Bits and Bytes April 2014

3 Days Left! Submit your Proposal for FSC's Assembly

The deadline to submit an activity is this Friday, April 18th. We have already received many great proposals. Don't miss sharing your work at this amazing gathering. Submit your proposal today!

Join the wave and partner with us by becoming an assembly sponsor. More information here.

New Report on Northern Food Insecurity

Food insecurity in Northern Canada, particularly amongst Aboriginal peoples, is a crisis we can no longer ignore. The Inuit suffer the highest food insecurity rates of any aboriginal people in a developed country. Thanks to a recent report by the Council of Canadian Academies, we now have a scientific, government-commissioned document confirming this crisis. Food Secure Canada and our allies who work on food insecurity in the North are pleased with the report: "Aboriginal Food Security in Northern Canada", which outlines a food sovereignty and human rights framework to illuminate the complex issue of food insecurity in the North. Unfortunately, due to the Council’s mandate, the report stops short of making any recommendations for how to remedy the situation. The Federal Government has not yet reacted.

What are your recommendations to address food insecurity in Northern Canada?  Post your comments on our website.

GMOs:  Victory on GM Alfalfa Amidst Growing Concern!

There is more and more noise and concern about GM crops these days.  Thanks to the campaign by the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) and to the immense relief of farmers across the country, there will be no spring release of GM alfalfa -- something that could have threatened the whole organic industry in Canada.

In March, FSC Executive Director Diana Bronson participated in a seminar on the environmental and health implications of GMO-pesticide crops, hosted by the CRIIGEN (Committee for Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering) in France where an overview was provided of the research of the past 15 years, largely under the direction of molecular biologist Dr. Gilles-Eric Séralini. Read about it here.

Right to Food Rapporteur Completes His Mandate

Olivier de Schutter made a brief but significant appearance on the Canadian national stage in 2012. His findings after a 10-day cross-Canada study mission earned him a public dismissal by senior cabinet ministers.  Rarely has a UN official been treated so poorly during an official mission. However, civil society organizations who had the opportunity to meet with him were impressed by his depth of knowledge on complex issues and his willingness to listen to the experiences of people and organizations with first hand knowledge of food insecurity in Canada, our agricultural system, our levels of poverty and our escalating rates of diet-related illness. We shall be forever grateful that he aired many of the issues we care so deeply about on the international stage. 

Thank you to Mr. De Schutter, and Food Secure Canada wishes the best of luck to his successor, Hilal Elver. See this article on his last report by former FSC Steering Committee member Stuart Clark.

A Food Strategy for Canada?

On March 18, 2014, the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC) launched its much-anticipated Industry-led vision of a Canadian Food Strategy.  On first read, the strategy seems to resonate with the goals of Food Secure Canada and its members – that all Canadians should be food secure, have access to healthy and safe food provided by a sustainable food system that ensures industry prosperity.  But if you dig a little deeper, it becomes clear that these goals are all subject to the first, and primary goal of ensuring industry prosperity.  Read more.

Meet Jennifer, Our New Institutional Food Program Manager!

Jennifer Reynolds has recently joined the FSC team as the Institutional Food Program Manager in Montreal. Jennifer will be working strategically with institutions and the supply chain to increase local, sustainable, healthy food on the public plate. Welcome Jennifer! Read more.

FSC at PowerShift Atlantic and Food Justice Update

From March 28 to April 2nd, Nydia was in K'jipuktuk/Halifax to both attend PowerShift Atlantic and meet local organizations in preparation to FSC’s Assembly, which will take place in Halifax this November. The main focus of these meetings was structural racism that would help paint a comprehensive picture of the region's food systems. Read more.

Webinar: Helping Parents Build Healthier Kids. Hosted by The Nutrition Resource Centre (OPHA) . April 17, 2014. Sign up now.

Webinar: Community Food Councils: Challenges and Opportunities. Hosted by UNC School of Government. April 17, 2014. Sign up now.

Webinar: Keeping Your Seed Crop Healthy. Hosted by The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. April 23, 2014. Sign up now.

Webinar: What's Race Got to Do with It: Food, Diversity and Inclusion. Hosted by FSC. April 29, 2014. Sign up now.

See full events calendar and post your own! 

JOIN FOOD SECURE CANADA We offer a sliding scale of membership depending on your organization's budget, but if you are unable to meet any of these rates, call us or send us an email. We'll be happy to discuss possibilities of other forms of collaboration.