Explore Official Dialogue Feedback

Central Canada Food system strengths include: • Diversity across the food system, including environmental, social and economic components of: geography, climate, culture, and production/supply chain. • Strong community-led supports from funding, to networks and relationship-building initiatives. • Strong individual and community connections to urban and rural food environments. Challenges noted include: • While the production and supply chain is generally diverse, industrial production lacks capacity in the processing and value-added sector. For example, many commodities grown in Ontar... Read moreio are exported to other provinces or outside Canada, for further processing or manufacture. Further, many processors use few local and regional products, having adopted business models that rely on imported goods. • Lack of connection among farmers, primary producers and communities; particularly in urban areas. • Increasing urbanization and industrial development of rural agricultural land. • Public procurement practices that exclude locally-sourced products. • Individual and family incomes that are insufficient to access nutritious, culturally appropriate food. Successful models – Participants identified a number of community and government initiatives that lever strengths and address challenges including: • Lufa greenhouse farm is an initiative that connects rooftop greenhouse farms with local farmers and food makers, in an online marketplace of locally and sustainably produced food baskets. The initiative also partners with local non-profit agencies to increase access to their products for low-income communities. • Participants noted that community gardens, and the networks that support them (e.g., Sustain Ontario) are prime examples of successful models that support resilient food systems at the local level. In particular, the use of public space for community gardens (e.g., on land surrounding public institutions such as hospitals or schools), can contribute to healthy diets of patients and students. • The Northern Ontario Indigenous Food Security Collaborative is a community-led initiative that brings Indigenous practitioners, funders and other stakeholders together in an integrated and comprehensive planning and resourcing process focused on strengthening Indigenous food sovereignty and food security. The collaborative is supported by the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security, which supports programs that advance the capacity of people and communities to achieve sustainable food security and have the potential to be replicated or scaled to increase their impact. The Centre’s goal is to reduce food insecurity by 50% by 2030. • The Middlesex-London Food Policy Council was identified as an example of a successful network and participants noted the Council’s initiative to reduce food loss and waste including educational tools for students aged 5 – 18 as a best practice. • Participants identified government policy and programs supporting food literacy as having potential for success. Private Members Bill-216, proposing that the Ontario Education Act be amended to include a food literacy and healthy eating curriculum from grades 1 through 12, was strongly supported in this discussion theme. Read less

[Central Canada continued...] Collaboration - Participants identified the following collaborative initiatives as having the potential to scale up or out, to support a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable food system: • Regional and community-based food policy groups and councils can foster innovative partnerships and improve connections across the food system to strengthen capacity, resilience sustainability and inclusiveness. • Participants agreed that expanding public engagement and initiatives to promote food, and food system literacy would contribute to more positive outcomes. •... Read more Municipalities have collaborated with community groups and the agriculture sector, re-assessing by-laws to enable the establishment of farmer’s markets and development of urban agriculture and community gardens. Areas for collective action: • Participants agreed that governance mechanisms such as policy councils will improve coordination among orders of government, and that public education measures would support collective action among consumers. • Participants also identified collaboration between local suppliers and institutions (public and private) as areas to strengthen, however specific roles or initiatives were not discussed. Read less

Western Canada Food system strengths include: • Diversity in the agriculture and food sector, and leadership in sustainable cattle production. • Collaborative approaches to preventing food loss and waste that connect farmers and grocers in the process. • Adoption of Indigenous knowledge and approaches to agriculture and food systems. Challenges noted include: • Transportation – lack of robust transportation networks connecting urban centres with northern and Indigenous communities, and lack of equity and opportunity in the market (e.g., while transport trucks bring food and supplies ... Read moreto isolated communities, they return south empty). • Paucity of value added production capacity, from local abattoirs to further processing. • Need for increased awareness of the contribution of animal sectors in supporting sustainable food systems. • Regulatory barriers including restrictions on land access, inter-provincial trade barriers. • Emergence of food deserts. • Food security challenges are particularly severe in northern and isolated areas, due to lack of fundamental resources such as water, roads and broadband. Successful models – Participants identified a number of community initiatives that lever strengths and address challenges relating to food insecurity and food loss and waste including: • Community-led initiatives that grow and produce food in a sustainable manner, for local consumption. The Smart Farm Project was highlighted as a particularly successful model: adopting smart growth principles to small farm acreages; levering increased density to create affordable housing and farming opportunities; and, establishing frameworks to help make farming more financially viable. • Food banks and food assistance organizations have shifted towards providing more fresh, nutritionally dense food. • Loop Resource partners with grocery stores across British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, to divert unsold grocery store food to registered charities and farms as feed and compost. Collaboration - Participants identified the following areas as having potential for further collaboration, to support a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable food system: • Partnerships between local growers/producers and processors, to increase capacity for regional and community sourced food. • Sharing knowledge and levering resources to support climate change adaptation. • Initiatives that promote circularity, such as Loop, to prevent food loss and waste. • Initiatives that support northern food security, and promote self-determination to improve access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food. Areas for collective action: • Participants agreed collective action among governments, sectors, industry, communities and individuals is needed to address priority areas including: support for education and training initiatives, as well as peer-to-peer learning; innovative solutions to adapt to climate change; and, strengthening production capacity. Read less

