FNO eBulletin - September 2010
kwic
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FoodNet eBulletin - September 2010
Table of Contents
1. Commentary
2. Making Connections: FoodNet Ontario Workshop and AGM
3. Resources
4. Events
5. Take Action
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1.Commentary
I am a big picture thinker and am fascinated by all the connections and links in my life. I am amazed at how even the smallest effect or consideration can ricochet through various activities and moments. It also can broaden both my experience and my social circle.
As a farmer, food activist and family food provider it makes sense that food in particular is part of my big picture. I appreciate the increasing focus on food systems - a term that recognizes the linkages and various components of the food we use to fuel our bodies. I appreciate the attempt to organize a diverse, creative and fairly personal subject into a system that will allow us analyze, measure, adapt and find common ground.
Wikipedia defines the term as follows: The term "food system" is used frequently in discussions about nutrition, food, health, community economic development and agriculture. A food system includes all processes involved in feeding a population: growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption, and disposal of food and food-related items. It also includes the inputs needed and outputs generated at each of these steps. A food system operates within and is influenced by social, political, economic and environmental contexts. It also requires human resources that provide labor, research and education.
The downside of the big picture is the distraction quotient. I get excited about all parts of the puzzle and sometimes fail to focus on the detail. Where is my energy and enthusiasm best directed? Can I share the big picture with others with similar passions - letting go of some of the pieces and then collaborating to a better process or result. All that is needed is a little structure and a system that includes all the pieces.
Joan Brady - FoodNet Coordinator
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2. Making Connections: FoodNet Ontario Workshop and Annual General Meeting
Monday, November 8; 9:30 4:00
Brescia Univertsity College Auditorium, London
Registration Fee: $40, $20 for students
Join us for this exciting opportunity to connect with others around food issues and solutions during this workshop co-sponsored by FNO, Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc., London Community Resource Centre and Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition.
"Making Connections" will feature Gord Hume, author of "The Local Food Revolution" as the key note speaker, followed by several presentations relating to food policy, innovative community programs and opportunities for networking with others who are passionate about food.
Click here for for more information about "Making Connections".<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Ffoodnetontario.ca%2Fwp%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F09%2FPoster-final-13Sept.pdf>
The 2010 FNO Annual General Meeting will be held from 3:30 - 4:00, immediately following the workshop. At this meeting we will review the recent activities of FNO, plan for the next year and elect the Coordinating Committee. All are welcome to attend the FNO AGM, although only registered members will be entitled to vote.
There is no charge if you would like to attend the AGM only - but please let us know you are coming by emailing in...@foodnetontario.ca<mailto:in...@foodnetontario.ca>. Workshop participants will be invited to stay for the FNO AGM - if you register for the workshop you do not need to register for the AGM.
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3. Resources <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Ffoodnetontario.ca%2Fwp%2F>
(a) Book: Agricultural Urbanism: Handbook for Building Sustainable Food Systems in 21st Century Cities<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fgreenfrigatebooks.com%2Fnew%2F> by Janine de la Salle and Mark Holland (Editors).
Awareness of the significant challenges our food supply system faces in the 21st century is growing rapidly. Agricultural Urbanism, rooted in a sustainable food systems approach and written by leaders in the planning and design fields, from the Vancouver area. It outlines a powerful strategy forunderstanding and taking action on the full-scope of sustainable food system opportunities in cities and how we can build them. The book takes sustainable food systems far beyond the community garden and the buying of local food, into strategies for supporting local food processing, wholesale and marketing, education and training programs, as well as celebrating and creating a culture around food, at the same time as ensuring access to healthy food for all.
(b) Growing Local Food Infrastructure in Ontario: a Literature Review<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ca%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D8%26ved%3D0CDQQFjAH%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flibrary.athabascau.ca%252Fdrr%252Fdownload.php%253Ffilename%253Dmais%252FCindyRutleyProject.pdf%26ei%3D0xSFTI-pIou1ngegybnKAQ%26usg%3DAFQjCNFJzlG9NuSzSqsg_jer5ts74Vs_Qw%26sig2%3DbVyAUWUvRq7-8Fonr_IhVw>
Even with greater public demand for local foods, Ontario local food infrastructure has been struggling to survive and thrive to compete with foods imported through large corporations. Local food infrastructure is composed of all the interdependent steps and actors that go into producing the food that is grown, raised, distributed and sold in a region. This includes the land on which food is grown, suppliers from which to purchase seeds, inputs, tools and machinery and storage facilities. It also includes processing and packaging facilities to transform raw products into value added products, shipping and distribution methods to deliver products to buyers and retailer outlets where products are sold. Local food infrastructure is an invaluable resource for farmers and entrepreneurs to run effective business, for connecting people to the foods they consume and for supporting a vibrant local food system.
