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Community Food Security
 
Food Futures Cowichan:
    - FruitSave
    - Garden Link
    - Greenest Garden Contest 
    - Food Chain

Community Gardens:
    - Kinsmen Garden
Environmental Health for Babies
Climate Change
Workshops

Community Food Security
Community food security is a hot topic being addressed in communities all over BC and beyond. Food security impacts the environment, economic development, jobs, nutrition, and overall community health and safety.

But what is food security?
According to a Position Paper by the Canadian Home Economics Association on Food Security, having food security means that "Access to food is available to all people, at all times, in order to have an active, healthy life". Food security also encompasses household, community, national and global levels. Food also needs to be available, accessible, affordable, and culturally and environmentally appropriate.

The benefits from increasing community backyard food production have been shown to reach far beyond that of just better nutrition and include:

  • improved heath and economic conditions for individuals with lower incomes;
  • skills/self-esteem development;
  • community building;
  • reduced vandalism, and
  • environmental sustainability, among others.

Presently, less than 10% of all the food consumed on Vancouver Island is produced locally, with the remainder traveling an average 1700 miles to our tables. In the event of an emergency where road, rail and/or ferry transportation may be interrupted, the Island apparently has a three-day supply of food. Given the global boom in organic and certified organic foods, enhancing food security can stimulate significant economic development, including organics, farm-gate sales, supplying to local major grocery chains, as well as export potential.

As a result, CGC developed Food Futures Cowichan, a program designed to help accelerate an understanding of and growth in food security in the Cowichan Region, provide a clearinghouse for food security activity and a venue through which to participate in initiatives.

Community Food Action Initiative – Developing a Community Food Action Plan
Recently the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) introduced the Community Food Action Initiative, a funding program designed to improve community food security and assist communities in the development of community food action plans.

Through a community process, CGC was asked to submit an application to VIHA toward funding for Community Capacity Building as a first step in developing a food action plan for Cowichan. CGC’s application was successful and two community food security meetings were held in March of 2006. For more information, see Community Food Action Initiative

 

 

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