Northern Canada Food system strengths include: • Northern communities’ creativity, adaptability and innovation have been key to survival and success in remote areas and harsh climates. These strengths are enduring and inherent in northern society, traditions and culture, and evident in cultivation and harvesting traditions. • Vast, diverse geography with rich natural resources and strong connections to the scientific community. Challenges noted include: • Government policy and regulations around safe food handling and sale are often misaligned with northern realities and culture. There... Read more is an opportunity to incorporate country food and traditional knowledge and harvesting methods into regulations and governance mechanisms. • Lack of sufficient local, accessible abattoirs and storage capacity, to promote traditionally harvested, culturally appropriate food. Successful models – Participants agreed that collaborative community-led models that bring together multiple disciplines in partnership for food security projects have seen great success. The following examples were identified in the discussion: • Partnerships with organizations in the South for skills development and training. • Integrated pest management strategies (across provincial and territorial jurisdictions). • Local community gardens. • Funding programs that take a long-term approach and are community centered are more been successful in building sustainable capacity and strengthening the resilience of local food systems. Collaboration – Participants identified three priorities for improving collaboration towards a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable food systems: • Including diverse perspectives in policy and program development, considering all food system actors in analyzing and monitoring food security and food systems in northern communities. • Increasing networks for – and expanding partnerships between – food hubs and local distribution, connecting individual producers and farmers with communities. The Yukon Agricultural Association was highlighted as a leading model. The association’s mission is “To foster and promote sustainable Yukon agriculture for the benefit of both private and commercial producers and consumers through education, infrastructure development, and liaison with government agencies and with non-government organizations.” • Reducing the regulatory and policy barriers to expanding the availability of and access to traditionally harvested country food. E.g., governments could collaborate with communities to include locally produced food in subsidy programs. Areas for collective action – Participants identified the following actions as initiatives governments, the sector, industry and civil society could take, to improve the resilience of food systems in Canada’s northern communities: • Provide workshops, training and skills development, equipment and other supplies to support small-scale food production. • Promote the region’s successes and capitalize on positive outcomes. • Adopt a community-centric approach to policy and program development, focusing on needs and mechanisms identified at the grassroots level. • Adopt more sustainable funding models to support local producer associations. Read less

National Food system strengths – Participants identified the following strengths that are particular to a sub-region in each of the above categories: • Halifax, Nova Scotia: values of sharing food and supporting one another is woven into the culture. • Wellington-Guelph, Ontario: strong food culture, agri-food research and networks, and diverse farming operations. • Quebec: multiple and diverse food systems throughout the province. • Northwest Territories: Strong Indigenous practice, traditional knowledge and culture, and innovation. Smaller governments are adaptable and nimble to re... Read moreact to shocks (e.g., COVID 19). Food system challenges – Participants noted a variety of challenges related to: labour, the environment and climate change; the legacy of colonialism; and, food security, as priority challenges to the resilience of Canada’s national food system: • Labour: While the people who work in the food system are essential, they are often not treated as such, with low wages, unstable or precarious work conditions, and little to non-existent social or health support. This challenge exists throughout the food chain, from temporary foreign workers, to retail workers and transportation and distribution channels (e.g., truck drivers). • Environment and climate change: Participants expressed concern that Canada’s food system may not be well-positioned to weather the impact of an environmental shock analogous to the impact of the pandemic. • Colonial legacy: Significant traditional Indigenous knowledge and practices have been lost through the systemic racism of residential schools and other colonial policies. Participants strongly agreed on the need for change to preserve and promote Indigenous knowledge and practices, listen to Indigenous voices, and to adopt inclusive, self-determined approaches to funding programs and projects, and governance. • Food security: Access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food was identified as challenge, primarily impacting low-income communities. Participants expressed the view that while some people have the means to access ‘good’ food, the food system is two-tiered, leaving large groups of Canadians either food insecure currently, or at risk of becoming food insecure soon. Successful models – Participants identified the following models as successful in promoting food security and resilient, inclusive food systems: • Community food centres and organizations that take a holistic approach to food security by providing food literacy, training and skills development for employment, access to health and other social services. • Civil society networks that promote equity in food systems and enable connections with funding organizations and other supports. • School food programs that source locally grown and produced food and integrate food skills and literacy in educational programming. • Institutional procurement policies that prioritize local, sustainably produced food. • Consideration for the concept of a national food system, modelled after Canada’s approach to national health care. Collaboration: • Participants noted sharing best practices, and learning from others’ experience are key collaborative mechanism. The discussion highlighted that opportunities exist to strengthen and expand sharing networks, to include more diverse voices that represent actors, participants and partners from across the food system. Collaborative networks would also enable connections among funding organizations and recipients, with the potential to create synergies and maximize resources. Areas for collective action: • Participants agreed that organizations, civil society, governments and individuals could work together to develop school food programing that supports local production. Read less

