Access to food seems to be at our fingertips whenever we want or need it. Of course this is not always the case for everyone.
In 2014 a team of volunteers at the Sechelt Food Bank put together and distributed 12,123 bags of food to people in need. Approximately 30 per cent were children and more than 40 per cent were people over 50 years of age.
Food poverty continues to grow in our community. This is just one area of our local food system that looks for community support.
A recent development in growing local food is the Sunshine Coast Food Policy Council (FPC) which started as a steering committee under One Straw in November, 2013, following a ‘Food for Thought’ forum organized by the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) and Vancouver Coastal Health. The main purpose of this event was to bring interested members of the community to the table to establish an ongoing food policy council for the region.
The committee has been meeting regularly with various individuals, government representatives, organizations and businesses participating in the discussions.
On April 22 at 7 p.m. at the SCRD offices in Wilson Creek, a Food Policy Council for the Sunshine Coast will be established with a number of presenters speaking on the value of an FPC. It can be defined as an organization that builds the capacity of a local food system by improving markets for local foods, increasing awareness of local food issues, and ensuring equitable access to ‘good food’ for all residents.
For more information please visit www.secheltrotary.ca and follow the ‘Local Food’ link.
