Canadians Being Asked to Look at Food Policy
Monday, May 02, 2011
We are hearing more and more in the news about food policy. And for good reason. The issue of hunger is not going away, but that's not the only reason for looking more closely at food policies.
Our daily bread isn't merely about getting enough. There are many other factors to consider. Are we getting the right nutrition? Is the way in which we are growing and raising food the best we can do to preserve the environment or protect biodiversity? Are we protecting farm livelihoods for the future? What about diet-related diseases and the impact on our health care?
This discussion has been going on for some time now, but articles like
this one in the Globe and Mail are putting the issue front and centre. In this article Jessica Leeder opens the discussion for an even wider Canadian audience.
Where do you stand on these issues? It used to be you could narrowly define someone by these issues politically, but there are too many entry points to this issue now to lump people together. In the end, we all have a stake in this discussion: consumers need to better understand producers, farmers need to understand consumers, and policy-makers need to learn from the dialogue happening at the grassroots level.
A lot of organizations have emerged in cities, provincially and nationally to work on this issue in the last several years.
Canadian Foodgrains Bank, with its focus on ending hunger internationally, promotes dialogue and encourages people to learn about food and how it brings us all together, whether it's around the kitchen table, at the grocery store, or in farmers' fields. It's all about food and it matters!
If you are in the East Coast this June, consider attending the Atlantic Food Justice Camp to learn more through participatory field trips and faith-based discussion.
James Kornelsen is Public Engagement Coordinator at Canadian Foodgrains Bank and enjoys the chance to connect with farmers of all varieties across the country.
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