BOW VALLEY – The Bow Valley Food Alliance is working on growing the local food sovereignty movement with the creation of a local food charter.
The alliance of community service providers, food-based organizations, businesses and those interested in finding a more sustainable food future in the valley gathered last week to begin the process of drafting a charter.
Canmore Family and Community Support Services program coordinator Megan Imrie said when it comes to tackling advocacy on issues such as food security or sovereignty, it is important to learn to walk before you run and right now the alliance is at the crawling stage.
“It will be interesting to see what comes out of tonight because we have some really incredible movers and shakers in the room right now … there are a lot of people involved in food in one room,” Imrie said.
“What we are aiming for is a document that is fairly concise as least in broader categories so we know what issues we want to tackle and what are the strengths of our current food system.”
The food alliance began two years ago and came out of a community social assessment process by the Town of Banff, which identified food security as an issue regarding access to affordable, healthy and fresh food.
Food Alliance member Lauren Kepkiewicz said it was clear after the work began the issue was truly valley wide – from Lake Louise to Morley.
“The first meeting of the Bow Valley Food Alliance brought together about 25 people and the numbers have continued to grow ever since,” Kepkiewicz said. “In particular, we are interested in talking about how we create sustainable and equitable food systems in the Bow Valley.”
Groups involved in the initiative include the local food banks, Banff and Canmore food rescue groups, Alpine Edibles school gardens, and the popular Food and Friends program that runs every Monday from 5-7 p.m. at St. Michael’s Church.
Kepkiewicz went through all the elements that comprise a food system from where food starts to what happens to food waste.
“My ideal food system is a closed loop system, so waste then continues to growing food or improving the food environment,” she said.
“Often we don’t necessarily think of all the different parts of the food system are related.
“There is a lot that goes into the food system and we think that to have a healthy sustainable food system we need to think about all these different parts.”
A food charter for the valley would look at those different parts and provide direction to businesses and government officials for future decision making.
“Through these conversations we will pick out themes and then use those to develop a number of different principles that people in the community have come up with in relation to what you want your food system to look like,” Kepkiewicz said.
“What we are aiming for is a document that is fairly concise as least in broader categories so we know what issues we want to tackle and what are the strengths of our current food system.”
The discussion didn’t end with the conversation café in October because the alliance intends to host a number of sessions throughout the valley to discuss the issue.
Those who are unable to make it to the sessions and wish to host a discussion within their circle of friends or coworkers are invited to get in touch with the Bow Valley Food Alliance through its Facebook page for a toolkit to help.
“We were really excited to have the number of people that showed up and the passion for discussion that came from everyone and everything they represented,” Imrie said.
