Links and Resources
Web Sites
Food Policy and Politics
- Food Secure Canada / Sécurité Alimentaire Canada aims to unite people and organizations working for food security nationally and globally. News about the upcoming fourth Annual Conference in October, as well as past conference proceedings, can be found on this site.
- Growing Green Project of Farm Folk City Folk - policy and law reform for sustainable food systems in southwest BC.
- Thought About Food? A Workbook on Food Security and Influencing Policy from the Food Security Projects of the Nova Scotia Nutrition Council and the Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre.
- The Toronto Food Policy Council : includes a listing of their discussion paper series.
- Foodshare Toronto : works with communities to improve access to affordable and healthy food - from field to table.
- Slow Food : a site which is a response to the effect that fast food has on our society and life - and which celebrates good, slow food!
- The Ram's Horn is a unique and valuable source of information and analysis of the whole food system.
- Tiki's Guide to Genetic Engineering : an excellent website for children (and adults).
- FarmFolk/CityFolk : a non-profit society based in Vancouver which works to help create a more just food system.
Indigenous Food Sovereignty
- First Nations Development Institute: the FNDI has a Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative. Among their downloadable publications are a lengthy and useful Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool, and a shorter document entitled Facts and Profiles in Native Food Systems, which tells the stories of projects underway to rebuild food sovereignty in various Indigenous communities across North America.
- Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism: The IPCB provides educational and technical support to indigenous peoples in protection of their biological resources, cultural integrity, knowledge and collective rights.
- Goviya: Traditional Sri Lankan Agriculture: This website contains a wealth of information about traditional food systems in Sri Lanka as well as the various threats and destructive events that have undermined their food sovereignty.
Nutrition and Health
- Public Health Association of BC : Source for the Making Connections: Food Security and Public Health document and for information on the Public Health Alliance for Food Security
- School Nutrition: Feeding the Future : a handbook on school nutrition from the Calgary Health Region
- Canadian Institute of Child Health : has on site statistics on children in Canada, including by province/territory
- USDA Nutritient Database : a searchable database for comprehensive nutritional profiles of a huge range of foods. (Use the search box at the top of the webpage.)
Food Access
- New! Food Roots Distributors Co-operative is based in Victoria with a mandate to facilitate the link between growers, processors and eaters. One of their projects is the Pocket Market, a variation on neighbourhood farmers markets. The Pocket Market manual can be downloaded from their website.
- New! Food Donor Encouragement Act This British Columbia Act was passed unanimously in May 1997. When donors act in good faith, they are protected from liability, while at the same time recipients' rights are protected. The act is simple, short and easy to have on hand if you are approaching potential donors for various types of programs such as gleaning.
- Dietitians of Canada : The Dietitians produce a yearly Cost of Eating Report which can be accessed through their resources section.
- Community Council, Victoria : their Activities Page includes useful downloadable documents on the work of the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable.
- Berkeley Food Policy Council : has mandate to increase access to food for all Berkeley residents - includes their various projects.
- World Hunger Year (WHY) - WHY "supports and promotes innovative, long term solutions to hunger through self-reliance, economic justice, community building and food security"
Farming and Gardening
- New! British Columbia Seed Database: the BC Seed Security Project, led by a small group of BC-based farmers and organizers, has created a website to disseminate their results and to foster access to locally grown seeds. The website contains a continually growing database of BC Grown seeds as well as informative articles on seed growing. BC seed growers who wish to list their seeds on the website may do so free of charge.
- New! National Farmers Union: this is a Union of Canadian farm families working together to achieve agricultural policies which will ensure dignity and security of income for farm families while enhancing the land for future generations. The site has some very useful briefs and policy recommendation papers available for download.
- Certified Organic Associations of BC : the only government-approved body responsible for overseeing the BC Certified Organic Program.
- Stellar Seeds : a Shuswap-based certified organic seed company focusing on biodiversity. All the seeds sold are grown by small-scale farmers in British Columbia.
- West Coast Seeds : based in the Lower Mainland and specializing in seeds and advice for organic growers in British Columbia.
- Community Supported Agriculture of North America at University of Massachusetts Extension: contains much valuable information and resources related to community supported agriculture.
- City Farmer Urban Agriculture Notes - has an extensive list of links relating to City Farmer activities as well as info related to urban farming.
- A catalog of garden catalogs - maintained by Cyndi Johnson who has an astonishingly comprehensive and annotated listing of seed companies in North America as well as other catalogs relevant to gardening.
- Farm-Scale Composting Resource List: a good list of resources related to larger scale composting. There is also a link to the ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas) home page.
- University of California Vegetable Research and Information Center : A veritable cornucopia of info related to growing vegetables, from individual crop production costs to handling to marketing.
- Canadian Organic Growers : lots of useful links and info relating to organics in Canada
- Rare Breeds Canada: decidated to conserving, evaluating and studying heritage, rare and minor breeds of Canadian farm animals.
- Islands Heritage Livestock : the Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands chapter of Rare Breeds Canada.
Miscellaneous
- Food Donor Encouragement Act, British Collumbia : the BC Act that provides protection for donors of food against liability for unintended illness caused by donations.
- Canada/BC Business Service Centre : lots of resources for small business, including an interactive business planning tool.
- Statistics Canada's Profile of Canadian Communities : a searchable data base of statistics Canadian communities - click on the Community Profiles link.
Documents
Food Policy and Politics
- From Land to Mouth: Understanding the Food System, by Brewster Kneen, published by NC Press. An invaluable resource for truly understanding the food system and why it leads to hunger. This book is out of print but can be downloaded from the Ramshorn website for free.
