A new Recipe for Change from FoodShare Toronto

Author: Lauren Baker

Posted: June 8, 2010

Categories: News from Sustain Ontario

Canadians crave Federal Action on Student Nutrition

Last week FoodShare Toronto (Canada’s largest community food security organization) released the results of a public opinion poll related to school food and food literacy programs: 85% of Canadians support the idea of providing universal access to healthy snacks and lunches for all school aged children across Canada.

Canada is the only nation in the former G8 that has no universal student nutrition policy and no federal funding for student nutrition programs. In Ontario, one in every nine children lives in poverty and rates of diabetes and obesity are skyrocketing.

The serious consequences of these trends for children’s health and educational outcomes are foreseeable. This issue will negatively impact Ontario’s health care costs and future economy.

FoodShare’s poll is connected to their longstanding and innovative work on student nutrition. A new FoodShare campaign, “Recipe for Change” is mobilizing students, educators, families, farmers, policy makers, and key decision makers to become involved in integrating cooking, gardening, composting, nutrition and food literacy into many aspects of the provincial curriculum and school practice from JK to grade 12.

Doing so will provide youth with the knowledge of where their food comes from, while empowering them to make healthy choices for themselves.

“It is time for the Federal Government to join the provinces and cities in funding student nutrition programs. With diabetes and obesity on the rise and childhood poverty a continued problem in Canada, the Federal Government needs to get involved.”
– Lori Nikkel, Director of FoodShare School Programs

FoodShare’s public opinion survey found:

• 86% of respondents supported developing a provincial plan to “support farmers who grow food to be delivered to school cafeterias and student nutrition programs”;
• 82% endorsed food literacy programming in schools;
• 77% favoured banning fast food chains from providing food services in schools;
• 71% endorsed the idea of local food purchasing policies for public institutions;
• 70% supported mandatory cafeterias and kitchens in new schools;
• 66% favoured a ban on “all junk food advertising in media aimed at children.”

The poll also found that 93% agreed there are “simple things that could be done to reduce childhood obesity and diabetes” and that 84% were aware that “rising diabetes and obesity” have been identified as a national health crisis by some experts.

“An overwhelming majority of Canadians understand that we are facing a food-related health crisis and that issues like diabetes and obesity are threatening the next generation of Canadians. These findings speak for themselves; it is time for Federal Action on Student Nutrition.”
- Debbie Field, Executive Director of FoodShare

FoodShare Toronto, now its 26th year, works with communities to improve access to healthy, affordable, sustainably produced food through community-based programs and policy recommendations.

For the full poll results and more information, please contact:

Debbie Field, Executive Director
416.363.6441, ext. 228 or debbie@foodshare.net