Canada: world food supplier, but with domestic problems

Issues discussed ranged from genetically modified foods, to exorbitant prices for basic foods in some parts of Canada, to corporate farming pushing family farms out of business,  hunger, making healthy food more available,  and much more.

The conference was called “Powering up: Food for the Future” and was organized by a non-profit national-network of groups and individuals called, "Food Secure Canada".

RCI’s Marc Montgomery spoke to Food Secure Canada executive director, Diana Bronson.

These and many other issues were discussed at the recent conference on “food for the future” held this past weekend in Edmonton, Alberta. This was the seventh annual conference of this nature organized by a Montreal-based group called Food Secure Canada

Executive Director Diana Bronson says the group develops policy suggestions on food issues for all levels of government and are lobbying the federal government to come up with a national policy to deal with the complex issues of food security, supply, cost, distribution, and environmenal issues.

She notes that issues like health and agriculture and trade are being dealt with separately, when they should be considered together as policies to help one sector, can have a negative effect upon another and have wide-reaching implications, from obesity rates and public health to climate change and economics.

Ms Bronson, says people are slowly becoming more aware of food issues, from what is being done to their food, to the environmental aspects, to ensuring food security in the country and so on.  As such she says it’s probably the right time for groups like hers and others to get more political and push governments to deal with these concerns.