leaders, community partners, growers, producers, distributors, and local businesses to design a stronger, more sustainable, and more affordable food system for Albuquerque.
Community input, collaborative work, and policy combine with a focus on expanding access to fresh, healthy food, especially in undeserved neighborhoods and food deserts, while strengthening the local food economy.
We are working to craft and implement policies and programs to increase access to fresh, healthy, affordable foods for families in Albuquerque, including:
- Supporting the local food system at all levels, from local food growers and producers to local food distribution networks to local vendors and direct sales opportunities
- Permitting small-scale neighborhood markets and bodegas, and incentivizing fresh and healthy food options
- Permitting mobile food markets and incentivizing fresh and healthy food options
- Working with all sectors within the local food system to establish an equitable, resilient and sustainable food system in Albuquerque
2025 ABQ Fresh Forum
The ABQ Fresh Forum, held December 16, 2025, worked to turn policy directives into actionable strategies, pilot programs, and community partnerships that strengthen Albuquerque’s local food system—from urban agriculture to food access to composting and food rescue.
This day-long, in-person forum brought together the diverse network of stakeholders who influence or participate in Albuquerque’s local food economy, including:
- Local farmers, growers, and agricultural cooperatives
- Neighborhood leaders and community garden coordinators
- Neighborhood market owners, small retailers, and food entrepreneurs
- Food rescue, food bank, food pantry, and food service organizations and agencies
- Sustainability and composting organizations and agencies
- APS and higher education partners involved in nutrition, sustainability, agricultural, economic development and/or equity education
- Nonprofits, foundations, and residents invested in food justice, climate action, and affordability
- City of Albuquerque staff from more than a dozen departments identified in the Mayor’s Local Food System Executive Order (EO)
The forum served as a collaborative workspace, not a lecture series—prioritizing community voices, co-creation, problem-solving, and measurable next steps.
Support ABQ Fresh
While the in-person event has ended, the forum is still active here! Whether you were unable to join us, could only attend part of the event, or had more ideas after you left, you can still participate in the “interactives” and share your ideas, suggestions, knowledge, and experience with us. Check out ABQ Fresh: Digital Workspace to contribute!
What’s Next for ABQ Fresh
The online forum will be active through February, and we will be assessing all community input. A report on the forum will be released in Spring 2026 and will include a summary of community input as well as:
- Priorities and strategies for advancing directives in the Executive Order
- Pilot project proposals
- Policy and program recommendations
- Partnership opportunities
Department Information
View the role City of Albuquerque departments play in supporting the local food system