Food Secure Canada’s Policy Backgrounders launched!

Policy backgrounders topics

Six policy backgrounders on pressing food systems issues are now available online. Whether you are actively involved in food systems work through hosting or attending an Eat Think Vote event, or simply someone who eats, the backgrounders provide a quick overview.

Thanks to our members and partners in the food movement whose policy proposals and advice informed these backgrounders and the questions for candidates. Follow the links in the footnotes to dig deeper into any of the topics.

• Addressing the root causes of food insecurity
• Building resilient local food systems
• Supporting Indigenous food sovereignty
• Championing decent work and justice for workers all along the food chain
• Ensuring everyone is at the table
• Advancing a school food program for Canada

Questions for candidates

We have included a few sample questions for candidates at the end of each backgrounder to start the conversation in your community. Our partner, Food Communities Network, is coordinating the crowd-sourcing of further questions. This is a great initiative to share language and analysis from coast-to-coast-to-coast as we take the chance to question our future parliamentarians on food policy.  Please add your questions to this open google document.

Learn from Indigenous, Black and racialized food leaders

It is essential to look at the intersections between food systems, anti-racism, decolonization, and environmental justice movements as we undertake joined-up policy analysis. At the Cultivating Change gathering at the end of 2020, Indigenous, Black and racialized food leaders offered a wealth of context, learning and concrete food policy recommendations. Find the links to recordings from the panels and workshops on the Learn page.   

Resources from others in the food movement 

As part of Eat, Think, Vote we are curating a list of policy recommendations and demands from others in the food movement and allied movements, towards the election on September 20th. Please suggest further relevant resources by emailing campaign@foodsecurecanda.org. At the time of writing, you will find material on school food (CHSF), food insecurity (CFCC, Food Banks Canada), environment and climate change (FCS, One Earth One Voice, CBAN, GreenPAC), Indigenous issues (AFN,ITK, NWAC), labour rights (UFCW, Unifor, The Stop, Migrant Rights Network), the economy (Basic Income Now, Canadian CED network) and food systems (Arrell Food Institute).

Major party platforms analysis

Finally, we have shared an analysis of the major party platforms. Click here to view.