Exploring the impacts of food insecurity and the importance of participating in a more food sovereign world.
Climate and communities in crisis
We’ve all been affected by the increasing difficulties related to our economy, our communities, and the environment. Inflation continues to rise and households are struggling to pay the bills, while accumulating debt. Civil and global conflicts continue with strife. As the planet warms, natural disasters are happening more frequently and with greater severity; displacing millions, raising costs, and impeding on livelihoods.
Everyone is being impacted by these issues, some to a greater extent than others. There are ripple effects as a result of these ongoing events, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed and at a loss as to what to do – to do better, to help, or just to survive. Just hang in there, I have a few solutions to share with you.
These are topics that I am very passionate about, and I could go in length about each individual issue in its respective complexity. However, you may not have days and days to discuss with me! So instead, I have committed to listing a few examples about how to increase both food sovereignty and food security in a worsening environment and during uncertain sociological, political and economic times.
But first, what do food sovereignty and food security even mean, and how could they possibly have an impact in your life? In Part I, we’ll explore these questions and look at these multifaceted concepts. In Part II, I will list several options that you can participate in locally to have an impact on the environment, ameliorate your own food stability, and to contribute to food security for others.
Food Sovereignty
The non-profit group Food Secure Canada describes food sovereignty as “the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.”
Food sovereignty is an ideological concept backed by primarily grassroots movements and proposed democratic policies. Its aim is to create food security by using both existing and alternative food systems, and using the input of both consumers and producers (eg. customers and farmers).
It is ideological because it doesn’t fully exist, at least not in Canada. Many organizations, communities, individuals, businesses and various levels of government need to, and are indeed trying to, work together. They are trying to better the livelihoods of individuals who are food insecure, develop a better food system, support our suppliers and farmers, and to protect our environment and resources.
If you would like to learn more about food sovereignty in Canada, I invite you to visit the Food Secure Canada’s policy platform, titled “Resetting the Table, A People’s Food Policy for Canada.”
Food Security
The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food security definition is when “- all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
Food security is the end result of food sovereignty, provided everything goes well; that our food systems function optimally and equitably for everyone, and everyone is assured access to enough food. But adequate and reliable access to food, let alone healthy food, is not just about political priorities, social responsibility or economics. It’s also impacted by climate change and environmental disasters (eg. droughts, flooding, disease), civil conflict and war, and even recently, by COVID-19, inflation and transportation shortages.
Some sobering food for thought
It is estimated that by 2030, more than 840 million people worldwide could be facing food insecurity and starvation. In the last 50 years, climate disasters have increased five-fold, and will continue to grow in intensity and frequency. In Canada alone, nearly 6 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2020, and Canada is the only country of the G8 that does not offer a nationally-funded school meal program to children (Resetting the Table).
Unfortunately, the impacts of food insecurity are long-lasting, even after the immediate issue is resolved (such as access to food charity, like food banks and breakfast programs at schools). Children suffering from malnutrition face restricted growth and development, and adults can also suffer from mental health issues (like depression and anxiety), cardiometabolic disorders (like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases), osteoporosis and dementia, to name a few (GVI, 2022).
Food Banks Canada released a report in 2021 called “Hunger Count 2021” providing updates on the impacts that the pandemic had on Canadians, especially single-parents, people with disabilities and/or chronic illness, seniors and single-person households (especially rented households). It was made clear, once again, that those living with food insecurity have their mental health significantly more impacted (stress, anxiety, depression, isolation). I invite you to take a look at this eye-opening report before I write about it in another blog post in the near future.
Let’s not forget, access to food is supposed to be a human right.
Here are a few reasons why Canada (and many other countries) is not yet a food secure nation:
- An over-reliance on the importation of produce and food products.
- The rising costs of food, associated with inflation, environmental disasters (eg. drought, flooding, heat waves), conflict and war, challenges and costs associated with transportation and importation, wages that cannot support today’s living costs, etc.
- Food deserts and unequal access to healthy foods in some neighbourhoods or regions, over others.
- Food and food products are treated as commodities rather than essential to life.
- The privatization and monopolization of food and natural resources by food providers, manufacturers, labourers and distributors enable greater control over market prices of food and food products.
- Food waste is poorly managed and excessive; in Canada alone, over 58% (or 35.5 million tons) of food produced is wasted (CBC News, 2019). Globally, it is estimated that 33-40% of food is lost or wasted every year (McKinsey & Co, 2022). Most of this waste is preventable.
Reading through this list, you might be feeling some difficult emotions: discouraged, overwhelmed, frustrated or stressed – these are a few that come up for me. How on Earth do we dismantle or change these massive, complex and very ingrained systems, business models, politics and environments? What could you, as an individual or a family household, possibly do that would provide an alternative benefit to the realities we currently face?
Further, how can we move away from maintaining a paradigm of food charity to creating a sustainable paradigm that ensures that households become and remain food secure across the country? So many questions!
Thankfully, there are so many things that you can engage in that will have an impact, from the simplest actions at home to larger organized projects in your community or municipality. These actions don’t require degrees, business endeavours or large financial means. And it’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable with applying political pressure or developing new policies in government.
In my mind, if every individual makes one consistent change for the purpose of a food secure home or community, we will be capable of creating a food secure nation.
So, my lovely Spoonie friend, I invite you to visit my next blog post to discover a list of things that you can choose from to contribute to greater food security not only in your household, but in your community.
Ready to explore some solutions together? Visit Urban Sovereignty, Part II
P.S. Thanks for reading! 🙂
