Food sovereignty on the menu: exploring the opportunities of locally-sourced school food programs
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Date
2021
Authors
Benot, Kirsten
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Abstract
Locally-sourced school nutrition programs offer opportunities for the development of food sovereignty and the realization of the right to food in Canada. School food and public procurement programs can strengthen local food systems, reduce food insecurity, increase food literacy, support environmentally sustainable farming practices, and improve the incomes of small-scale farmers. Analyzing research from the academic and grey literatures, this paper reviews the failure of the Canadian government to realize the right to food, examines and contrasts the concepts of food security and food sovereignty, considers the role of civil society organizations, and assesses the opportunities and barriers of school food programs that source ingredients locally. The potential benefits and pitfalls of relying on government for funding and administering programs are also considered. Across Canada, non-governmental organizations and charities have been filling in the gaps in the country’s social safety net by providing food for the vulnerable, including through the funding, administration, and operation of school nutrition programs. Although the paper argues in favour of a nationally-mandated and funded program, consideration of the local context is important, and accordingly the paper contains a brief discussion of the response to food insecurity in Winnipeg schools. In conclusion, I argue that a national, locally-sourced universal school lunch program, designed with the engagement and input of grassroots and community organizations, would be an important step towards food sovereignty, and should be a priority for the Canadian government.
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Keywords
Food sovereignty, School lunch program, School food program, Local food procurement, Public procurement, Food security, Right to food, Human rights, Local food systems, Small-scale farms, Family farms, Rights of the child, Sustainable food