There was not a significant area of divergence among stakeholders. All stakeholders agreed on the need and the importance to build a resilient and sustainable regional food systems. As noted above, participants from each region considered different approaches.

This dialogue’s focus was on exploring strengths and challenges specific to local food systems and share successful models and innovative approaches that can build on the strengths and/or address challenges to achieve more resilient regional food systems. Dialogue breakout discussions were grouped according to region, to focus on issues or themes particular to the area. At registration, participants selected a general region they identify with, from among the following groups: Atlantic Canada; Central Canada; Western Canada; and Northern Canada. An additional ‘National’ breakout discussi... Read moreon group, with representation from all regions and both official languages provided the opportunity for participants to identify common themes among regions. In each breakout room, participants were invited to discuss the following questions: 1. What are the key strengths that are unique to this region’s food system? 2. What are the key challenges faced by this region’s food system? 3. What are some successful models and innovative approaches that can build on those strengths and/or address key challenges in this region? 4. How can we best work together towards a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food system in this region? 5. If we were to identify concrete areas for collective action, what would they be? Read less

Discussion outcomes brought to light a broad range of views and perspectives that reflect the diversity of Canada’s geography and food systems. Common themes that emerged, from across regions include: • Food insecurity – challenges with food insecurity can manifest differently across Canada. For example, participants from Central Canada noted that growing rates of obesity are linked with incidence of food insecurity; food deserts are increasingly problematic in Atlantic Canada; marketing strategies that promote unhealthy food contribute to poor diets in Western Canada; and in Northern Ca... Read morenada, food affordability and accessibility was raised a primary cause of high rates of food insecurity. The national discussion highlighted poverty as the root cause for food insecurity, and that strategies to make sustainable progress towards reducing food insecurity must include poverty reduction. • Infrastructure – having the right infrastructure in place, as well as funding and regulatory mechanisms to support local economic development and social enterprise are key to building and maintain resilient regional food systems. • Local Food – local food movements demonstrate strong potential to be game-changing solutions, strengthening the local food economy. Read less

In discussion groups of individuals representing diverse actors across Canada’s food system, participants discussed their perspectives and brainstormed ways to make progress towards more resilient regional food systems across Canada. The questions identified in Major Focus (above) focused the discussion on: strengths; challenges; successful models; collaboration; and, areas for collective action, that are particular to each region. Five discussion topics have been segregated by region to capture the diverse perspectives shared. Atlantic Canada Food system strengths include: • Wealth of tra... Read moreditional ecological knowledge, supported by the intergenerational sharing of knowledge, First Nations communities’ promotion of traditional knowledge, and peer-to-peer sharing; • Abundance of farmers markets; • Strong, enduring community connections to agriculture, fisheries, and other natural resource industries; and, • Accessible governance – openness of senior government officials to meet with stakeholders, from industry to civil society. Challenges include those directly related to food as well as systemic barriers: • Food insecurity: Participants agreed that food insecurity, and food deserts in particular (especially among First Nations Communities) are priority challenges, with low income rates being the primary cause of one’s access to affordable, healthy and culturally appropriate food. • Infrastructure: Participants agreed that lack of transportation (e.g., lack of public transportation as a barrier to accessibility), cold storage and processing capacity present challenges to the region’s food system resilience. • Climate change: The impact of climate change on wild food systems, and traditional harvesting, was also raised as a barrier to resilience. • Lack of incentives or regulation: Participants expressed support for policies and regulations that would incentivize consumers and institutions to buy local (e.g., establishing targets for public procurement). Participants also identified regulations governing food inspection to be barriers, expressing concern that the regulatory framework does not adequately respect treaty rights. Successful models: • Participants identified that financial and human resources are key to success in developing and sustaining resilient food systems, and that leveraging resources from multiple initiatives could create synergies that yield positive results. • The following models and initiatives have been implemented in the region: Farmers markets, community gardens, Cape Breton Food Hub, and Community Food Mentors (Food For All NB), which is a food centered model that provides skills training and resources to support food security. Collaboration – Participants identified the following collaborative initiatives as having the potential to scale up or out, to support a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable food system: • Peer-to-peer networks among community and grassroots organizations; • Collaborative education, learning and skills development; • Sharing best practices and adopting successful models developed in other jurisdictions; and, • Information sharing platforms and virtual networks. Areas for collective action – Participants also identified a number of areas for continued or increased action, at the government- and organizational-level, as well as across the food system more generally: • Expanding funding programs that support local food security and infrastructure, to include human resources and other needs identified by communities. The federal government’s Local Food Infrastructure Fund was identified as having potential in this area. • Continuing public education, outreach and networking among organizations and with governments. • Broad policy and program support for improving the accessibility and affordability of nutritious, culturally appropriate food that is sustainably produced and consumed. Read less

