Notes from Food Security meeting, September 4, 2003 at Carnegie
Attendance:
Nancy McRitchieKiwassa
Bonnie StevensSheway
Lodisha MacGregorKiwassa
Catherine LeachFrog Hollow Neighbourhood House
Kevan OxleyTri-Cities Homeless Task Force
Joyce Rockresident
Linda Marie AntolinosFTE
Morgan AshbridgeTradeworks and Resident
Steve BouchardRay-Cam and Resident
Vicki SinghBritannia Parent Advisory Committee
Rick JuliussonResident
Karen SobourinUsMoms
Cheney CawkwellGood Food Box
Shelly WellsQuest Outreach Society
Mirika FleggFederation of Aboriginal Foster Parents
Marty FrostCooperative Development Consultant
Herb BarboletFarm Folks/City Folks
Remick HoMCAWS, Proviince of BC
Darren KitchanCommunity Directions
Rudolf PennerResident
Clemancia Gomaz
Lou DemeraisVancouver Native Health Society
Bob GilsenTradeworks
Food security definition from 1996 World Food Summit:
Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
It was decided to develop some agreement on values, and look at food security under the following framework of Political; Social, Economic and Resource based Enabling Environments. For more information, see website:
Values - ideas expressed included: simple, respectful, clear, open, inclusive, no more donuts, no more silos, community and resident driven, cooperative.
There was discussion about including more residents, having food available and a more welcoming poster. One resident, Joyce, is looking at doing simple surveys of residents about themselves and food to collect info. It was noted that many agency staff also come from the communities they work in, and have first hand experience of the issues.
There was discussion about the need for all of the agencies to work together, all organizations so that there are not silos of effort. There are a few coalitions working on the issue of food security. We are working within the context of April 2004 being the date that many people who are on social assistance will be thrown off, and families will have cuts in their benefit rates.
Shelley from Quest distributed and presented the report to government on a proposed Cooperative Supermarket. The City staff were asked and clarified that they were approached for funding to do a feasibility study, and that they have not made a commitment at this point to fund such a supermarket. Shelley said the report indicated a cooperative supermarket could be self sustaining, there would however be a need for capital: space and equipment. Quest is also working on a business plan to expand their processing and warehouse side, not part of this report. (maybe not relevant).
Regarding where to go from here, it was noted that there is a need to emphasize community capacity building as part of the work to be done. There was discussion about the process to get to where things are today. Shelley proposed that Quest call a meeting to move the Supermarket idea forward. There was disagreement about what is the best community process to use: a community advisory board or a coalition of folks, i.e. NEVCO. Lou Demerais proposed that NEVCO call a meeting, with nice posters, inviting residents to form a co-operative, and the residents would be supported by the agencies. This was agreed to. It was also agreed that people will read the report prior to the next meeting.
Recognizing that a cooperative supermarket is one possibility, there is lots of room and need for the agencies to work together under the four streams of political (i.e. values, other initiatives, interface with government policies..); social (i.e. training and employment); economic and resource based. It might be useful to define the streams more). People were asked to commit to joining one of the working groups, and to e:mail Fern at to give her their first and second choices for working groups so that she can place people.
It was requested that more information be shared about what the existing community resources and programs are. Someone is doing an inventory of that, and efforts will be made to get the copy of the inventory so that it can be updated if needed and shared.
It was also suggested that new participants in this process be invited to come to the meeting earlier in order to be updated as to the process and conclusions to date. Minutes would also be useful to keep people informed. It was suggested that each working group have someone write up brief notes, and Fern agreed to provide minutes of the overall meeting.
Lower Mainland Food Council, September 10. UBC Farm, 7 PM. 8:30 p.m..
Next meeting: Thursday September 18, 10 am at Vancouver Native Health, 449 East Hastings Street. New folks can come at 9:30 for an update/orientation. Anyone interested in assisting in this orientation should also arrive at 9:30,