Vital Signs 2013: Checking the pulse of Canada’s food system
Posted: October 3, 2013
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites / Research
Released on Tuesday, October 1st by Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), Fertile Ground: Sowing the seeds of change in Canada’s food system presents a holistic perspective on the state of Canada’s food system. As part of CFC’s national Vital Signs program, the report states that “the future of food will be one of the all-encompassing issues of our time” due to its natural connection with existing economic, social and environmental concerns. As described by Ian Bird, President of Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) in the press release:
“Momentum is building around food. Canadians are already driving change locally on many different fronts, from community food centres and farmers’ markets, to healthier snacks in schools, and restaurateurs with 100-mile menus, we are transforming our relationship with food. But we need to see the whole picture to have the impact we want.”
Fertile Grounds begins by highlighting how Canada’s current efforts to respond to hunger and malnutrition (charity organizations and nutrition campaigns) are only acting as temporary solutions to a challenged food system. Using recent statistics, the authors noted that while health promotion campaigns and food donations have increased in recent years, they have done little to resolve the underlying issue of poverty and social inequality. Moreover, such efforts have often ignored or excluded the most marginalized populations in Canada, including First Nations groups, ultimately leaving them more vulnerable to cultural and food insecurity.
Following the issues of hunger and malnutrition, the report questioned the sustainability of Canada’s commercially driven food system in light of the long-term costs of intensive agriculture on the environment. Remarking on the symbiotic relationship between environmental degradation and food security, the report notes how “irrigation demands, the use of pesticides and herbicides, waste disposal problems, and long distance transportation all take a toll on our soil, air and water, essential pollinators like bees, and on food itself”.
In line with the environmental costs of intensive agriculture, CFC concluded their report by mentioning the effects of agribusiness on Canada’s farming community. Most importantly, due to the pressures of commercial markets, the growing number of aging farmers, and financial barriers for new or experienced farmers, the number of productive farms in Canada continues to decline, thus posing a threat to agricultural yield, local food accessibility, and rural identity.
In an attempt to develop meaningful response from the issues presented in Fertile Ground, the CFC has since launched a new campaign using social media entitled #3Things4Food. “We’re asking Canadians and their communities to consider three things they can do for food,” said Ian Bird. “Let’s start a broader conversation about food in our communities – one that isn’t focused only on hunger.”
For further information read Fertile Grounds and the 3Things4Food leaflet, or contact:
or
David Venn, Communications Manager (dvenn@communityfoundations.ca)