Integrating local food security efforts to create a more comprehensive food system in the inner city.
Here in East Vancouver there are many great organizations doing good work to address food security issues in very tangible and meaningful ways. Take for example the Strathcona’s Back Back program providing fresh produce for children to take home, the WATARI Latin American Community Kitchens Program, Ray Cam’s It’s a Crock Community Kitchen, The DTES neighbourhood House Nutritional Outreach, or Britannia’s School Garden program, plus many more. We all recognize the power of good food in building healthy communities.
At the same time, limited funding and resources have strained the capacity of these programs to work more effectively together. All the while, many in our communities continue to struggle to put healthy food on their table. This situation is further exacerbated by the always rising cost of food and housing.
In response, Our Place has been convening organizations doing food work in the Strathcona, Grandview Woodland, and Hastings area to explore and learn how we can build a more integrated and comprehensive community food strategy that can better serve our community members. By working more effectively together, we can build a stronger voice for community food programing and systems change that can begin to build greater food security for all.
Access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food is a key indicator of good health. While governments from local to international have declared food security to be a basic human right, the responsibility to ensure that everyone is food secure and has access to good food, no matter their life situation, has fallen far short.
For more information, contact Ian Marcuse, Grandview Woodland Food Connection and Our Place Food Security Convener, 604-718-5895