
Advocacy
- In response to the increase in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the GSFPC worked with Public Health Sudbury & Districts and successfully advocated for the donation of home and community garden grown produce to the Food Bank.
- The GSFPC is responding to calls for continued action on climate change by acting as the food system working group and connecting with City staff on the implementation of the Community Energy and Emissions Plan.
- Building on advocacy from Sustain Ontario, the GSFPC, in partnership with the Community Garden Network, supported the call to declare community gardens essential services during the COVID-19 lockdowns in spring of 2020.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare many of the inequities that exist in our society, most notably food insecurity, and the GSFPC wrote to federal leaders to urge the government to start work immediately on a national basic income
Research
The GSFPC has partnered with College Boreal, the Rural-Agri Innovation Network, the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance, and OMAFRA on the Understanding the impact and mitigation strategies of the COVID-19 outbreak on the agricultural sector in Northeastern Ontario project.
The objective of this applied research collaboration is to rapidly identify the emerging needs of Northeastern Ontario agri-businesses and provide enhanced support for production, distribution, and marketing activities during the pandemic, and evidence-informed recommendations and business strategies for agri-businesses and policy-makers to ensure economic stability and food security in the post-pandemic period.
Read the results of our surveys in our initial report.
As part of the project, the research team developed an interactive online map of Northeastern Ontario that lists agri-businesses.
Education & Marketing
The GSFPC worked with the Farm to Table – Northern Ontario Facebook group on a digital video series that showcased both local farmers and northern cuisine. Our goal is to educate viewers about the diversity of food that is grown and raised in northern Ontario, share the creativity and resourcefulness of northern farmers, and inspire new ways to cook with fresh, regional ingredients. Watch the series on the Farm to Table Northern Ontario YouTube channel.