Areas of divergence, gaps, and challenges with specific ideas are noted throughout the Discussion Topic Outcomes (Section C) above. While there was general agreement on the need for policies and programs to support sustainable production, carbon sequestration and emissions reductions, there was disagreement related to the focus and role of different production systems that could be used to accomplish this. While diversity in size and type of production was commonly accepted, there was disagreement as to whether synthetic crop inputs were required or whether organic agriculture could be scaled ... Read moreto meet food needs globally. There was also disagreement as to whether third party certification helped or hindered, where some felt it could take attention away from government goals related to net zero and lead to too many certifications and mixed messaging to consumers. Others felt certification systems provide an opportunity to drive change and to measure it. Read less

The objective of this Dialogue was to explore and identify approaches to enhance the sustainability of agricultural and food production across the full value chain in Canada, recognizing the linkages between environmental performance and economic and social resilience. Canada’s Prime Minister has recently committed to increasing Canada’s nationally determined contributions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, reducing emission by 40% to 45% below 2005 levels and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. The agriculture sector worldwide, including the Canadian agricul... Read moreture sector, can be part of the solution to reduce emissions, while increasing and maintaining carbon stores. Most of Canada’s agriculture emissions are from biological processes, including from nutrients being applied to soils, and livestock digestion. Thus, continued innovation, development and adoption of on-farm climate-smart practices and technologies have the potential to improve efficiencies, achieve further reductions, and increase carbon storage. Canada’s government has dedicated programs and funding to support the sector in meeting these challenges. In addition, many companies that source agricultural products have made commitments towards reducing the emissions from their supply chains, as well as address other environmental priorities. Participants were asked to consider the challenges at the production level and through the supply chain in order to identify opportunities to improve carbon sequestration and reduce emissions through the food chain, recognizing the complexity and trade-offs that exist. Numerous examples of sustainability initiatives exist that can help improve environmental outcomes and demonstrate the sustainability of Canada’s agriculture and food sector, including both supply chain certification and verification systems. In addition, Canadian provinces have been benchmarking one of Canada’s leading environment programs, the Environment Farm Plan (EFP), against the internationally recognized SAI Farm Sustainability Assessment tool. An EFP is voluntary awareness tool and process, whereby producers assess their operations to identify the environmental strengths and risks and develop an action plan to address risk areas. Today, more than 40% of producers have participated in programs to develop their EFP. The Dialogue examined how to build on existing initiatives to increase carbon sequestration and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to enhance and improve participation in Canada’s sustainability initiatives, recognizing that these are complex, dynamic challenges and that all food system actors have a role to play. The dialogue focused on ensuring a broad representation of food system players were included in the generation of ideas. It also discussed the complexities, nuances and tradeoffs that cannot be ignored when developing solutions for the food system. Read less

