BC Food Systems Network
The 2009 Gathering. More than 140 people gathered together, September 24 - 26th, in the beautiful Chehalis Valley to celebrate 10 years of the Network. There were many old and new faces, sharing stories, resources, challenges and support to take back to our work of creating thriving food systems in each of our communities. The Bioregional Theme of the Gathering fostered a great deal of interesting and useful discussion and action planning, both for our regional groupings as well as for the Network as a whole. A report on the Gathering will be posted on our website in the coming weeks. We also elected our Board of Directors for 2009 - 2010. Please visit our About Us page and scroll to the bottom to see the people who are volunteering their time and efforts on behalf of the Network.
Indigenous Food Systems
The Indigenous Food Systems website will be launching in January 2010.
What is A food system?
A food system is the deliberate organization of the production, processing, distribution, selection and consumption of food. The dominant food system in North America is industrial: that is, it emphasizes mechanical over organic and a capital-intensive rather than labour-intensive production, processing and distribution methods. It is oriented toward global trade rather than the satisfaction of local needs, and is controlled by a handful of large transnational corporations.
The BC Food Systems Network
The Network was formed in September, 1999, to link people all over the province involved in community-level action related to food. In keeping with the holistic perspective of the local food security and food policy organizations, the Network emphasizes the way in which food issues cross cultures, sectors, and age groups. Through an email network and annual meetings, we share insights, initiatives, strategies and critical analysis of events in the food system and our own work.
The BC Food Systems Network became a registered B.C. Society in October, 2004. Membership (and access to our electronic list serve) is open to anyone who supports our mission and democratic, inclusive process. Download the Membership Form or, if you wish to join our listserve without becoming a Member, you can subscribe by clicking on this link and following the directions. Please note that you must be subscribed to post to our listserv.
We have held an Annual Gathering in September of each year since 1999, during which the Network's Annual General Meetings are held.
What is Wrong With Our Food System?
We are outraged at the level of hunger and malnutrition in a society where food is plentiful. In a wealthy society, social welfare payments which do not assure personal food security are unacceptable. We cannot rely on overburdened and understocked food banks; nor can we continue to implement support programs which leave out critical constituencies (eg. babies between 6 months and 5 years old).
The contamination of breast milk is an appalling symbol of one of the major problems in a system which can be described as "abuse of the planet". Genetic engineering of food and seeds must be stopped.
The high level of corporate and external control of our food system, coupled with "free trade" agreements, is undermining local agriculture and food production. It also leaves us highly vulnerable to an emergency since we do not have control of our own food resources.
We are losing the essential arts of farming, gardening, foraging, identifying edible and medicinal plants, cooking, preserving and storing foods, and the cultures and community sharing that have accompanied them. The connection of food and food security to every sector and level of society is ignored as governments and ministries contradict or undermine one another's actions, and community groups are given no voice in policy-making. This must change!
We need an agri-food policy which crosses jurisdictions to provide the framework within which it is easier for individuals to make good choices. The motto should be partnership among Ministries, various levels of government, and the civil society organizations which are taking leadership in food security work.
