Open Food Network

Open Food Network is a global network of communities that collaborate to offer open source (non proprietary) software to help build sustainable food systems around the world.  The open source platform we work with - Open Food Network - has a variety of tools to help producers and consumers connect and form networks for distributing sustainable food in local communities. 

Open Food Network Canada is based in St. Agatha Ontario, but our software and support is offered nationally. As a national not for profit, Open Food Network Canada offers the software to users on a low cost basis.

Software,  like food systems, is increasingly consolidated.  Large firms are often not interested in the needs of smaller scaled food initiatives and farms.   Digital technology has huge potential to help small scale operators scale up and link together for greater impact,  but software is often over-priced and difficult for these smaller operators to access. Open Food Network wants to tailor our offering to multiple small and medium scaled food initiatives.

Our not for profit has a national board of 4 members. We have approximately 200 users across the country now - but are just beginning to disseminate outside of Ontario.

Most digital solutions being used in the sustainable food sector are private for-profit firms offering proprietary software. We are not-for-profit, and our digital platform is fully open source. We are interested in building a technology commons for the alternative food movement.

We became LFFC members in 2019. Since many LFFC members are interested in supporting open source (non proprietary) software solutions, and we believe many cooperative food projects would find our digital platform useful.