Open Food Network is a worldwide collaborative network of projects that want to change local food systems and boost short distribution circuits by means of open source software and democratic governance. It forms a global community with projects based in Belgium, Australia, UK, France, Canada, USA, Spain and Portugal, and which is still growing.
A single global team develops an online marketplace for local food enabling independent online food stores connect farmers and food hubs with individuals. It gives them an easier and fairer way to distribute their food. This boosts short distribution circuits which positively impact local communities.
Each of the local projects offer the software as Saas to their local communities who participate on the governance of the platform taking part on the decision making.
The project is sustained by the funds contributed by all the local projects that are communalized. This makes it possible to afford the development of such ambitious project, which would be impossible by each of the local communities while still allowing new local projects to join.
This talk aims to share Open Food Network's challenges around its governance and internal organization. How it successfully manages to coordinate the efforts of people scattered throughout the world while involving local communities on its design. We also touch on the tech challenges around the tech stack and infrastructure and how we envision it in the future.
