The Gleaner July 6, 2020: Your BC Food Security Gateway Round-up

The Gleaner is a bi-weekly round-up of blog posts, new stories, featured resources and important happenings from the BC Food Security Gateway.

The Gateway supports knowledge exchange and collaboration to address food security in BC, including hosting an amazing community of practice, whose work we are delighted to highlight.

Hunger in wealthy Canada and the Right to Food: A conversation with Graham Riches

Food is a Right

As charitable proclivities to donate to food banks have been in hyper-drive in response to COVID-19, including by the provincial and federal governments, Graham Riches continues to name a deep concern around how food banks prop up a broken food system in a pandemic context.

Graham argues they are distracting us from the poverty reduction and income security policies it would take to uphold government’s responsibility to the Right to Food and progressively realize food security for all.

Thanks to our community of practice whose collective ‘interview’ of Graham made for a rich conversation. Read more.

News Highlights

It's not always easy to share some of the specifics of my childhood experience, but I've realized that it's important. Folks continue to struggle the way that we did and we know that they're more likely to be Black or Indigenous. https://t.co/ktK4qLTb25

— Paul Taylor (@PaulTaylorTO) June 10, 2020

“As Indigenous peoples we know that we need to keep our knowledge alive, to LIVE the reality of food sovereignty,” says Dawn Morrison of the Indigenous Food Freedom Schools. https://t.co/1j5dJHHCzr

— Food Secure Canada (@FoodSecureCAN) June 18, 2020

Suzanne Johnson, a Penticton Indian Band member, registered dietitian, & lead Okanagan researcher says study proves that beyond the health benefits, access & incorporation of traditional foods is important for the preservation of culture & sense of identity for Syilx people. https://t.co/vx4dF1ugON

— BCFoodSecGateway (@BCFoodSecurity) June 29, 2020

Turning Food into a Weapon in the Battle against Colonialism via @TheTyee https://t.co/ru7nAxw5nh

— BCFoodSecGateway (@BCFoodSecurity) June 16, 2020

“The system is broken. Our Nations have a right to wild salmon and the right to make decisions about how our territory is used," We Wai Kai Chief Brian Assu calling for BC government to immediately close a salmon farm in Laichkwiltach territory.https://t.co/fWTGggvPT3

— Canada's National Observer (@NatObserver) June 22, 2020

"How did we reach the point where the people fuelling Canada's food system are both the most precarious and the lowest paid?" I had a chance to share some thoughts in this excellent piece by @franky_says on migrant farmworker programs: https://t.co/FzFO8bnJUG via @maisonneuvemag

— Anelyse M. Weiler (@anelysemw) June 17, 2020

Karina Reid wants Richmond residents to think about where their food comes from and who is doing the hard work to bring it to markets. https://t.co/s1N8k1RdCr

— BCFoodSecGateway (@BCFoodSecurity) June 30, 2020

One in seven Canadians lived in a household where there was food insecurity in April and those living with children are more likely to be impacted from food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new StatsCan study #cdnag https://t.co/dvKjylu6Pm

— iPolitics (@ipoliticsca) June 25, 2020

“Whoever thought that voluntary organizations, with some random amount of money, could somehow take responsibility for feeding people?” asks Valerie Tarasuk, @proofcanada . “When was that ever an appropriate or good idea?” https://t.co/x1ggLkdxSM

— BCFoodSecGateway (@BCFoodSecurity) June 30, 2020

“This time, the feeling was different. I didn’t have to panic over small things, several times a day. I’m raising a one-year-old and doing that in poverty is incredibly stressful. We need this extra $300 a month.”https://t.co/bEPmiYqXmO #300ToLive #bcpoli #disability

— Pete Quily (@pqpolitics) June 21, 2020

New Resources on the Gateway

The Gateway links to food security resources, such as tool-kits, policy papers, and action plans specific to BC. The resource section also includes a small number of non-BC resources that have direct relevance to BC food security.

Household Food Insecurity in Canada, 2017-2018

Proof’s latest report draws on data for 103,500 households from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey conducted in 2017 and 2018, finding that 12.7% of households experienced some level of food insecurity in the previous 12 months, higher than any prior national estimate.

Food Waste Redistribution Handbook

A handbook on developing a food waste rescue and redistribution program from Surrey’s Sources Food Hub.

Water Governance

Video on water governance in Secwepemculew in so-called BC with Dawn Morrison of the Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty.

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