Food Secure Canada Welcomes UN Report on Right to Food Calls on Government to Take Action

For immediate release.

MONTREAL. 7 February 2013 – Food Secure Canada welcomes the report of the UN Special rapporteur on the right to food on Canada and hopes the Government will take its recommendations seriously. This report is the product of a mission to Canada undertaken last spring, at the invitation of the Government of Canada, that included several briefings organized by Food Secure Canada members in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg.  The report will be formally presented to the UN Council on Human Rights on March 4 in Geneva.

“This report echoes many of the concerns our members have had for years,” said Diana Bronson, Executive Director of Food Secure Canada.  “There are over 2 million people in this country who are severely or moderately food insecure.  Hunger is rampant in many Native and northern communities and government policies have not yet adequately addressed the issue of the right to food in Canada.  In addition, we have long-term health and agricultural policy issues that need attention and the best way for that to happen is to begin elaborating a national food policy, as called for in Resetting the Table: A People’s Food Policy for Canada.”

Canada is a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and, as such, has a legal obligation to respect, protect and fulfill the right to food.  The Special Rapporteur has a mandate to undertake investigations on the right to food as it is defined in the Covenant in all world regions. He was invited to come to Canada and his report includes constructive recommendations on actions that could be taken to enhance the right to food for Canadians. 

Food Secure Canada members think this report is so important that FSC is organizing two national interactive webinars with the Special Rapporteur to discuss the findings on March 4 and 5^th (in English and French respectively). People will be gathering in community centres, food banks, and educational institutions right across the country to participate.  “Our members sincerely hope that this report will be neither shelved nor dismissed,” said Bronson.  “A national conversation on the right to food, and a national public policy framework for food are long overdue.”

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Food Secure Canada is a national membership based organization working towards zero hunger, healthy and safe food and sustainable food systems in a perspective of food sovereignty.

More information or additional comment:

Diana Bronson:  514 271 7352; cell 514 629 9236 or director@foodsecurecanada.org