WRFoodNews October 17, 2011

1. Eaters Unite to Rebuild Our Food System
The People’s Food Policy Project is calling on Canadians to sign a pledge supporting a National Food Policy that connects food, health, agriculture, the environment and social justice. If you support a national food policy that localizes the food system, addresses poverty, and supports farmers, then sign the pledge at http://peoplesfoodpolicy.ca/pledge. 

2. Roundtable Seeks New Members

The Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable wants you to join it in working toward a healthier food system. The Roundtable's eighteen members meet five times per year, and most members get involved in working groups to help work on identified food system priorities.  Nominations are due by November 14, 2011: see Roundtable blog post for full details. 

3. American Planning Association promotes Food Policy Councils
The American Planning Association has released a briefing paper on Food Policy Councils (FPCs). The report provides an overview of FPCs, charts the functions of planners with FPCs in a detailed matrix, highlights common ways that planning departments support FPCs, and offers lessons learned.  For a link to the full paper, see post by Judy Maan Miedema on the Roundtable Discussion Forum. 

4. Federal Government Threatens Canada Wheat Board
Food Secure Canada is asking Canadians to join a campaign to pressure the Canadian government not to dismantle the Canada Wheat Board. It claims the Wheat Board puts more money in farmers’ pockets, protects farmers from the power of transnational grain companies, and keeps control of our grain marketing system in the hands of Canadian farmers. See details in the Food Secure Canada blog post. 

5. Soup Sisters Warm Hearts of Homeless Youth and Women
Soup Sisters is a non-profit organization with a mandate to support women and children at risk residing in emergency shelters, and youth in crisis transitioning from street culture into mainstream society. Now a K-W chapter makes soup for shelters like ROOF and Marillac Place on a monthly basis.  Join in monthly get-togethers to make soup with others in an atmosphere of camaraderie at the Culinary Studio on Belmont Avenue in Waterloo.  See http://www.soupsisters.org/waterloo-soupsisters.php# for details. 

6. COG Hosting Several Organic Week events
National Organic Week is October 15-22, and the Perth-Waterloo-Wellington chapter of Canadian Organic Growers is hosting several events to celebrate it.  Events include farm tours, film screenings, bake sales, and more.  Local events are listed on the Roundtable’s Events page. 

7. Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?

Mark Bittman, food columnist for the New York Times, wrote an excellent piece on the true costs of junk food.  He concludes that it’s still cheaper to eat good healthy food if you cook it yourself, and that we need to address many of the systemic barriers to eating healthy food.  See the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all. 

8. Upcoming Food Events  

LOTS of Foodie events in the next couple of weeks!  Post your own Foodie events on our Events page and view details on these and other upcoming events.

Dirt: The Movie, Monday, October 17, 7-9pm, Stanley Park Library, Kitchener
Take a Bite out of Climate Change Tour, Saturday, October 22, 9am-3pm, various farms near Guelph
Food Waste: Exploring Broad-Based Solutions, Tuesday, October 25, 6:30-8:30pm, Forest Heights Library, Kitchener
Bring Food Home Conference, Thursday, October 27-Saturday, October 29, Peterborough

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