Author Archives: Phil

About Phil

Research Associate, Nourishing Ontario

Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Public Launch

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**This event was a huge success, “sold out” well in advance [okay, the tickets were free], with an engaging panel discussion on the limits and opportunities involved in the transition towards sustainable systems – including a rousing discussion of the dangers and benefits of using those (often abused) words! The launch of the Centre was one of the reasons that, for the second week in a row, the research partnership is “trending” on the SSHRC website!

November 14

4:00 – 8:00 pm EST
At Balsillie School of International Affairs
Multipurpose Room #142
67 Erb Street West, Waterloo

4:00 to 5:30 pm

Panel on Sustainable Food Systems

FEATURING:

Simon Dalby (Balsillie School of International Affairs, Wilfrid Laurier University)
Karen Landman (School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph)
Theresa Schumilas (Garden Party CSA and Food Club, Waterloo)
Av Singh (Perennia / JustUs Centre for Small Farms, Nova Scotia)
Randy Whitteker (Ontario Natural Food Co-op)

5:30-6:30pm

Reception

6:30 to 8:00

 Public talk and official launch
Keynote speaker

Bryan Gilvesy

YU Ranch, Owner

Alternative Land Use Services, Eastern Canada Lead

Recipient of the Ontario Minister’s Award For Environmental Excellence in Small Business, and the Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Award

How Local Food Helps the Economy

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AMES, Iowa — A new report from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture shows that institutional purchases of local food added nearly $9 million to the Iowa economy in 2012.

What’s more, the report points out enormous opportunities for local foods in Iowa that could benefit rural communities and farm-based businesses. Investigators measured significant sales from only a small segment of potential markets for local foods among grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, college and school food services and other institutions.

The findings are part of an evaluation of the Regional Food Systems Working Group (RFSWG) that supports local food systems in 90 of Iowa’s 99 counties. It is the first coordinated, comprehensive attempt to measure actual economic and community impacts associated with regional food system development in Iowa.

The coordinators distributed surveys to area buyers and farmers they worked with to collect information about these key indicators of economic impact:
·       Local food purchases in 2012: 74 buyers reported total purchases of $8,934,126.
·       Local food sales in 2012: 103 farmers reported total sales of $10,549,296;
·       New jobs related to local food in 2012: A total 36 new jobs (24 full-time equivalent) were created in 2012 (reported by a subset of buyers and farmers).

The statewide report, 2012 Economic Impacts of Iowa’s Regional Food Systems Working Group, is available on the Leopold Center website at: www.leopold.iastate.edu/local-food

Upcoming Webinars and Webcasts

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Nutrition and Sustainability: A Long-term Vision for Effective Strategies

Tuesday, 12 November 2013, from 09.00 to 18.00 in FAO Headquarters in Rome

3:00 a.m. to 12:00 EST (See agenda for details)

FAO, the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN), Bioversity International, and the governments of Malawi and Flanders are co-organizing a seminar to explore practical approaches and solutions to nutrition and sustainability.  The seminar will bring together around 300 scientists, policy makers, experts, students and practitioners to develop responses to countries’ requests about “why?” and “how?” to link nutrition and sustainability, and to discuss the trade offs. Outcomes of this one-day seminar will also feed into the discussions of the ICN2 Preparatory Technical Meeting<http://www.fao.org/food/nutritional-policies-strategies/icn2/en> (13-15 November 2013).

For more details: http://www.unscn.org/en/nutrition_and_climate_change/nutrition_and_sustainability_seminar_12_november.php

 

Is Sustainability Still Possible?

Webinar To Explore Sustainability Vs. “Sustainababble” And The Road Ahead

Wednesday, November 13, 2013, 2:00 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST)
The word “sustainable” is increasingly difficult to distinguish between “sustainababble,” with growsing false claims confusing our understanding of what sustainability truly entails. This webinar, based on the 2013 edition of the Worldwatch Institute’s flagship annual report, State of the World (subtitled: Is Sustainability Still Possible?), will help participants to better distinguish between sustainability and sustainababble, discuss the scientific foundations of sustainability, explore how to create a truly sustainable human society, and if that is no longer possible, how to prepare ourselves for the turbulent transition ahead.
Featuring commentary by: Erik Assadourian, Senior Fellow, Robert Engelman, President, Worldwatch Institute
Click here to register.

 

How to Feed 9 Billion on a Small Planet

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 from 12-2 pm EST
Across Canada via webcast

USC Canada:  On November 19th, Miguel Altieri (University of California, Berkeley) – a world leading authority on agroecology – will speak on ecological agriculture as a key solution to food insecurity, hunger, and climate change. He’ll be joined by panelists:

Jean-Martin Fortier, farmer and author of The Market Gardener,
Sarah Archibald, Campus Food Systems Project Coordinator, and
Henry Lickers, Environmental Science Officer, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.
Bob Carty, former top CBC radio journalist, will moderate the webcast.

