Blog
On March 4th, Food Secure Canada organized 50 events where Canadians were able to listen to the Canadian report prepared by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. Now Food Secure Canada is seeking to engage Canadians in asking the federal government to put food in the budget. Check this link and join thousands of others in advocating for a National Food Policy.
Imagine a community with a vibrant food culture, a community where everyone is able to enjoy healthy and delicious food, where everyone has extensive food skills, skills that can lead them to employment, if they so desire. Imagine a community where everyone understands how the food system is driven by profit rather than human needs and where everyone is able to advocate for meaningful change. Imagine a community where food is a vehicle to meet one another, to connect in a meaningful way and to build compelling relationships across differences.
A couple of years ago, members of The Stop Community Food Centre launched an advocacy campaign called, "Do The Math Challenge." They estimated that individuals receiving Ontario Works had, on average, $5/a day left for all their expenses, once they paid their rent. Can we live on $5/day allowance? Can we access the nutritious food essential for our health and well-being on that daily income? Where can we live?
The video that I posted on Monday presented a global perspective on economic inequity and its relationship to health. Today, I want to offer a Canadian perspective. York University researcher Dr. Dennis Raphael has done extensive work on these issues. For years, he has been tirelessly researching and documenting the ways in which our living conditions and particularly our income shapes our health.