Participants represented diverse perspectives and roles in Canada’s food system, but agreed that increasing the sustainability of Canada’s food production system is a priority. In doing so, a full food systems perspective is necessary and cannot be focused solely on greenhouse gases or just the production sector, but must reflect consumers and the variety of stakeholders throughout the supply chain. Despite the complexity of the food system at a global level, it was noted that solutions needed to be considered on a regional basis in order to reflect the regional diversity of the country an... Read mored landscapes and to increase sustainability while minimizing unintended consequences. It was noted that changes at the farm level can be costly in time and money, and that there is a need to support farmers with financial and non-financial incentives in order increase adoption of beneficial practices. Governments have a strong role to play in financing transitions to sustainable practices and technologies. However, continued dialogue and engagement amongst partners is an essential component in developing appropriate and integrated policies, programs, targets, and goals. A strong theme to emerge was the need to fairly, consistently, and transparently measure and report on the performance of the sector through performance metrics and data. Such work would support research priorities through the identification of problem areas, help to direct education and knowledge transfer, as well as track progress on performance. Communications were raised as an important theme, where it was felt that there is untapped potential to find solutions simply because some groups of people are not in contact. It was noted that opportunities to address food loss have arisen by bringing diverse stakeholders in different sectors together, and can often lead to reduced costs or to new revenue streams. Enhancing communication across the supply chain and with other sectors could lead to additional opportunities. Education was also a common theme throughout the discussions, where it was noted that the social and economic components need to be included when working with farmers. Peer-to-peer learning is essential and can be very effective, especially when supported with additional education and knowledge transfer initiatives that understand the realities at the producer level. The importance of raising awareness of agricultural and food practices at the consumer level, as well as the complexities and interrelatedness of the food system, were also discussed. Engaging discussions amongst the enthusiastic set of Dialogue participants yielded a number of note-worthy ideas to advance collaboration on sustainable production, including the development of a national soil health strategy, a Ministry of Food, additional targeted government funding programs to incentivize practice changes at the farm level, communications and education throughout the supply chain, dedicated data and performance metrics, and targeted environmental research supported with decision support tools. Their ideas are detailed in the following section under discussion topics/themes. Read less

In discussion groups of up to 12 individuals representing diverse aspects of Canada’s food system, participants discussed their perspectives and brainstormed ways to increase the sustainability of production within Canada’s food system. Groups discussed two topics: Maintaining economic resilience while increasing carbon sequestration and reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs); and increasing participation in sustainability initiatives. Theme 1: What actions need to be taken to ensure Canada’s agriculture and food sector remains economically resilient while increasing carbon sequestration and r... Read moreeducing GHG emission contributing towards achieving a net-zero future? Three key ideas emerged from the discussion of this theme: • A national soil health strategy is needed in order to focus attention on the health of soils and develop policies to increase soil carbon. It would also include measurement of carbon in a consistent and credible way, as there are currently too many proxies for defining soil health. To do so, there is a need to enhance and support research and knowledge development in order to inform the adoption of improved practices. A soil health strategy could support the development of an ecosystem-based approach to food production, linking crop and livestock production to the ecosystems that are most environmentally appropriate. Consistent soil carbon measurement could also support carbon offset markets and provide an additional benefit for farmers. • Knowledge transfer and education require increased support, and should be tailored with the social science understanding of the barriers to adoption. Knowledge transfer can also be a two-way conversation that can help identify where more gains can be made to reduce emissions and sequester carbon. Consumers and the general public also require education related to the food system in order to better understand how the food system operates. • A venture capital fund could be created dedicated to supporting innovation and technologies in agriculture and food. Among other things, it could be built to recognize that the food system is evolving and there are opportunities for new technologies (e.g. vertical farming) and new protein sources (insects, cellular, etc.). In addition, participants gave significant attention to the need for strong and coherent policies and programming that could drive adoption of practices to reduce greenhouse gases and increase sequestration. The following ideas and considerations were noted. • Policies and programs to reduce food waste are a huge opportunity to reduce emissions, as well as decrease water and energy use, and need to span the full food value chain. Programs would need to help change consumer stigma around food waste and to change their expectations of perfect food. For producers, programs are needed to help innovate and find uses for food loss. • Support for local and organic school food programs could help local economies, build soil, provide nutritious food, and would help reduce emissions from transportation. • Current fertilizer industry programs to make fertilizer use more efficient have a conflict of interest, and consultancy services for crop production should have more independence. • Public policy needs to be considered over the longer term, not in 5 year segments as happens in Canada now. • Policies need to reflect flexible and innovative solutions, as well as the different challenges at each level of the food system and different production practices and commodities. • All three pillars of sustainability need to be considered when designing policies and programs. Environmental goals will not be reached if social and economic considerations are not being addressed at the same time. For example, a sudden and significant increase in the use of technology to produce food could improve environmental outcomes, but could lead to unaffordable food prices. • A science-based approach is necessary. For example, not everyone wants to eat food that uses genetically modified technology, but government is needed to show what is safe and what is not. Read less

