BITS AND BYTES SEPTEMBER 2014

NEW!
ANNOUNCING WAVES OF CHANGE PROGRAM

Thanks to the breadth, depth and diversity of the food movement, we have an incredible program to offer you for our upcoming assembly in Halifax.  Waves of Change: Sustainable Food For All will feature 3 plenaries, 50 concurrent sessions, 5 tours, a feast and much more.  Over 170 people have already registered for this event that you won’t want to miss.

Promote your organization (Table or advertise): We have tables in the foyer of the Habourfront Marriott Hotel and advertising space in our program.  Space is limited!

Bursary Application Open - We realize that the cost of attending the assembly is higher than many of us can afford.  We strongly encourage you to fundraise locally (check out these helpful tips) and apply for a partial bursary.  

Special thanks to our generous sponsors without them we wouldn't have an Assembly!

OCTOBER 16, 2014: WORLD FOOD DAY

In one month exactly, we will be celebrating World Food Day with a special focus this year on Family Farming. By choosing the “Feeding the world, caring for the earth” slogan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is highlighting the significant role of family farming around the world.

Are you holding a World Food Day event?

Food Secure Canada is offering you its website and a press release to promote it. An interactive map will be created online before the big day to locate events happening across Canada in the hopes that it will help create public and media awareness for this dynamic food movement. If you would like to be a part of it, please fill out the Webform by October 7th. Don’t wait a minute longe

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PEOPLE'S SOCIAL FORUM: REPORT FROM THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ASSEMBLY

Around 30 people gathered for the Food and Agriculture thematic assembly of the People's Social Forum on Saturday August the 24th.

This gathering was the occasion to: 

- Share our different geographical and thematic experiences that are part of the Canadian food movement
- Evaluate the political challenges and opportunities that this present moment offers to our various organizations and struggles.
- Discuss the Peoples' Food Policy initiative before opening up to proposals for the future.

Read more

INSTITUTIONAL FOOD PROGRAM UPDATE

The Institutional Food Program, funded by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation’s Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, seeks to increase the supply of fresh, local and sustainable food in public institutions in Canada, thereby prompting supply chain shifts towards more sustainable food production and systems.

Food Secure Canada will be supporting the recently announced grantees of the McConnell Foundation’s Institutional Food Fund with technical support and coordinating a learning group. The eight grantees will be making changes to procurement in campus, health care and school settings, and the learning group will provide an opportunity for the projects to learn from each other’s successes and challenges along with experts in the field. 

For more information about the program contact Jennifer Reynolds

ACORN PROGRAM AND REGISTRATION NOW OPENS!

Join the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN) in Halifax, November 12-14th, for Honouring Our Roots, Sowing Our Future–ACORN's 15th Annual Conference and Trade Show! Register online before Sunday, September 28th and receive the early-bird (discounted!) rate and a chance to win a free night's stay at the Halifax Harbourfront Marriott Hotel (the Conference location for both ACORN & FSC)! 

Register now to secure your participation for three full days of over 50 workshops covering a wide range of food and farming topics, including farm wellness and management; season extension; community food skills and much, much more! ACORN will also feature a special, 4-course, 100% Organic Banquet on November 13th, preceding Dr. Vandana Shiva's keynote address. For full details, please visit our website and join the Facebook event here! 

CANADA BLOCKS INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S RIGHTS

Once again Canada has fallen out of step with the international community on Indigenous Peoples' right to free, prior and informed consent.  This time, it is at global negotiations on Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI), taking place at the Committee on World Food Security in Rome.  When Canada failed to endorse the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, national and international pressure worked. Its time to do that again. Check out this backgrounder  on the negotiations in Rome. And get in touch with Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird (john.baird@international.gc.ca, 613 995 1851, twitter: @HonJohnBaird) and let him know that there can be no responsible agricultural investment without the consent of First Nations.

To learn more about RAI

BUSINESS BOOTCAMP REBOOT - *Free access

The popular Food Business Bootcamp is back again this fall, focusing this time on all things Operations. Learn how to manage workflow and staffing, what the best IT solution is for your enterprise, the ins and outs of food safety and post harvest handling, regulatory compliance and risk management.

The Bootcamp fall session will launch on Sept 24th with “Information technology: choosing the right systems for your food enterprise.” The session provides a framework for food hubs to assess their technology needs, structure a search for technology solutions and evaluate and select the right technology solutions for their needs. The webinar is presented by Saloni Doshi of New Venture Advisors. To learn more about the session and to sign up, click here.

Upcoming Events

HOW TO GROW MUSHROOMS WITH SHELLY LAMBERT AND LUKASZ WOZNIAK

September, 20

Hosted by Just Food Farm

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2ND WORLD SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES CONGRESS

September, 21-25
Mexico

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WILD EDIBLES AND MEDICINAL PLANTS WITH AMBER WESTFALL

September, 27

Hosted by Just Food Farm

Read more

See full events calendar