(c) Transition Towns<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Ftransitiontowns.org%2FTransitionNetwork%2FTransitionInitiative>
It all starts off when a small collection of motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared concern: how can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?
Transition Towns is a model, used around the world, that leads communities through the process of planning for an uncertain future and investigating the very real concerns of peak oil and climate change. Community resilience is the goal and the process involves creating awareness, connecting with community groups, building bridges with municipal government, establishing working groups and conducting projects. Communities are encouraged to use the same resourcefulness and creativity that allowed them to incorporate energy use into their lives to reverse the trend to conversation and alternatives.
For information about the Transition Town movement in Ontario, contact the Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition.<mailto:in...@ohcc-ccso.ca?subject=Transition%20Towns>
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4. Events
(a) Championing Public Health Nutrition 2010
October 25-26, 2010
Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa
Sponsored by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest
"Championing Public Health Nutrition 2010," will explore leading edge developments in nutrition science and policy, the economic and public finance aspects of diet-related disease, sodium reduction, nutrition labelling on restaurant menus, school nutrition, child protection, national initiatives to coordinate food policies and strategies, public policy advocacy, and much more! Championing Public Health Nutrition 2010 is a "must-attend" event for federal, provincial or municipal policy-makers, health researchers, health journalists, nutrition-promoters, child and health advocates, educators, and anyone concerned about the diets of Canadians!
For more information see http://cspinet.org/canada/2010conference/registration.html<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fcspinet.org%2Fcanada%2F2010conference%2Fregistration.html>
(b) Healthy Communities and Planning for Food - A Harvest of Ideas
Ontario Professional Planners Institute Symposium
October 28 & 29, 2010
The Delta Hotel and Conference Centre, Guelph
OPPI's Healthy Communities, Sustainable Communities initiative and the corresponding release of PLANNING BY DESIGN: a healthy communities' handbook, have brought a focus on planning for healthy, walkable communities, however, there is more to be done. The symposium will examine the many issues associated with food and how this relates to the planning profession and other key stakeholders interested in fostering healthy and sustainable communities. This two-day event will address the issues from both an urban and rural planning perspective. Speakers come from a wide variety of backgrounds who are knowledgeable about planning for food. There is also a second day of intensive training workshops that will focus on the symposium topic. These sessions will allow attendees to further explore issues and actively participate in discussions. Over 300 planning professionals and participants are expected to attend this year. The Symposium attracts a wide range of suppliers , service providers, government agencies, educators and private sector planning and development consultants.
For more information see http://www.ontarioplanners.on.ca/content/symposium/index.aspx<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ontarioplanners.on.ca%2Fcontent%2Fsymposium%2Findex.aspx>
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5. Take Action
(a) People's Food Policy Project's "Kitchen Table Talks" initiative.
The People's Food Policy Project is inviting individuals to host "Kitchen Table Talks" within their homes or other informal settings, as a way of engaging a broad spectrum of Canadians in a discussion of what a national "people's food policy" might look like. The results will be summarized in a "People's Food Policy" that will be presented to governments and will be used as a basis for action towards a just and sustainable food system.
Ideally, the "Talks" will be held between Oct 11 (Thanksgiving) and Oct 16 (World Food Day), although they can be scheduled up to early November.
More information about the "Kitchen Table Talks" initiative can be found on the Project's website at http://www.peoplesfoodpolicy.ca<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.peoplesfoodpolicy.ca>. Tips and suggestions for themes, plus links to a series of discussion papers are contained in the Participants' Guide<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fpeoplesfoodpolicy.ca%2Ffiles%2Fparticipation%2520guide%2520-%2520holding%2520convos-11.pdf>.
(b) The Partnership Project
If you work for a charity, if you volunteer for a not-for-profit organization, you likely have an opinion on the relationship between the sector and the Ontario government. Tell us how that relationship can be improved. This is an exciting opportunity to help build the capacity of the sector. The Partnership Project is a discussion about how to strengthen the relationship between the Ontario government and the sector. Your input will inform a strategy that will offer a set of long-term, practical and concrete recommendations that the Partnership Project will provide to Premier Dalton McGuinty by year's end.
The outcome of the Partnership Project's work will be a strategy that offers a set of practical, concrete recommendations to the Premier on how to strengthen the partnership between government and the not-for-profit sector. http://partnershipproject.ca/Home<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=10899720&msgid=240502&act=F0OM&c=226523&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fpartnershipproject.ca%2FHome>
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The Kawartha World Issues Centre is a charitable global education and resource centre which promotes understanding and dialogue of world issues to enable people to engage in positive social and environmental change.