Theme 2: What do we need to do to enhance and improve participation in Canada’s sustainability initiatives and leverage this to enhance and take advantage of Canada’s sustainable reputation? Four key areas emerged from the discussion of this theme, related to using data, developing a Ministry of Food, strengthening incentives, and continuing research. Participants reflected on the need for metrics and data to support demonstrations of progress and to identify areas of weakness, and suggested the development of a “data repository” to collect, store, analyse and share sustainability data... Read more related to sustainability claims. With federal leadership, it could be a credible tool that creates improved and clear access to data and underpins decision support tools for producers, processors, retailers and consumers. A “database and query” function could be developed internationally and populated with country-level data, to ensure consistency and to support supply chain members in how to be more sustainable. The need for more data, to understand variability across data, and to use life cycle assessment to drive knowledge and research, and to verify sustainability claims were noted. Participants raised the concept of creating a dedicated Ministry of Food, as a potential way to improve coordination on agriculture production, fisheries, and health/nutrition issues, while also addressing sustainability and environmental issues at the same time. Participants noted that sustainability initiatives and adoption of new practices that enhance environmental conditions can impose several barriers to farmers, especially in terms of finances and time. In addition, for many of the practices that increase and enhance public goods, their benefits may not be fully realized by the farms adopting them. Thus, to increase participation, incentives and other supports are needed to provide insurance to farmers and help offset the added time and cost burdens associated with practice change. The federal government has an important role to play in developing policies and programs that could incentivize or otherwise support practice change. One area of support includes continued research on better practices, for example on more efficient use of nutrients and electrification of farm equipment. Research can also help to adapt global solutions into regionally-appropriate solutions, and drive the development of decision support tools that can facilitate the adoption of beneficial practices. Participants also identified the following considerations: • Trade-offs must be explored and addressed, though win-wins exist and can help accelerate momentum. Examples of trade-offs include balancing long term and short tem goals and objectives, and export/production targets versus social and environmental targets. • Producer burden is a concern related to the supply of data to make sustainability claims and to participate in verification and certification systems. Ways to minimize this burden need to be developed, particularly to support participation from small to medium sized producers. • Canada needs to be more proactive in showcasing its sustainability performance, and governments can help play a leadership role in achieving this. There are also opportunities to export technologies and expertise. • Innovation across the supply chain is essential, and supporting patentable innovation could be a focus for the federal government. However, this needs to be balanced with some flexibility as being too prescriptive will hamper innovation. • Farmers need to see business value in order to make changes. Consumer preference can become that business value. • Consistent communications across the supply chain, with producers, and with consumers is imperative. • Blue Foods (food from water production such as fish, seafood and sea plants) must be included as an important part of food systems dialogues. Read less

• Canada needs a national food system surveillance system to act as an early warning for food security threats Participants believed that with appropriate data enhancements Canada could establish a system of data collection and dissemination, with a defined and broad set of food security performance metrics, including nutrition-related data, based on aspirational goals and targets. A key component of timely food security updates is frequent monitoring of food insecurity levels within the population. Participants suggested that after food security data sources are catalogued, the government c... Read moreould support organizations to access this data. One example proposed is a country foods database as a way to capture the availability of country food sources, hunting activity, and monitoring eco-systems. • Measuring the impact of climate change on food security Related to the need for a surveillance system, participants expressed the importance of understanding the impact of climate change on food security. Climate change is likely to have an impact on growing food, sustainable practices, and the seasonality of food access for remote communities. Participants recommended that the federal government track the impact of climate change on traditional food sources in remote and Indigenous communities, furthering the need for a country foods database. • Qualitative data collection Participants felt that in many areas there is a lack of qualitative data to complement the quantitative data. Qualitative data gaps exist around measuring the personal experience of food insecurity as well as the role of food in economic development and food sovereignty. Participants noted that there needs to be investment in case studies within remote communities who are excluded from current data collection and vulnerable groups who are not well represented in current data collection. Participants noted that case studies would help capture and communicate the experience of individuals and add context to the quantitative data collected. Read less

