Bits and Bytes | News from the Food Movement - May 2016


We are pleased to announce the opening of Early Bird Registration for Resetting the Table, Food Secure Canada’s 9th Assembly with an appetizing preliminary program! But the Assembly is not the only event on the menu. We also invite you to participate in a food sovereignty discussion at the World Social Forum in Montreal this August 2016. In this newsletter you’ll find links to hot topics of agriculture policy consultations, GM campaigns, climate change and food waste… some of the key issues that need to be addressed with national food policies that will support a healthy, just and sustainable food system.
	Resetting The Table: Early bird registration now open Resetting the Table, Food Secure Canada’s 9th Assembly (Toronto - October 13 - 16, 2016) promises to be our most exciting, diverse and largest yet, nested in a city where the food movement thrives in every neighbourhood. We all have something to bring to the table to create a healthy, just and sustainable food system for all. Register today! [Read More]
	WORLD SOCIAL FORUM 2016: LET'S TALK ABOUT FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN MONTREAL As a pan-Canadian alliance of organizations and individuals working together to advance food security and sovereignty, FSC invites the public and experts to gather for a grand banquet of ideas at the World Social Forum 2016, which will take place August 9 - 14 in Montreal. [Read More]
	AN OVERVIEW OF THE CANADIAN AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD SYSTEM 2016 An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada report measures of the strength of the agriculture sector and its contribution to Canada’s economy. [Read More]
	WE NEED FOOD POLICY ACTION FOR HEALTH EQUITY A national food policy should unite the efforts of scholars, entrepreneurs and advocates across fields, break down barriers between government departments, and allow us to overcome the connected challenges of unsustainable food production, climate change, and diet. [Read More]
	MANDATORY LABELING OF GMOS: A MATTER OF ETHICS AND JUSTICE Vigilance OGM launched the Demand Labeling! campaign for mandatory GMO labeling in Quebec. The campaign, which demands the right to know what can be found on our farms and on our plates, is allied with both the North American movement for GMO labeling and the global movement for more local and less chemical agriculture. [Read More]
Other News: [Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada]: next agricultural policy framework — share your experiences and ideas Federal, provincial and territorial governments are currently working together to develop the next agricultural policy framework to launch April 1, 2018. They are currently seeking feedback to shape the direction of future policy and programs for the agriculture and agri-food sector. [Read more] [CFCC] Trash talking: the problem with trying to solve hunger with corporate food waste "Let’s not conflate a food waste strategy with a poverty reduction strategy," says Nick Saul CEO and President of Community Food Centres Canada. [Read more] [CBAN] Stop GM alfalfa A limited amount of genetically modified (GM) alfalfa has been sold, for the first time ever, in Canada for spring 2016 planting. Alfalfa is an important crop for family farmers across Canada and for the production of many organic foods. The contamination risk with GM alfalfa is very high because alfalfa is an insect-pollinated perennial plant with tiny seeds. [Read more] [SeedMap] New report helps Canada tackle food security and climate change The Canadian Food Security Policy Group, a coalition of 26 international development agencies, released of a new report on global food security and climate resilience. [Read more] [The Guardian] Monsanto, Dow, Syngenta: rush for mega-mergers puts food security at risk Recent deals in the global agrochemical and seed industry, driven by financial motivations, are a threat to farmers, prices and the environment. [Read more]
		Save the Date: National Student Food Summit June 17 - 19, 2016 Waterloo, Ontario The Meal Exchange National Student Food Summit is Canada's largest student food leadership retreat. Students from across Canada come together to share experience, connect with experts and work with the Meal Exchange network to build more just and sustainable food systems on their own campuses and across Canada. [More info] Scarborough Fare: Global Foodways and Local Foods in a Transnational City June 22 - 25, 2016 Toronto, Ontario The University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) is pleased to host the Joint 2016 Annual Meetings and Conference of the Association for the Study of Food and Society; the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society; and the Canadian Association for Food Studies – the first time the three organizations have met together. The conference emphasizes the changing nature of food production, distribution, and consumption as people, goods, foods and culinary and agricultural knowledge move over long distances and across cultural and national borders. [More info] VIEW COMPLETE EVENTS CALENDAR