REGISTER
To register for the webcast or to organize a private or public screening, go to: usc-canada.org/feedingtheworld.

Permaculture Cuba 2014!

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An Immersion in Cuba’s Sustainable Urban Agriculture Movement

For seven weeks in May and June of 2014, 12 people will have the opportunity to live, work and learn within the thriving urban agriculture and permaculture movements of Cuba. Grounded in a model of partnership, collaborative and experiential learning, this program will offer you:

•    Extensive orientations in Canada and Cuba
•    Workshops and dialogue on a variety of urban agriculture, food sovereignty, and permaculture themes
•    Visits to urban agriculture and permaculture sites in Havana, Matanzas and Sancti Spirtus
•    Extensive work with local leaders in the design and implementation of a new permaculture installation
•    Spanish language learning;  immersion in the rich cultural life, natural beauty and political history of Cuba
•    Work together with Canadians and Cubans on a valuable and meaningful project
•   an internationally recognized Permaculture Design Certificate upon completion of the program
•   university credits by registering for the graduate level course (COMM 597) through the University of Alberta, Faculty of Extension

Now in its fifth year, this project is a partnership of The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Extension, The Urban Farmer, and the Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Cuba. Space is limited and application interviews are conducted on an on-going basis. Please see the attached brochure and application form for complete details.

The application deadline is December 31, 2013 but applications will be reviewed and positions offered on an on-going basis so don’t delay!

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Mary Beckie, University of Alberta, Faculty of Extension, marybeckie@ualberta.ca,  780 492-5163
Ron Berezan, The Urban Farmer, theurbanfarmer@shaw.ca,
604 223-4800

MSc Food, Space and Society

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The Masters Graduate School of City and Regional Planning at Cardiff School of Planning and Geography will be offering a new Masters of Science degree in Food, Space and Society starting in September 2014. Here are some of the highlights:

“Food is at the forefront of society’s grand challenges”

Food is a unique lens through which one can address key social science questions on resource shortfalls, environmental pressures and social development. A focus on food provides important opportunities to raise questions about the prospects for a more secure, just and sustainable future and to understand the shifting boundaries between the state, the market and civil society.

Special Features

A core feature of the course is its emphasis on research-led teaching. Modules are designed and taught by staff from the Research Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Food (SURF), who have a long-standing and world-renowned expertise on conventional and alternative food networks, food consumption practices, the interplay between global and local food systems, community food growing, public food procurement, food justice, animal geographies, and the community food sector. Staff’s engagement in agenda-setting research on these topics ensures that students are exposed to the most recent debates in food studies and are involved with our extensive network of stakeholders.

Suitability
This MSc is suitable for graduates in subjects such as geography, sociology, politics, anthropology , planning and economics, and/or those with appropriate professional experience and qualifications in food. Applicants with a background in other subjects, and relevant work-based experience, will also be considered.

To read more, please visit http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/cplan/study/postgraduate/food-space-and-society-msc

Fortnightly Feast – vol. 15

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It has been a busy two weeks in sustainable food systems news! Here’s a round-up of recent conference and webcast announcements, as well as some interesting reports and articles.

2013 Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference

OMAF/MRA:  The Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference is back for another year and it’s better than ever. This year’s theme is “Innovation Driving Local Food”. The conference will take place on December 2 – 3, 2013 at the Ambassador Hotel and Conference Centre in Kingston. It is hosted by Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs. Read more…

How to Feed 9 Billion on a Small Planet

USC Canada:  On November 19th, Miguel Altieri (University of California, Berkeley) – a world leading authority on agroecology – will speak on ecological agriculture as a key solution to food insecurity, hunger, and climate change. He’ll be joined by panelists:

Jean-Martin Fortier, farmer and author of The Market Gardener,
Sarah Archibald, Campus Food Systems Project Coordinator, and
Henry Lickers, Environmental Science Officer, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.
Bob Carty, former top CBC radio journalist, will moderate the webcast.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 from 12-2 pm EST
Across Canada via webcast

REGISTER
To register for the webcast or to organize a private or public screening, go to: usc-canada.org/feedingtheworld.

For more information, please contact genevieve@usc-canada.org.

This event is organized by USC Canada, Inter Pares, Food Secure Canada, School of International Development and Global Studies, Sierra Youth Coalition, Meal Exchange, ETC Group, CBAN, Ram’s Horn,National Farmers Union, and Development and Peace.

