Kawartha Lakes ranked one of highest in province in food insecurity – ThePeterboroughExaminer.com

Posted: October 11, 2021 at 10:36 am

Food security is about more than keeping the cupboards full.

For the last decade, the Kawartha Lakes Food Coalition made up of individuals interested in local, national and global food systems, organizations that serve those who sometimes do not have enough food and stakeholders that produce, process and distribute food has been working to address the issue of food insecurity in the Kawartha Lakes by fostering initiatives within the community.

The Food and Agriculture Organization declared food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

The level of food insecurity in the Kawartha Lakes region is one of the highest in Ontario. Household food insecurity in the Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County sat at 14.4 per cent in 2019 and has become even higher as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the provincial average of 13.3 per cent.

During the past year, the Coalitions Food Security Working Group has continued to focus on the root causes of poverty and food insecurity through advocacy for income-based solutions such as a basic income guarantee, safe and affordable housing and accessible and quality child care and transportation.

Some of the initiatives undertaken include:

Participated in the provincial prebudget consultation and provided recommendations for income-based solutions to help address the root causes of food insecurity;

Participated in Kawartha Lakes Zoning Bylaw Review Project and submitted bylaw suggestions to help support the local sustainable food system and increase access to healthy and local food;

Participated in Food Secure Canadas advocacy campaign, Growing Resilience And Equity: A Food Policy Action Plan in the Context of COVID-19;

Advocated to enact legislation for a basic income guarantee as an effective long-term response to the problem of persistent poverty and household food insecurity, as well as the short-term consequences of the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic;

Updated and revamped the Food Security Action Plan of the Poverty Reduction Strategy for the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton in collaboration with Haliburton Harvest, Haliburton County FoodNet and Ending Poverty Roundtable for CKL and Haliburton;

Implemented the free Summer Outreach Lunch program in collaboration with community partners, providing 453 lunches to children, 125 lunches to A Place Called Home and 112 lunches to BGC Kawarthas.

For more information about the Kawartha Lakes Food Coalition, contact Heather Kirby at heather@kawarthalakesfoodsource.com.

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Kawartha Lakes ranked one of highest in province in food insecurity - ThePeterboroughExaminer.com

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