- Human Nature: Agricultural Biodiversity and Farm-Based Food Security, by Hope Shand and published by RAFI (Rural Advancement Foundation International). Places the issue of food security in the global context.
- The Case Against the Global Economy and For a Turn Toward the Local, edited by Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith, published by Sierra Club Books. Though this is a lengthy book, the individual articles can be read and absorbed on their own.
Indigenous Food Sovereignty
- New! Ancestral Land, Food Sovereignty and the Right to Self-Determination: Indigenous People's Perspectives on Agrarian Reform. Written by Jill K. Carino of the Cordillera Women's Education and Resource Centre in the Philippines, this paper was presented at the International Conference on Agrarian Refrom and Rural Development in Porte Alegre, Brazil in March 2006. The 8 page document can be downloaded here.
- The 1st Annual Interior of B.C. Indigenous Food Sovereignty Conference, August 28-31st 2006, Final Conference Report.
- Food for Thought: Ancient Visions and New Experiments of Rural People, edited by Bertus Haverkort and Wim Hiemstra, published by ETC / COMPAS. This book is the result of an international initiative to understand and support the processes and concepts of indigenous knowledge, taking the cosmovision of rural people as a point of departure.
- Protecting What's Ours: Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity, compiled and edited by David Rothschild, produced by the South & Meso American Indian Rights Center. This book is designed specifically for use by indigenous peoples and organizations. Written in plain language from an indigenous point of view, the book explores major indigenous concerns about biodiversity.
Nutrition and Health
- Whole Food Companion: A Guide for Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers & Lovers of Natural Foods, by Dianne Onstad. Published by Chelsea Green. Probably the most comprehensive guide to whole foods - from nuts to veggies. Each item has its own nutritional analysis as well as buying, cooking and storing suggestions.
- You Eat What You Are: A Study of Ethnic Food Traditions by Thelma Barer-Stein, published by McClelland and Stewart Limited. An interesting study of why we, as different ethnic communities, have come to eat the way we do.
- Fresh From the Farmers' Market: Year-Round Recipes for the Pick of the Crop, by Janet Fletcher, published by Chronicle Books. Though this book may be written for a more affluent crowd, the recipes are simple with a focus on bringing out the flavour and goodness of fresh vegetables. The underlying philosophy is the importance of eating locally.
Food Access
- New Resource: The Cost of Eating in BC - 2007 Report. Each year, dietitians throughout BC price a basket of food at a number of grocery stores using a standardized food costing tool called the National Nutritious Food Basket (NFB). The basket contains 66 basic foods that require preparation. The cost of the food basket is then compared to disposable income for a number of family scenarios. For those on income assistance, or with a low earned income, shelter and food costs consume an unreasonable proportion. The 2007 Report can be downloaded here but please note that it is a large file (530KB) for anyone on dial-up.
- Best Practices in Urban Agriculture. Resulting from a research project based in Kamloops, this 49 page report can be downloaded here but please note that it is a large file (1.5MB) for anyone on dial-up.
- Community Food Action Initiative Project Overview & Kamloops Food Action Plan. This September 2006 Report provides an overview of the Project and the resulting Food Action Plan undertaken in the city of Kamloops. Download the 26 page report
- Building Food Security in Canada, From Hunger to Sustainable Food Systems : Community Guide, by Laura Kalina is now available. This is a completely re-worked and updated edition, including a new chapter on food policy and a listing of resources and organizations across the country.
- Canada's Edible Wild Plant Series - published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Volume 1 is Edible Garden Weeds of Canada, Volume 3 is Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. Available in both French and English.
- Stocking Up, by Carol Hupping and the staff of the Rodale Food Center. Published by Fireside. The ultimate resource book for any and all forms of food preservation, including creative tips for building your own root cellar and dehydrator, as well as complete guides to canning.
- Dry It: You'll Like it! By Gen Macmaniman, Evergreen Printing Co. The classic, complete, how-to guide to dehydrating foods - first published in 1973 and still useful.
- The Neighborhood Forager: A Guide for the Wild Food Gourmet, by Robert K. Henderson, published by Key Porter Books. Packed with practical information, one of the strengths of this book for British Columbians is that it is written by someone from our own province so the plants actually grow here.
Farming and Gardening
- How to Grow More Vegetables than you ever thought possible on less land than you can imagine, by John Jeavons. Ten Speed Press. The title says it all!
- Greening the Garden: A Guide to Sustainable Growing, by Dan Jason. New Society Publishers. The classic home food-security gardening book by the visionary behind Salt Spring Seeds.
- Seed to Seed: Seed Saving Techniques for the Vegetable Gardener, by Suzanne Ashworth. Seed Savers Exchange. A widely used reference book by seed savers.
- Successful Small-Scale Farming: An Organic Approach, by Karl Schwenke. Storey Books. A useful resource book for both the beginner and more experienced farmer.
- Small-Scale Livestock Farming:A Grass-Based Approach for Health, Sustainability and Profit, by Carol Ekarius. Storey Publishing. A solid overview to farming with livestock, including a chapter on planning, financial and otherwise.
- Sharing the Harvest: A Guide to Community Supported Agriculture, by Elizabeth Henderson with Robyn Van En. Chelsea Green Publishing Company. A comprehensive and practical guide to starting and running a "CSA", from acquiring the land, to planning the crops and finances, and dealing with the question of organic certification for your CSA.
Miscellaneous
- Towards Sustainable Communities: Resources for Citizens and their Governments, by Mark Roseland, published by New Society Publishers. Practical suggestions and innovative solutions to working with government and communities towards sustainability.
Please contact the web mamma if any of these links don't work - thank you!