Farming in Ontario’s Greenbelt: Possibility Grows Here

Greenbelt:  Co-authoured by professor Wayne Caldwell, of the University of Guelph, and recognized expert on agricultural and rural planning issues, Farming in Ontario’s Greenbelt: Possibility Grows Here, provides recommendations to ensure economic prosperity and viability of farming in Ontario.
Read more…

Urban Food Strategies: the rough guide to sustainable food systems

FoodLinks:  Academics, policy makers and CSOs from 9 different European countries have collaboratively produced a guide to provide motivation and support for those actors interested in building more sustainable food systems in urban contexts. Far from proposing a recipe to develop Urban Food Strategies, we have compiled distinct motivations, measures, ideas, processes and examples from around Europe that we hope are useful to inspire action towards more sustainable and just food systems for all. Read more…

Civic Engagement in Food System Governance

A Comparative Perspective on American and English Local Food Movements
Alan Hunt

Using longitudinal empirical evidence, Hunt finds that local food projects in the US are more collaborative than those in England. His research demonstrates that increasing inclusion in civil society can increase policy outcomes despite countervailing trends of social segregation and political polarization. Read more…

Farmland Conservation

Wallace Center:  The National Young Farmers Coalition recently released a report, Farmland Conservation 2.0: How Land Trusts Can Protect America’s Working Farms (pdf), discussing the successful strategies of farmland conservation to secure permanent and affordable land for working farmers. Read more…

WHO: Ensuring a safe, healthy and sustainable food supply

Policies in agriculture and fisheries influence public health by affecting the supply, local availability, safety, affordability and accessibility of foods. Read more…

Food Is the New Black

Huffington Post:  “Food is the New Black” — I read that in a fashion or home or travel magazine a few months ago. The next 30 seconds of thoughts and emotions that flooded my mind are probably typical for people in my field. First I smiled at the silliness of that statement. Then, I felt confidence: People do seem to be catching on that healthful, bountiful food is at risk. Read more…

Sustainable food systems include food from forests

Biodiversity International:  Globally, it is estimated that billions of people depend on forests and trees. This is true for many people living in developing countries, for whom forests are an essential part of a sustainable food system. Read more…

The African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN)

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The African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN) was founded in 2008 to address the crisis of food insecurity in Africa’s rapidly-growing towns and cities. AFSUN aims to improve the knowledge base of the dimensions and causes of urban food insecurity in Africa and to develop and advocate for international, national and local policies to enhance food and nutrition security.

The new website of the African Food Security Urban Network is now operational at www.afsun.org – you are invited to visit and look around.

Towards Sustainable Food Systems

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The Conference “Towards Sustainable Food Systems” will take place on 18 October 2013 at FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm local time. The Conference is organized as a contribution to the 2013 World Food Day’s theme “Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition”, and will be webcast at the following links:

 
In the Original language (floor): http://www.fao.org/webcast/index.asp?lang=IT

The overall objective of the Conference is to help build a common understanding of the issues at stake, to show actions already being taken by FAO and its partners, and to form the platform for the creation of new and emerging partnerships. The Conference will foster a broad multistakeholder – evidence-based – dialogue for action, supported by presentations of multistakeholder initiatives aimed at more sustainable food systems.

Local Food and Northern Ontario

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Ontario Nature understands that forest foods provide a wealth of benefits to many northern communities: Local food sources underpin traditional economies that permit economic self-reliance; they provide health benefits through improved nutrition and promotion of active lifestyles; and they reduce the environmental costs of food grown with intensive inputs elsewhere and transported large distances to reach northern communities. Read more…

Upcoming Webinars

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Changing How Campuses Learn and Eat through Coursework

Interested in learning how applied student research can facilitate food system change?

Tune in on October 8th at 12:30pm EDT! Click here to register.

Hosted by the Campus Food Systems Project in collaboration with Food Secure Canada, this webinar will explore how to create, support and integrate student learning into food systems change on campus and in communities. Presenters Lilith Wyatt – Sustainability Officer at McGill and Brent Mansfield – Coordinator with UBC’s Food System Project will discuss the opportunities, benefits and challenges of Applied Student Research.

 

Bridging the Gap

Helping to connect good food with low-income communities
Join Community Food Centres Canada on October 9 from 12-1pm EDT for a webinar featuring Gillian Flies of The New Farm and Ayal Dinner from the West End Food Coop.

When: Wednesday October 9, 2013 12-1pm EDT
Where: Your Computer – Register Here! – https://cfccanada.webex.com/
How Much: Free!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact ross@cfccanada.ca.

 

Resilient Cities 2014

Building on the ideas shared at the 4th Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation, ICLEI presents the 1st webinar in the 2013 series:

Resilient city-region food systems policies

Wednesday 16 October 16:00-17:00 CET (11:00 – 12:00 EDT)

This webinar will discuss the development and implementation of policies that support a resilient city region food system.

Speakers are Lauren Baker, Toronto Food Policy Council; Stanley Visser, City of Cape Town; and Marielle Dubbeling, RUAF Foundation.