If Food Were in the Throne Speech…

Listen to food leaders from across Canada for a webinar on what’s wrong with our food system and how we can fix it!

On World Food Day - October 16, 2013 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT

Parliament reconvenes in Ottawa on World Food Day.  

Watch the webinar.

Hear first hand from people on the front lines of Canada’s broken food system present what is wrong with our system and how it can be fixed: a Prairie farmer fighting for food sovereignty, a Northern researcher documenting how climate change is impacting Indigenous foods systems, someone from the East Coast working to harvest fish sustainably and organizations who face the reality of food insecure Canadians every day.  

The discussion was hosted by Diana Bronson from Food Secure Canada, with the very smart and funny Wayne Roberts, author The Non Nonsense Guide to World Food.

Our presenters:

(Guest): Wayne Roberts is a Canadian food policy analyst and writer, widely respected for his role as the manager of the Toronto Food Policy Council. As a leading member of the City of Toronto’s Environmental Task Force, he helped develop a number of official plans for the city, adopted by Toronto City Council.  In 2011, he received the University of Toronto Arbor Award for his role in establishing food studies as a field of study at University of Toronto. In 2008, Roberts received the Canadian Eco-Hero Award presented by Planet in Focus. In 2002, he received the Canadian Environment Award for his contributions to sustainable living. Roberts chaired the influential and Toronto-based Coalition for a Green Economy for 15 years. He has also served on the Board of the U.S.-based Community Food Security Coalition and FSC.

Norma Kassi was raised in Old Crow, Yukon. She is Vuntut Gwitchin (People of the Lakes) and a member of the Wolf Clan. In 1985, she was elected into Yukon’s Legislative Assembly as Member for Vuntut Gwitchin, a position she held until 1992. During this time, she was elected spokesperson on behalf of the Gwitchin people for the preservation of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, currently at risk due to the proposed oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In 1991 she was awarded the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation and Achievement Award, and the Goldman Prize in 2002, one of the world’s highest profile awards for Conservation. From 1995 to 1998, she was the Environmental Manager for the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN). In this capacity, she headed the CYFN Northern Contaminants Program, and was Chair of the Centre for Indigenous People Nutrition and Environment. She co-founded the Arctic Institute of Community-Based Research and worked as Co-Director until she was elected Chief of Vuntut Gwitchin in November 2010.

Terry Boehm has had a long involvement with the National Farmers' Union (NFU), having served for many years on the Board of Directors as Vice President, and now as President.  He has been analyzing legislation, trade agreements, government papers and reports, academic journals and reports and corporate data as part of his work for the NFU. He has developed a keen interest and expertise in rail transport legislation, international trade, biotechnology, intellectual property issues (mainly as they relate to seed), seed legislation and variety registration systems in Canada. He is actively working on the Canadian Wheat Board, the Canadian Grain Commission, and Supply Management.  He is asked to speak at numerous national and international events on many of these subject areas.

Beau Gillis  pursued a BSc at Acadia University followed by a BEd at Dalhousie in 1995. From here he adventured all over the map, from tree planting in Alberta and British Columbia, teaching English as a Second Language in Korea, teaching high school physics and chemistry in South Carolina and Halifax, to travels through South East Asia, India, Turkey and Greece. Still, fishing was in his blood – his grandfathers, great-uncles, uncles, and brothers have all been fishing captains. After marrying and having a son along the way, Beau returned to Freeport in 2004  to take up fishing once more. The first few seasons he crewed on lobster boats, and in 2008 he bought his own boat and bottom hook and line license. In the summer, Beau fishes for groundfish alone in a small 36’ boat, inspired by seeing an old video of his grandfather doing so in the 1970s… and because there hasn’t been enough Halibut quota for him to pay a fair wage to a mate.