City projects in Canada aim to build food security through partnerships

Statistics released by AgriFood Analytics Lab predicts that the average family in Canada will spend much more on food in 2024 due to natural disasters like flooding and wildfires, which caused destruction in the agriculture sector last year.

Canadian NGO Climate Caucus said local governments needed to recognise the need to implement changes to build a sustainable food system. The organisation is made up of current and former government leaders who see the need to transform their way of life to deal with climate change. “Our mission is to connect, support, and advocate for locally elected leaders to accelerate the transformation for communities to thrive,” it said. Climate Caucus held a webinar to promote climate-resilient food security, highlighting the success of cities such as Guelph in Ontario, that are making a difference.

The city recently won the country’s Smart Cities Challenge for its project to convert food waste into food security. Smart Cities project manager Justine Dainard said 150 organisations around the city collected food waste and distributed food.

The project, called ‘Our Food Futures’, supports regenerative agriculture. “Being able to support farmers as they transition to regenerative agriculture is a part of regional security.

“It’s going to make us more resistant to the shifts that are coming because of climate change,” she said.

Climate Caucus emphasised the need for collaborations between the private sector and government to make a difference. Organisations, companies and indigenous leaders were essential to helping communities access food amid the climate crisis, it said. –

OUR FOOD FUTURE A project in the City of Guelph introduced a community garden to help with the city‘s aim of creating food security.