While most participant groups came to similar conclusions, there were a few areas of divergence. • More research and data versus taking immediate action The most salient area of divergence was between those who focused on the need for more data and those who felt that Canada has enough data and the government needs to take immediate action to eliminate food insecurity. In the same token, some participants noted that this Dialogue was not ambitious enough to address food insecurity issue and that Canada needs to take action now and 2030 is too far away. These participants felt that between no... Read morew and 2030, Canada needs to have concrete actions implemented to eliminate food insecurity not just to get the right data and measurements. • Focusing on the collection of standardized data versus region-specific data Participants identified the need for a standardized methodology across time and place to measure food insecurity. However, some participants noted that there is a need for regional approaches and tailored surveys to specific populations. • Data on food bank use The need for more data collection on food bank usage and food insecurity was noted. However, other participants emphasized that, in their view, food banks should not be considered a viable long term solution to food insecurity. As such, they felt that focusing data collection efforts on food banks would be expending effort in the wrong place. • Focus on income versus a holistic food systems approach Some participants felt it was important to look at food security as an income issue and focus on making food more affordable and increasing incomes. Others preferred to focus on the broader cultural and geographic barriers impacting food insecurity. • Food waste data Some participants felt that more data collection was needed related to food waste. Other participants felt that food waste and food security are separate issues. While there is some overlap between the two issues, these participants did not feel that a focus on food waste would significantly help advance food security objectives. • Expanding the definition of food security Many participants believed the definitions of food insecurity needed to be expanded. This included a greater focus on non-market foods and cultural foods, issues of food sovereignty and the inclusion of nutrition and water security. There were, however, divergent opinions about which aspects should be prioritized and included. • Timely data versus quality data Many participants noted the need for timely data collection and dissemination, especially due to how quickly the food security situation changed during COVID-19. However, some participants cautioned against prioritizing speed over quality and coverage. These participants pointed to recent examples such as the quick turn-around online surveys conducted during COVID-19 (the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series); they felt that such a survey with its shortened format and time frames likely excluded marginalized groups. • The role of government, academia and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) It was identified by most participants that the federal government has a lead role in combatting food insecurity and that one federal department should be in charge of the food security file. Many participants noted that the federal government needs to fund more standardized surveys targeting vulnerable populations. However, some participants identified NGOs as the most appropriate data collectors as they better understand vulnerable populations and can act as knowledge brokers. There was a divergence of views on the data collection approach between those who think that the federal government needs to act as a singular source for food security information and those who believe the role of NGOs should be expanded. Some believed that more social scientists needed to be hired by government to undertake more food insecurity related research. In contrast, others believe that data should be more accessible so that academia and NGOs can conduct the research themselves instead. Some participants felt that the federal government has not historically been as respectful as it should have been as data stewards regarding transparency and full accessibility, especially concerning Indigenous populations. There was a divergence of opinions between those advocating for data sovereignty and the need to fund Indigenous-led (as well as NGO-led) data collection; and those who prioritized a centralized, standardized data collection and central sharing system for data. Participants noted that placing more responsibility on NGOs and Indigenous-led organizations may result in overburdening NGOs by involving them too much in constant data collection without additional support. Read less

Canada has committed to achieving zero hunger and food security for all Canadians and to achieving food security related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The opening speech of Canada’s 2020 parliament (Speech from the Throne) emphasized that every Canadian deserves to have nutritious food on the table. The need to continue working with partners – including directly with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation – to address food insecurity in Canada was also highlighted. With these commitments in place, it is crucial that Canada has the ability to measure progress towards achi... Read moreeving the Food Policy’s priority outcomes. The focus of the Food Security Data and Measurement Dialogue was to identify how current methods of measuring food security can be improved upon in order to better track the achievement of Canada’s food security commitments. A key rationale for identifying data and measurement issues is the urgent need to develop appropriate actions targeting vulnerable people so that Canada will be on the path to meeting the SDGs relating to the food system including zero hunger, good health and well-being, responsible production and consumption, and climate action. The Dialogue was motivated by the following future statement: “By 2030, Canada will have the data needed to assess the ability of all those living in Canada to access sufficient amount of safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods. Such data will be used to monitor and track Canada’s progress towards achieving SDGs and indicators in the Food Policy for Canada. As a result, progress will be made toward the SDGs.” The future statement was closely aligned with the UN Food Systems Summit Action Track 1: Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all by 2030. The Dialogue focused on fostering a diverse discussion with partners, stakeholders and rights holders about how to achieve the future statement. The attendees were specifically asked to provide their perspectives and input on the following four areas: (i) identifying current data gaps, (ii) approaches to close the identified data gaps, (iii) barriers and challenges in meeting the future statement, and (iv) identifying stakeholder and rights holders’ roles in meeting the future statement. Read less

While participants commended the recent creation of a Food Policy for Canada they stressed the need for key organizational changes and investments into improving both food security related data collection and governance including data dissemination and access. The Dialogue provided a space for participants to share their perspectives about current food security data and measurements and ways to improve them. Main Finding 1: The role of the federal government in collecting, disseminating, and utilizing data to address food insecurity needs to be well defined and collaborative. Main Finding 2: T... Read morehere is a need for the federal government to increase investment in data collection methods that reflect the regional variation of food systems and populations across Canada. Increased focus on measuring and monitoring food insecurity within vulnerable populations is needed. Main Finding 3: Governments and organizations who collect data to measure food insecurity can improve data collection by supporting partnerships with target groups. Main finding 4: Transparency in the collection, use and dissemination of data needs to be improved. Target groups should be consulted throughout the entire process including survey design, analysis, and providing access to and/or ownership of final data products. Main Finding 5: There is a need for a food security definition that reflects the complexity of the dimensions of food security in Canada. A clear definition of both food sources and security are important when collecting data and measuring the status of food security. Main Finding 6: A comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness of food costing and household income is necessary to understanding the affordability of food. Main Finding 7: There is a need for up to date, timely data on the current food security situation across Canada. Read less

