Advancing the SDGs in Canada: Updates on FSC’s Engagement

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 - 3:51pm

Advancing the SDGs in Canada: Updates on FSC’s Engagement

Food Secure Canada has been working to identify and advance innovative approaches to our food systems that align with Canada's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our aim is to use the SDGs as a guide to promote civil society objectives and document food system innovations that help Canada advance the Sustainable Development Goals, especially 1, 2, 3, 12, and 13.

Since 2019, we've made some major progress. Here's a quick update on what we've accomplished, and what we've figured out so far.

To achieve our project goals, we have conducted research, organized public events, and released policy backgrounders, among other efforts. Some examples of our achievements include a research paper on school food as a pathway to meeting multiple SDGs and targets, a study on the barriers to sustainable food consumption among low-income groups (with a post-COVID-19 update), and three screenings and panel discussions of the film "Food for the Rest of Us" that brought together food system actors to discuss lessons and solutions.

As we delve deeper into our work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Canada by 2030, we've identified the adoption of strong, civil-society informed policies as a crucial pathway necessary for success. We also firmly believe that action must be taken to address the existing dynamics of oppression and systemic obstacles faced by racialized and Indigenous peoples in achieving full equality, especially as the COVID-19 crisis and climate change continue to accentuate these issues.

So far, we have recommended several actions to overcome these challenges, such as establishing a universal livable income floor beneath which no one can fall and ensuring that those disproportionately experiencing food insecurity lead and coordinate appropriate and distinct responses - among other direct suggestions that are archived on our Eat, Think, Vote website

Stay tuned for more updates on our progress in making a difference towards achieving the SDGs in Canada!