Working together after federal elections 2019

These past few months, Canadians have demonstrated that now more than ever, food is an important issue. Through the #EatThinkVote campaign, thousands of Canadians spoke with federal candidates about issues such as food insecurity, childhood nutrition, and the link between food systems and environmental sustainability, including climate change. From coast to coast to coast, we worked with partners to host candidates from across political parties to engage in community-led discussions. Topics discussed also included the new food policy for Canada, the need for a universal healthy school food program, the importance of ecological food production and support for new and young farmers, and Indigenous food sovereignty. We would like to thank event hosts, candidates, citizens and our funders for having made this type of democratic engagement possible. 

With the release of the EAT-Lancet report earlier this year, which compellingly demonstrated that  “food is the single strongest lever to optimize human health and environmental sustainability on Earth,” followed by the International Panel on Climate Change report issued this summer and numerous other studies, Food Secure Canada is heartened to see the emergence of a global consensus regarding the importance of moving towards healthier, more just and more sustainable food systems. This trend underscores issues we and many others in the food movement have been advocating for over decades, namely, the need for a radical transformation in how we produce, distribute and access food.

As Canada prepares for the 43rd session of Parliament, Food Secure Canada is looking forward to working with the new government and elected officials across political parties to continue to develop and implement the Food Policy for Canada, including fulfilling  Canada’s commitments to the right to food, and in alignment with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. We have outlined some key priorities in a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau (based on Eat Think Vote policy backgrounders and other collectively developed policy materials), and we plan to be in touch with other party leaders in the coming days. While the results of the election reflect a strong diversity of political positions and regional variations, food is an issue that touches us all, and we are counting on Parliament to work together to advance the public interest. 

Going forward, we look forward to continued engagement with our members and the broader food movement as we work together to innovate, share and propose pathways to a better food future for all.