People’s Food Policy Project – participation guide
Posted: October 23, 2009
Categories: Food in the News / News from Sustain Ontario
The People’s Food Policy Project aims to unite the voices of Canadians to develop the People’s Food Policy, which will be based in the principles of food sovereignty and provide the framework for a just and sustainable food system in Canada. The people behind this project include farmers, fishers, community / health workers, eaters, cooks, academics, policy wonks, small business owners and more. We all feel that the time is now to unite our efforts to restructure our food system. This document outlines how you and your organization can contribute your food policy ideas to build a food sovereign Canada.
We need your ideas!
Between May 2009 and November 2010, hundreds of Canadians will participate in developing Canada’s first national food policy, the People’s Food Policy. This is a unique opportunity for you to contribute to a non-governmental, collective, democratic process that will form the basis for future actions to improve our food systems in Canada.
We are committed to Food Sovereignty as a set of guiding principles and values for this project. The backbone of food sovereignty and this project is a belief that we should have a say in our food systems. A series of pamphlets about food sovereignty are available on our website: www.peoplesfoodpolicy.ca. We invite you to download, print and share these pamphlets.
Building on what’s been done, gathering our ideas
What are your policy recommendations for food sovereignty in Canada? There are two ways to go about answering that question:
1. Research and Recommendations: Some organizations have already written reports, done research and submitted policy proposals to governments. If this is the case for your organization, please pull together existing policy recommendations that apply to the federal government and fit them into our policy submission template OR send us your report.
2. Have a conversation about food sovereignty and policy: During a staff meeting, at an existing event (e.g.: provincial food meetings or conferences), or around your kitchen table – there are many venues or settings that could be used to harvest some policy ideas! See below for some questions to get the conversation rolling.
Send us your policy ideas
Please complete the Policy Submission Template (below) based on the recommendations that emerge from your research or conversations. Please note that this submission does not need to be a polished, elaborate product – broad ideas in point form are fine. You can either email it to us at: policysubmissions@gmail.com or upload it directly on our website at: www.peoplesfoodpolicy.ca.
The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2009
What happens after this?
Your policy suggestions will be given to our Policy Writing Teams (there are nine teams each addressing a broad theme outlined in question #2 in the Policy Submission Template below – please see our website for more information on our structure and process). Each of the 9 teams will produce a chapter summarizing the many policy submissions related to that chapter. Once the summaries are ready, they will be circulated to all who contributed policy ideas (i.e.: you) for feedback. In phase II of the project (April – November 2010) we will be bringing these chapters to a larger audience for commentary and feedback. In November 2010 the People’s Food Policy will be publicly launched. At that point, we will develop a strategy for how to move collectively towards the vision reflected in the People’s Food Policy.
Conversation starters
Here are some questions that may help you start your food policy conversation. Again, we strongly recommend using the pamphlet series Stories of Food Sovereignty as a starting point for your conversation (available at: www.peoplesfoodpolicy.ca).
Please note that while this project is focused on federal policy development, it may be useful to keep the discussion open to all policy options so that this also feeds your local or regional interests.
Stories of Food Sovereignty
1. What are the stories of food sovereignty from our communities and our work? Which of the pillars does your story touch on? Does part of the story work against any of the pillars (eg.: organic farms that employ under-paid migrant workers)?
2. What would we like to see more of (or less of) in our communities or work (e.g.: access to local produce and sustainably farmed fish in grocery stores)? What policies would support this? What policies are preventing the proliferation of these stories?
Barriers
3. What are the barriers we are coming up against in our work? Have we gotten to the root of the problem?
4. What are the policy solutions to addressing these barriers? Have we defined the problem clearly enough to give focus and direction to the process of developing options to address the problem?
Solutions
5. What solutions are we proposing? Have we explored the solutions from different angles?
6. What are the policies, rules and regulations that would support these solutions? Is there existing policy that has the capacity to support these solutions?
Democracy, Citizen Engagement and Food Governance
7. What does democratizing the food system mean? What does ‘Localizing Control of the Food System’ mean?
8. How do we want to see citizen participation incorporated in future policy making? What process do we want?
9. What should be the role of the federal government in governing food? What should be the role of civil society? Of the private sector?
10. Do we need new structures to govern food at the federal level? What would it look like (e.g.: a ministry of food or a secretariat of food)?
If you have any questions or concerns, contact Amanda Sheedy at peoplesfoodpolicy@gmail.com or (514) 342-5291
Policy Submission Template
also available at http://peoplesfoodpolicy.ca/getinvolved
Submitted by (name):______________________________ email: ___________________________________
Organization (if applicable): ______________________________________
Place (municipality, province): _______________________ Date (of meeting, if applicable): ________________
The policy proposal comes from (e.g.: a kitchen table meeting, my organization’s work, a staff meeting, etc.):
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Number of people involved in developing this submission: ________________________
If the proposal comes from a group discussion, please send sign up sheets to Amanda at peoplesfoodpolicy@gmail.com or by fax: (514) 342-5291.
Please note – while you are not required to complete all sections, we do encourage you to complete as many sections as possible (add sheets of paper where needed).
Our deadline for submissions is December 1st, 2009.
1. STORY OF FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
Please share your story– a success or a struggle to attain food sovereignty (or both) – that your policy submission relates to. Or, simply tell us a food story that you think others should know about and draw inspiration from. (Maximum 500 words)
2. PRIMARY ISSUE(S) / SECTOR(S) – Please check the most relevant below (no more than 3).
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Indigenous food sovereignty |
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Sustainability and food |
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Poverty and access to food in rural and remote communities |
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Science, technology and food |
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Poverty and access to food in urban communities |
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Food, international? aid and trade |
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Agriculture, infrastructure and livelihoods |
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Food and human health |
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Fisheries, infrastructure and livelihoods |
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Other(Please specify)
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3. SECONDARY ISSUE(S) / THEME(S)
What is the more specific issue or theme that your policy addresses (e.g..: supply management, obesity crisis, livable income, genetically modified organisms, etc.)?
4. POLICY PROPOSAL TITLE
5. POLICY PROPOSAL
If you know the legislation and / or the regulation(s) that your proposal relates to, please include it. Be as specific as possible. (Maximum 500 words)
6. VISION OR BARRIER OR GAP
What is the vision (ex: the end of hunger) and / or barrier and / or gap that the policy addresses? (Maximum 500 words)
7. FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
Which of these principles / pillars of food sovereignty (below) does your policy proposal touch on? (please check up to 3 boxes) Is there something missing in these pillars? Do they need amending to fit our Canadian context? (Maximum 500 words)
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Food for People |
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Works with Nature |
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Values Food Providers |
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Builds Knowledge and Skills |
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Localizes the Food System |
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Other (please specify)
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Localizes Control of the Food System |
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8. RATIONALE
Why is your policy proposal important? Why is it timely? Why is it necessary for your region and / or nation and / or country, etc. (Maximum 500 words)
9. EVIDENCE
If available, please include any facts, references, or links to existing research or policy that supports your proposal. This can include individuals or organizations that are experts in the field (in this case, please provide contact information).
10. FOOD GOVERNANCE (Maximum 500 words)
(Definition of govern: to be responsible officially for directing the affairs, policies, and economy of a state, country, or organization; to decide, control, regulate, or direct something)
· What should be the role of the federal, provincial and municipal governments in governing food?
and/or
· Why do you think the policy you propose is the Federal Government’s responsibility?
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· What role should citizens, civil society, and other stakeholders in the food system play in making your proposed policy happen?
and/or
· What mechanisms would help us work across silos and jurisdictions?