In discussion groups of up to 10 individuals representing diverse dimensions of Canada’s food systems, participants discussed their perspectives and brainstormed ways to address the identified food security data gaps. Each of the eight groups identified unique data gaps and solutions but many groups identified outcomes under common themes. These key outcomes identified by participants are listed below: • Establish a federal lead for achieving food security, increase collaboration between departments and fund further data collection. Many participants felt it would be helpful to have one fe... Read morederal body responsible for food security and the achievement of food security goals. Currently, participants believe there is considerable duplication and incoherency in efforts and as a result progress is being delayed. The lead department or agency should set a clear goal and strive to eliminate food insecurity with strategic milestones that can be gauged for progress over time through performance metrics. Further to setting goals, this government department or agency should take ownership of the process to gather data and develop strategies to foster partnerships with all stakeholders and rights holders by gaining their respect and mutual understanding of the significance of collecting information. This would include cataloguing all existing data that is being collected by stakeholders and rights holders (civil society, non-profit groups, other levels of government, and academia). • Improve data collection for vulnerable groups. Increasing sample size would help better assess the needs and food security levels of vulnerable groups. Participants recommended that the federal government increase sample size for marginalized groups when collecting data so programs and policies can be better targeted and assessed. Small sample sizes of marginalized demographic groups lead to an inability to measure the food security status of these demographic groups at a granular level. In particular, participants identified that the federal government needs to investigate ways that Indigenous-led data collection can be supported. Participants suggested that the federal government needs to focus on inclusive design and better reach for underrepresented groups by offering surveys in different languages and delivery methods while respecting their personal experiences. Participants felt that current data collection may exclude marginalized groups, especially online survey collection. • Develop and support partnerships with food security stakeholders and rights holders. While partnerships require a more intensive process and more resources, participants believe they would enable a deeper dialogue and understanding of food insecurity. Toward this goal, it was recommended by participants that the government work with stakeholders and rights holders to catalogue current data and measurements. Also, it was recommended that the federal government provide stable funding so that organizations can plan long-term priorities for data collection and invest in their organizations. Local groups have experience with the specific food security issues and can work to build trust within the community. Regarding Indigenous communities, it was suggested that the federal government needs to better protect and respect Indigenous data sovereignty and support Indigenous-led data collection. Data collection requires dialogue on a nation-to-nation basis to respect community developed data collection and sharing and ownership protocols. Read less

• Defining and measuring food insecurity Food insecurity is multifaceted and participants felt that in Canada we tend to only focus on affordability and households’ financial access to market foods. Restricting the focus to an income-based model neglects the broader cultural considerations and social and geographical barriers to achieving food security. Participants proposed that the definition of food security should be expanded to include access to other alternative food systems (i.e. traditional/country food systems, local harvesting, community food sharing, and food banks) and other cl... Read moreosely linked insecurities (i.e. nutritional and water security). The federal government needs to consult those who consume traditional foods to better understand these diets and ensure these food security dimensions are incorporated into surveys. • Increasing transparency Participants recommended that the federal government conduct a thorough analysis of food security programs to prove their effectiveness or request academics to undertake such analysis. Participants expressed that currently, they do not know whether programs and funding are actually reducing food insecurity. The linkage between data collection and policy development needs to be transparent. Participants noted that the federal government should improve communication about how data will be used as evidence in policy making when it is collected and provide follow up reports to convey the importance of the communities’ participation in data collection. Transparency and communication between the government and both rights holders and stakeholders in collecting data is key for coordinated efforts to advance food security data and measurement. • Data accessibility Participants urged governments to work on reducing the time lag between data collection and dissemination. Further, the need for a greater level of data granularity was highlighted. Organizations and researchers urgently need data to track who is most affected by food insecurity, the magnitude of the problem and how it is changing over time. • Frequent food insecurity data collection Participants felt that the inconsistent data collection in some provinces and in some years makes it more difficult to identify problems and trends. Therefore, participants urged that the federal government and provinces work together to ensure data is collected annually in order to avoid gaps in the data. The current lack of longitudinal data restricts research into whether the same households are becoming more or less food insecure over time. Thus, a longitudinal survey is needed. Read less