Interior Health funds local food security projects
Improving local food systems at the grassroots level.
Interior Health.
Interior Health has recently invested $75,000 to build community food security in communities throughout the Interior region. The Community Food Action Initiative (CFAI) provides single and multi-year grants to support a variety of projects that will increase a community’s ability to influence and contribute to the positive growth and development of their local food system. A local food system strengthens the health of a community, while a healthy community contributes to improving the health of the individuals living in that community. It’s a win-win for everyone.
“Food security initiatives improve access to healthy foods in communities and also raise the profile of locally grown food, allowing people to buy fresh fruits and vegetables in their own community,” said Ida Chong, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport. “The Community Food Action Initiative promotes food security programs across the province and continues to help British Columbians make the healthy choice the easy choice.”
Supported with the most recent round of funding, 10 communities will be carrying out food security projects. Some examples include: Building raised garden beds at the Summerland Seniors Village, where Summerland Secondary students will learn gardening techniques from seniors; Creating/implementing a community food security plan in the North Thompson, and establishing a “food hub” — which is a place for the organization and provision of food programs and services — in the community of Kaslo.
“The end goal is to establish food security within each community”, says Heather Deegan, IH’s Manager of Food Security and Community Nutrition. “This is when all citizens are able to obtain a safe, personally acceptable, nutritious diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes healthy choices, community self-reliance and equal access for everyone.” At Interior Health, CFAI is a collaboration between communities and the health authority, supported to a large degree by the community nutritionists.
The specific objectives are:
- Increase awareness about food security
- Increase access to local healthy food
- Increase food knowledge and skills
- Increase community capacity to address local food security
- Increase development and use of policy that supports community food security.
The CFAI is a collaborative effort between BC’s six health authorities and the Ministry of Health Living and Sport. It’s aimed at increasing food security for all British Columbians.
Kelowna
January 18, 2010
Interior Health
