Food Security and Health

� Food security contributes to the physical, mental,spiritual and emotional well-being of residents.

� Nutrition education and consumption ofwholesome, healthy foods are important factors indetermining the overall positive health of the city’spopulation, and this begins with the promotion ofhealthy eating practices – as early as birth – withbreast feeding.

Food Security and Culture

� Food brings people together in the celebration offamily and community, strengthening linksbetween diverse cultures and urban and ruralcommunities. The preparing, eating and sharingof food engages individuals and families in asocial and community fellowship that balancesphysical and spiritual needs.

� Food is a social good that sustains and supportsus and our communities.

Food Security and Globalization

� Any international agreements entered into by ourgovernments must respect the full realization ofpeople’s right to adequate, nutritious, accessible,affordable, safe food at home and internationally.National, provincial and local governments mustguarantee the right of communities andindividuals to food security through supportingviable, sustainable, agricultural production and anequitable income distribution.

Canada stands committed to the United Nations Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights specifying theright of everyone to adequate food, and endorses a food security action plan stating “the fundamental rightof everyone to be free from hunger” and “food security exists when all people at all times have physical andeconomic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences foran active and healthy life” (Canada’s Action Plan for Food Security – 1998).

To meet this national commitment, and to make food security work in our community, the City of Saskatoonand other local organizations support the following elements as the basis for a Saskatoon Food Charter.

Saskatoon Food Charter

Food Security and Production

� Food is an integral part of the economy ofSaskatoon and the surrounding area. Acommitment to building bridges between urbanand rural communities on food security willstrengthen the food sector’s self reliance,growth and development.

� Local agriculture is important to producers andconsumers alike. Urban and rural food securityinitiatives will preserve local agriculturalproduction, and build on the mutualinterdependence of producers and consumers.The Farmer’s Market and the Good Food Boxserve as viable models of this interaction withlocal farmers being able to market theirproducts directly, and consumers being able toaccess nutritious, wholesome food.

� Urban agriculture can be advanced through theestablishment of community gardens thatcontribute directly to the economic, environmentand social life of city residents.

� Food must be produced in a manner that isenvironmentally sustainable, safe forconsumption and socially just.

Food Security and Justice

� Food is more than a commodity. It is a basicright. Every Saskatoon resident should haveaccess to an adequate supply of nutritious,affordable and safe food without social andeconomic barriers. In Saskatoon, we must workwith those communities most affected by lack ofaccess to nutritious, affordable and safe food.

The fulfillment of a Saskatoon Food Charter relies on citizens participating directly in and promotingfood security measures in their homes, their work places, their community, and in this process

strengthening citizen involvement and concern.

A Proposal

Therefore, to develop and promote food security in our city, Saskatoon CityCouncil will:

� Champion the right of all residents toadequate amounts of nutritious, safe,accessible, culturally acceptable food.

� Advocate for income, employment, housing,and transportation policies that supportsecure and dignified access to food.

� Ensure the safety of food and drinking water.

� Ensure convenient access to an affordablerange of nutritious foods in city facilities.

� Adopt and promote food-purchasing prac-tices that serve as a model of health, socialand environmental responsibility andthat support the local rural economy

� Promote partnerships and programs thatsupport rural-urban food links and the avail-ability of locally grown, healthy foods throughthe Farmer’s Market, Good Food Box andother rural-urban initiatives.

� Protect local agricultural lands.

� Encourage community gardens, urban agri-culture and the recycling of organic materialsthat nurture soil fertility.

� Support training and income generatingprograms that promote food security within acommunity economic development model.

� Support nutrition education throughpromotion of skills-based programs for thecommunity and in schools

� Promote a yearly civic report card on howSaskatoon is achieving food security.

� Foster a civic culture that inspires support forhealthy food for all.

These objectives will be achieved by working in partnership with community basedorganizations, community associations, Aboriginal peoples, resident groups, businessorganizations, trade unions, educational and health institutions and other levels ofgovernment.

This proposal for a Saskatoon Food Charter was developed through the Saskatoon Food Coalition with the involvement of thefollowing groups: Saskatoon Farmer’s Market, Oxfam, CHEP, Good Food Box, Community First, Saskatoon Friendship Inn,United Way, Core Neighborhood Youth Co-op, National Farmers Union, Quint Development Corporation, Saskatchewan ChildNutrition Network, Saskatchewan Food Security Network, Saskatoon Food Bank, Inner City Ministry, Organic FarmersNetwork and Saskatoon District Health. For more information, and to be involved in this exciting intiative, you can contact theSaskatoon Food Coalition through 306 384 7041 or email saskfoodsec@sk.sympatico.ca.