Climate Caucus—a Canadian non-profit—recently held a webinar on climate-resilient food security. The webinar was part of a series called “Increasing Affordability Through Municipal Climate Action.” Laura Schnurr from the Tamarack Institute, Alex Lindstone from Climate Caucus, and Justine Dainard from Guelph’s County of Wellington spoke about Canadian municipalities’ role in climate resiliency and food access, stressing the need for partnership.
In 2024, the Agri-Food Analytics Lab predicts that average Canadian families of four will spend CAD 701.79 more on food—up from CAD 15,595.21 in 2023. The higher costs are due in part to natural disasters related to the climate crisis, like flooding and wildfires. The speakers say that advocates recognize the need for sustainable food systems, and municipal governments may be powerful in implementing change.
The webinar’s organizers highlighted the City of Guelph’s efforts in creating a local, circular food system. With a population of 120,000 and a passion for converting food waste into food security, the city won Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge in 2020.
The winning project, Our Food Futures, “ties together goals of access to affordable, nutritious food, climate action and sustainability, healthy communities, business innovation and social enterprise, and social partnerships,” says Schnurr. One hundred and fifty organizations, such as the SEED, the Second Harvest Food Rescue App, and Community FEWD, collected food waste and distributed food. They also worked with the municipality’s health organization to prescribe produce to patients. It was important for the project to “bring everyone’s perspective into the picture,” says Dainard, who serves as the Smart Cities Project Manager in Wellington.
Our Food Futures also supported a regenerative agriculture pilot program in Alberta. Dainard explains, “Being able to support farmers as they transition to regenerative agriculture is a part of regional security. It’s going to make us more resistant to the shifts that are coming because of climate change.” As the global food system strains to feed over 8 billion people amid war, pandemics, and political upheaval, local food systems will be at the forefront of the effort to feed communities.
Building on the pilot’s success, Wellington compiled lessons into a handbook for other municipalities. Speakers reinforced that collaborative efforts with organizations, companies, indigenous leaders, and governments throughout Canada are essential to helping communities access food amidst the climate crisis.
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Photo courtesy of Randy Fath, Upsplash
