FSC News
Announcement of the 2014 FSC Assembly!
The moment you have all been waiting for is finally here!
We received an impressive selection of proposals to host our 2014 Assembly, each a testament to the vibrancy of the food movement. After much consideration, we are thrilled to announce that FSC’s 2014 Assembly will be held in Nova Scotia in partnership with FoodArc of the Mount Saint Vincent University. Congratulations!
For the first time ever, we will take the Assembly to the Maritimes and show support to the wonderful work on the ground (and in the water!) to bring forth more just and sustainable food systems in Canada.
Thank you to all the organizers that submitted proposals.
FSC 2013 AGM Announcement
The 2013 Annual General Meeting will be held in Montreal on November 27.
In the coming months, individual and organizational members will be called to make important decisions on the future of FSC. Indeed, members will be called to vote on serious issues such as new membership and governance structures to be adopted.
This democratic process is not possible without you. Don’t wait any longer and become a member today.
Members are the heart and lungs of FSC. Without our loyal members, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish the crucial work we are doing throughout Canada. Go on our website and take a look at the organizations that are part of FSC.
The name of your organization isn’t on that list? What are you waiting for? Join the ranks of these organizations and support FSC in its efforts to bring forth sustainable, just and healthy food systems for all.
Has your membership expired inadvertently? Or are you unsure of the status of your membership? Drop a quick note to Nydia and she’ll be happy to look at your membership with you: Nydia@foodsecurecanada.org.
You can also join as an individual member for either $10 or $30.
Food Justice at FSC
Last month, friends and allies of FSC met again via teleconference for a discussion on the different obstacles associated with addressing food justice in Canada. Amongst other topics, we talked about the racialization of food systems (the who, what, where, and how of the production, transformation and consumption of food) and struggles for food sovereignty in this country. Numerous organizations are already carrying out food justice work without working in collaboration.
We hope to facilitate networking amongst these actors. Also, we identified the importance of creating a space for individuals faced with food injustice to share their stories and shed light on their reality. In the coming months, we will also explore alternative expressions of social justice and, in the same spirit as the People's Food Policy Project, we will look at the possibility of having kitchen table talks on food justice.
We aim to be at the forefront of facilitating critical dialogue and strategic action on food justice issues facing an increasingly diverse and multicultural Canada.
The group will meet in Montreal in the Fall at FSC's AGM. If you would like to get involved with this dynamic new collaboration, contact Nydia@foodsecurecanada.org.
Food, Fish, Farms and Finance Event in Review
“It’s a home run waiting to happen,” said Michael  Shuman as he described untapped potential for local investing. Shuman’s talk May 25 capped the first of two days in the Food, Farms, Fish and Finance conference at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto. Participants were treated to a program jam-packed with useful information on creative ways new and small food businesses can access capital. Continue reading.
Funders Hold Session on Food Security
There is a growing interest in food in the funding ![]() community! Two key umbrella organizations of funders, the Community Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers' Network hosted a joint session entitled Chew On This: Understanding the growing movement around food, equity, environment and health at the recent CFC 2013 Conference in Winnipeg.
FSC Executive Director Diana Bronson provided a Ted-talk style presentation about food systems and the food movement. Continue reading.
8th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Food Studies
The eighth annual meeting of the Canadian Association for Food Studies was held June 1 – 4th in Victoria, British Columbia, a component of the much larger Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. According to their Mission statement, the Canadian Association for Food Studies promotes critical, interdisciplinary scholarship in the broad area of food systems. This commitment was apparent in the impressive diversity of topics and presentations throughout the event. While it is not uncommon for academia to seem distant from “the reality on the ground”, the considerable contributions past, present and future, of the CAFS members was evident in many of the sessions. Read all about it here.
Local Food Procurement on the Hill
On June 17th, NDP Member of Parliament from  Quebec, Anne Mihn-Thu Quach, introduced a Private Member’s Bill C-359, entitled An Act to Promote Local Foods. Food Secure Canada and various of our members were consulted in the crafting of the Act, including longtime local food procurement champions Farm to Cafeteria Canada and Local Food Plus, among others. Private member’s bills cannot include any provisions that would necessitate spending funds nor imposing taxes. Nevertheless, Ms. Quach’s bill proposes the creation of a pan-Canadian local foods strategy that, if passed, could positively benefit local food systems and producers across Canada. Continue reading.
Municipal Food Policy Entrepreneurship
 Municipal and regional governments are increasingly engaged in food policy work. This won't be surprising to Food Secure Canada members who have been working on local food issues in their communities, often in partnership with municipal and regional government.
A newly published scan of this activity, released earlier this month by the Toronto Food Policy Council, Vancouver Food Policy Council and Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute and written by Rod MacRae and Kendal Donahue from the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University, documents over 60 municipal or regional food policy initiatives across the country. More on this report.
FSC Welcomes a New Intern!
We are thrilled to welcome a new intern to our team. Meet Andrew Garami!
 Andrew will be joining FSC for the Summer 2013 as a part of his Cooperative Education Program at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montréal. With an education in finance, and having worked for several years in the administration of not-for-profit organizations, he is looking forward to contributing to FSC's growth by supporting financial and administrative projects. Although he is new to the food movement, Andrew expects to assimilate quickly because of his shared values of equality, responsibility, integrity, and dedication.
Book Review: Health and Sustainability in the Canadian Food System
![]() The work of creating healthy, just and sustainable food systems takes many hands, hearts and minds. A recent book entitled “Health and Sustainability in the Canadian Food System: Advocacy and Opportunity for Civil Society” contributes greatly to the collective knowledge necessary to achieve our goals. Edited by Rod MacRae and Elisabeth Abergel, the volume pulls together the work of some of Canada’s leading academics with a view to advancing the efficacy of civil society organizations’ (CSOs) efforts to positively impact food and agriculture policy in our country. Read the book review.
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