The Context for Action on Local Food Insecurity

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The Context for Action on Local Food Insecurity

• Waterloo Food Summit
• November 16, 2009
• Victoria Park Pavilion, Kitchener

Elbert van Donkersgoed P. Ag. (Hon.) Terra Coeur
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Dear Granddad

• Corinne made this for you with only a little
  technical help
• Corinne knows that you think a lot about where
  food comes from so she drew a cat thinking about
  a mouse thinking about cheese

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The Context for Action on Local Food Insecurity

• A Few Big Ideas that HAVE SHAPED the Context
• Unintended consequences
• A Few Big Ideas for Shaping the FUTURE Context

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A Few Big Ideas that HAVE SHAPED the Context

• Great marketing infrastructure
• Technology
• Replacement of the horse

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Great Marketing Infrastructure
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Great Marketing Infrastructure
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Great Marketing Infrastructure
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Great Marketing Infrastructure
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Technology
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Technology
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• Technology
• Silos with unloaders
• Gutter cleaners
• Pipeline milking machines

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Replacement of the Horse
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Replacement of the Horse
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Replacement of the Horse
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Replacement of the Horse
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Replacement of the Horse
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Replacement of the HorseOrange Hill Farm 1952 to
1959
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• Replace-ment of the Horse
• From the top of the windmill

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A Few Big Ideas that HAVE SHAPED the Context

• Great marketing infrastructure
• Technology
• Replacement of the horse
• Others
• Drainage systems
• Genetically modified seeds
• Free trade
• Supply management
• Fast food

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Unintended Consequences

• Declining self-sufficiency
• Energy dependence
• The structure of the food chain
• The slide to cheap food
• Decline in the farmers share
• Second career farming

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Great Marketing Infrastructure IMPORTS
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Declining Self-sufficiencyFood Exports Imports
- Ontario
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Great Marketing Infrastructure CONTROL
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Who now controls our Food Chain?
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Technology Energy Dependence
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Technology Ever Lower Farm Prices BEEF
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Technology Ever Lower Farm Prices PORK
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Technology Ever Lower Farm Prices PORK

• Energy costs
• More corn per acre
• Interest rates
• Porcine Circovirus vaccine type 2
• Canadian dollar
• A restricted border COOL legislation
• Ethanol subsidies driving pig feed prices
• Recession
• One more challenge stacked on all of these

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???? Ever Lower Farm Prices PORK
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Decline in the Farmers Share of Eaters Dollar
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Decline in the Farmers Share of Eaters Dollar
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Second Career Farming
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A Few Big Ideas for Shaping the FUTURE Context

• Re-localize our food system
• Multicultural foods
• Invest in post harvest
• Pay for environmental goods and services
• Reconnect eaters and farmers

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A Few Big Ideas for Shaping the FUTURE Context

• Re-localize our food system
• Multicultural foods
• Invest in post harvest
• Pay for environmental goods and services
• Reconnect eaters and farmers

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Q32) Food products can have labels describing
where the food originated from, or how it was
grown or raised. Please indicate whether each of
the following would make you much more likely,
somewhat more likely, or just as likely to buy
the product.

• Key Differences
• Women are more likely to say that Locally Grown
  (59) and Farm Fresh (44) would make them
  much more likely to buy the product.
• Those aged 50 say they would be much more likely
  to buy products with labels that say Locally
  Grown (58), Foodland Ontario (48) and Farm
  Fresh (45).
• Those living in the Greenbelt are more likely to
  say they would be much more likely to buy
  products with the Greenbelt Grown label (32).
• Those who see the Greenbelt as a very important
  source of food are more likely to say they would
  be much more likely to buy products with a
  Greenbelt Grown label (42)
• Rural respondents are more likely to say they
  would be much more likely to buy products that
  have the labels Locally Grown (63), Foodland
  Ontario (52), and Farm Fresh (51).

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What would you say are the benefits of buying
locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables?
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Q30) Please indicate how strongly you agree or
disagree that locally grown food?

• Key Differences
• Women are more likely to strongly agree that
  locally grown food is fresher (77) and tastes
  better (58).
• Those who live in the Greenbelt are more likely
  to see that locally grown foods support the
  Greenbelt (65).
• Those in rural areas are more likely to strongly
  agree that it preserves farmland (75), is
  fresher (79) and tastes better (63).

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Is the distance a food product travels a concern
to you?
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When buying food in the past six months, how
often did you buy locally grown food when it was
available?
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Q29) I would be willing to pay more forthat were
locally grown or raised

• Key Differences
• Women (39 and 38) are more likely to strongly
  agree to both, as are those aged 50 (41, 41).
• Those with children at home are less likely to
  strongly agree with either (26, 31)
• There is only a modest correlation with income on
  this item, with 31/35 of those with household
  incomes below 40,000 agreeing, compared to
  38/37 of those with incomes above 80,000.
• Those who live in rural areas are more likely to
  strongly agree that they would be willing to pay
  more for locally-grown fruits/vegetables (42)
  and meat (42).
• Regionally, those in Dufferin-Peel-Halton are
  more likely to strongly agree with both (40,
  40).
• Those who see the Greenbelt as an important
  source of food are more likely to strongly agree
  with both (43, 45).

