The Community Alliances of Interdependent AgriCulture (CAIA) is an organization that will network and magnify the power of people working toward conservation-based development in agriculture. CAIA's purpose is to enable people to create food and farming systems that improve and sustain ecological, economic and social health through systemic, community-based, self-organizing governance. CAIA advocates environmental integrity, economic opportunity and commercial vitality as three simultaneous goals. It uses "Community Alliances" to unite all participants in the food and farming system, including growers, minority growers, laborers, marketers, consumers, government officials, researchers, suppliers, farm organizations, environmentalists, community service representatives, social and economic justice interests and health and wellness advocates.

CAIA developed its purpose statement, principles and a flexible organizational structure through intensive work with The Chaordic Alliance. CAIA plans to launch its newly designed not-for-profit organization in 2000. It intends to undertake activities such as:

• Supporting the existing network of food and farming systems, developing its own network of members, and forging partnerships with other organization critical to CAIA's purpose;
• Developing "CAIA" trademarks and labeling for its products and services;
• Collecting and disseminating data, statistics, studies, and other relevant information about food and farming systems;
• Improving policy development and implementation affecting agriculture.

CAIA represents the power of chaordic design to unify and empower a broad spectrum of small, low-profile participants in a rapidly-changing field so that they can influence and better compete with larger, more prominent industry leaders. CAIA has the potential to level the playing field in agriculture in an environmentally sound and socially responsible manner.

Website: http://www.caia.net/
E-mail: jperdew@surfsouth.com