Waters, Alice

Alice Waters (1944–) is the owner and executive chef of the landmark restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. Waters’s commitment to using local, seasonal products has defined Chez Panisse’s daily menu since it opened in 1971. Nationwide attention to the restaurant publicized her efforts to link the farm to the table. It helped launch a movement for sustainable agriculture, which stimulated a rebirth of independent, small-scale food producers across the country. A role model of the restaurateur-activist, Waters has become a leading advocate for making fresh, high-quality foods commonly available, from public schools to the White House. She is credited with fostering the widespread accessibility of organic foods and the resurgence of community farmers’ markets.