Community Discussion Submissions: What We Eat I

Collective answers were given to the following questions:

Q. What does the term “local food system” mean to you?
A. The 200 mile diet. A “mostly local food system”, with some things from abroad. It means whatever is needed for community to be sustainable. Eating seasonal food. Small-scale (not industrial/factory farming, which could also be “local”). Direct producer-consumer relationships (no middleman). Allowances for small-scale producers to grow a little bigger, to serve more people. Smaller stores, with more possibility of personal relationships to store owners. Stores accessible by foot or bus. Good quality food, high nutrition content. Both urban and rural lands in use for food production. Use of renewable energy-powered greenhouses. An evolving phenomenon, a progression from some local with some imported to completely local, with discovery of new local food sources through horticultural research (non-GMO).

Q. In what ways do you or could you contribute to the development of more sustainable food systems?
A. Create more TIME, so people can start gardening. Promote community agriculture. Address psychological and cultural barriers to gardening and food preserving work (eg. weeding, canning). Realize urban areas can also be used for growing food (eg. empty lots)…be a “guerrilla gardener”! Use a “laddering strategy” to overcome institutional barriers…negotiate with institutions to begin purchasing small amounts of local food. Get public institutions to buy locally, to begin to develop infrastructure for a local food economy. Form food co-ops. Develop underground storage facilities for food storage during winter. Practice square-foot gardening (for use of small spaces).

Q. If Alberta were to become food self-sufficient within 5-10 years, what major changes would have to take place?
A. Chip away at advanced capitalism, and return decision-making power to local citizens (eg. remove the “Inc” from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce). At a minimum, public institutions should buy local. Triple the number of small organic farms. Give specific grants or tax incentives for small farms and co-ops. Demand information be made public (what are feedlots feeding our cattle?) More information on labelling about where food comes from. Cut the middleman, whenever possible. Create local direct food distribution systems. Supply funding for transition to organic, and funding to REMAIN organic. Free tuition to organic farmers’ children (since some don’t make enough income to receive tax incentives). Make food security a public policy issue. Create a Food Security Plan, focussing on self-sufficiency, to address disaster scenarios. Create a Food Charter for Alberta cities, similar to other cities such as Vancouver. Hold Farmers’ Markets on University Campuses. Connect environmentalists--young and old! Link groups such as Greater Edmonton Alliance (pushing for a living wage) together towards food self-sufficiency. Join forces! Permit more action-oriented assignments in academic courses (eg. don’t just create written materials; buy land, grow food, talk to people!)