BC Food Systems Network Society

BC Food Systems Network Updates:

New Indigenous Resource Ancestral Land, Food Sovereignty and the Right to Self-Determination: Indigenous People's Perspectives on Agrarian Reform. This paper presented at the International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in Brazil in 2006 can now be downloaded from our Resources and Links page. Scroll to the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Section in the Documents portion.

New! In February 2008, Kaslo became the third municipality in British Columbia to adopt a Food Charter. This statement of guiding principles will help the Village of Kaslo and its residents to enhance their current and future food security. To read more about Kaslo's Food Security initiatives, visit their website. For a listing of other food policy organizations across the province, visit our Food Policy page.

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.Click here to download the Membership Form.

The Annual General Meetings of the Network are held at the Sorrento Gatherings in September each year.

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.

Contact Information

The Network can be contacted through the Communications Co-ordinator, Abra Brynne: