As Canadians find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet and the negative effects of global warming continue to increase the precariousness of the most deprived, local alternatives offer a glimmer of hope.
From coast to coast, women are playing the role of agents of transformation in their communities. The documentary series Women at the forefront of changedirected by Craig Conoley and presented by Open Food Network Canada, paints the portrait of five inspiring female entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing the food system in their own way.
This network is a non-profit, social purpose organization dedicated to supporting local agricultural and food companies. Its mission is to “work with local agriculture and food businesses to expand equitable, local and sustainable agri-food initiatives in communities across Canada.” To achieve this, it establishes numerous partnerships leveraging an open source platform with the aim of developing adapted resources and implementing joint research projects.
Over the course of five episodes, mainly in English and subtitled in French, it is about food sovereignty, sustainable agricultural practices and short supply chains. These are key elements to ensure the sustainability of agri-food production while making it more accessible to all.
Linking producers and consumers
For example, in the episode on the Abondance Urbaine Solidaire solidarity cooperative (Coop CAUS), in Verdun, we meet Tracey Arial and Michelle Marsolais. They are at the helm of this non-profit neighborhood grocery store that sells healthy, local and sustainably produced foods. “If we can make the connection between the people who produce our food, those who [la] consume and those who set up projects to sell it, we can create a system [alimentaire] which is more ethical, more ecological and more community-based,” explains Tracey Arial in the first minutes of the video. It presents some local producers with whom they partner, such as market gardener Patricia Maurice, from the Cavendale farm in Bedford, in the Eastern Townships, as well as Pierre Lampron, from Jardins Florelia in Mascouche.
On the Toronto side, Josephine Grey, director and co-founder of the St. James Town Community Co-op, collaborates with urban farmers of African origin. Thus, it offers healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate foods in this diverse and densely populated neighborhood. This is his way of helping to reduce the problems of food insecurity in his community. “The challenge around which the organization was formed was to help newcomers access balanced products and navigate the North American food system. We understood that the supply had to be more abundant and of better quality. It was not just a matter of knowing where this or that commodity was and how to obtain it. In fact, we should change the food system,” she explains in a press release.
Other women at the forefront include those from the Huron County Farmers’ Market Network and the Local Flower Collective in Ontario, as well as The Local Food Box in British Columbia. They are all, in their own way, hubs using innovative digital technologies and relying on data transmission with the common goal of connecting producers and customers.
Inspiration, pride, hope
Through the series, we meet all kinds of farmers, from urban beekeepers to mushroom farmers to sustainable flower growers. Additional videos are also available on the Open Food Network Canada website for those who want to know more about these different stakeholders. Without doubt, each episode is a source of inspiration, pride and hope which allows us to envisage a system favoring fairness and sustainability throughout the agri-food chain. By showing sustainable solutions, already in place and thriving, the series presents a realistic vision of the food system of tomorrow.
The next step: making even more room for these pioneering women and the rich community of local farmers who are working hard to change the agricultural world. They also contribute to improving food sovereignty and facilitate access for as many people as possible to fresh, healthy and sustainable products.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.