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Do you buy food based on price more than you buy
food based on where it is grown or raised?
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Food labelled or certified as locally grown
would increase the amount of locally grown food I
purchase
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Q21) How often do you shop at each of the
following?

• Key Differences
• Supermarkets those with children (91 weekly),
  80k (87)
• Independent Grocers Men (40), 80k (39), and
  rural (40)
• Farmers Markets Women (20), 80k (21), rural
  (21), and Greenbelt (21)
• Food Co-op or Buying Club 30-49s (28 ever do),
  those with kids (30), and 80k (32)
• Pick-your-Own Gardens/Fields Those with children
  (49 ever do), 80k (51), live in Greenbelt
  (46)

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Q24) At which of the following types of stores do
you usually buy locally-grown fruits,
vegetables, or meats?

• Key Differences
• Women are more likely to buy from farmers
  markets (46).
• Younger respondents aged 18-29 are more likely to
  buy them from pick-your-own fields and gardens
  (25).
• Post-grads are more likely to buy them from
  farmers markets (45).
• Those with unaided awareness of the Greenbelt are
  more likely buy from farmers markets (46) and
  independent grocers (37).
• Regionally, those in Hamilton-Niagara-Branford
  (50), and those in Dufferin-Peel-Halton (48)
  are more likely to from farmers markets.
• Those in Toronto (39), and Grey-Bruce (40) are
  more likely to say they buy from independent
  grocers.

Note sums to more than 100 due to more than one
answer being accepted
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Q36) Please indicate whether you strongly agree,
somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or
strongly disagree with each of the following

• Key Differences
• Women are more likely than men (72 vs. 58), and
  those 50 are more likely than those aged 18-29
  (72 vs. 47) to strongly agree that they would
  be more likely to buy locally grown foods if
  their retailers offered more of them.
• Those who live in rural areas are more likely to
  strongly agree that they would buy more
  locally-grown foods if retailers offered them
  (75), and if restaurants indicated them on their
  menus (58).
• Those living in the Greenbelt (50), those aged
  50 (49), immigrants (48), and those with
  household incomes of less than 40,000 (48) are
  more likely to strongly agree that they would buy
  more locally-grown foods if they had a label
  indicating they were grown in the Greenbelt.

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Should supermarkets create dedicated and visible
sections to make it more convenient for you to
buy locally grown food?
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A Few Big Ideas for Shaping the FUTURE Context

• Re-localize our food system
• Multicultural foods
• Invest in post harvest
• Pay for environmental goods and services
• Reconnect eaters and farmers

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Immigrants as of Total
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Speaks Only English
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Top 10 Non-Official Languages
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What We Dont Know

• Ocra
• Bitter gourd

• Tinda
• Callaloo

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Agribusiness Products
Chinese Baby Pak Choy Pak Choy Oriental Eggplant Oriental Spinach Snow Peas Napa Cabbage Luffa Mexican Chili Jalapeno Tomatillo Chili Pablano Calabacita Chili Serrano Anaheim Pepper Tutuma
Indian Eggplant (Pushpa) Fenugreek Leaves Cluster Beans Bottle Gourd Ridged Gourd Mint Leaves Eggplant (Bharta) Puerto Rican Batata Aji Dulce Cilantro Calabaza Chili Caribe Pepinillo Berenjena
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A Few Big Ideas for Shaping the FUTURE Context

• Re-localize our food system
• Multicultural foods
• Invest in post harvest
• Pay for environmental goods and services
• Reconnect eaters and farmers

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Invest in post harvest

• Come and enjoy the countryside, watch the birds,
  walk the trails, participate in conservation
  events, BEFORE YOU GO HOME, fill the boot of your
  car to restock your fridge and pantry with the
  abundance of the countryside AND from the farmers
  you have met

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A Few Big Ideas for Shaping the FUTURE Context

• Re-localize our food system
• Multicultural foods
• Invest in post harvest
• Pay for environmental goods and services
• Reconnect eaters and farmers

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Pay for Environmental Goods and Services

• Charlie Huntersmart
• Farm manager, College Farm
• Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester
• 3,000 acres College Farm

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A Few Big Ideas for Shaping the FUTURE Context

• Re-localize our food system
• Multicultural foods
• Invest in post harvest
• Pay for environmental goods and services
• Reconnect eaters and farmers

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Reconnect eaters and farmers
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Homegrown Ontario
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Reconnect eaters and farmers
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A Few Big Ideas for Shaping the FUTURE Context

• Re-localize our food system
• Multicultural foods
• Invest in post harvest
• Pay for environmental goods and services
• Reconnect eaters and farmers
• Other
• Process for declaring farmland Provincially
  Significant
• Land-based, energy self-sufficient production

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Thank You for Your Attention

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