We’ve all heard about climate change, right? We may not always be able to discern the changes we’re experiencing because of it, but our planet needs help. Last week, the UN’s intergovernmental panel on climate change released a report detailing an urgent need for change – globally. One of its key messages is that we’re already seeing the consequences of 1C global warming with more … Continue reading Sticking Your Fork to Climate Change!
Like many, my first opportunity to get involved with food issues was through a community garden. I was part student group that wanted to start a campus community garden, but we faced an uphill battle. We had to learn quickly and tackle all the roadblocks in our way – from raising a reserve fund to return the garden to lawn should it fail to finding … Continue reading Radical Acts…of Gardening
You’ve likely been hearing a lot more about food waste lately. It is a significant problem and not easy to fix. There are many reasons that food is wasted at every stage from land and sea to our kitchens. For example, a late frost may kill a tender fruit crop; tomatoes are bruised on their bumpy way to the grocery store; or businesses or individuals … Continue reading Different Problems, Different Solutions: Food Waste and Household Food Insecurity
When I meet someone I don’t know, I am often asked, “What do you do?” Responding that I work on food policy usually gets me a puzzled look or a quick change in topic. Everybody eats, so why is it so hard to talk about food policy? Food policy reminds me of the wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz; the wizard is … Continue reading Why is It So Hard to Talk About Food Policy?
There’s this familiar story that climate change is mostly going to mean good news for our food system. If the days are getting warmer, the story goes, farmers in the Maritimes will have more days to grow food, and the chance to grow different crops. Isn’t it a win-win? Two summers ago, I borrowed a pickup truck, threw my tent in the back, grabbed a … Continue reading Climate Change Resilience on Maritime Farms
We recently released this report profiling stories from the Our Food Project 2013-2017. Here are some highlights! Timeline of garden and program growth from the HUGS garden at Bayers Westwood Family Resource Centre: Mobile Food Market in Halifax survey results: Cost-Share CSA programs: Policy: Blog Written By: Miranda Cobb, Ecology Action Centre, Research and Evaluation Coordinator Adventures in Local Food is your source for food … Continue reading Stories from 4 Years of Food Systems Work
My name is Alannah, and I have been collaborating with the Our Food Project (OFP) to complete my Undergrad thesis on food sovereignty in practice within Halifax. My previous blog post is an introduction to inequality within the food system. My thesis research looks at how the Our Food Project is addressing this inequality by using a food sovereign approach to build Positive Food Environments … Continue reading Food Sovereignty in Practice
The access to adequate food to live a healthy life is a universal human right, as declared by the United Nations. When someone does not have adequate access to food they are considered food insecure. Nova Scotia has the highest rate of food insecurity in Canada, after the northern territories and the Yukon. So, why is that? From farm to fork there are many components … Continue reading Inequality & the Food System: An Introduction
