2023 Commitments to Food Justice

2023 Commitments to Food Justice

How can we commit to taking regular, sustained action towards building a food secure city? 

Over the past few weeks, the team at FoodShare has been reflecting on just that. At the end of last year, we asked our community members to let us know what changes you were planning on making with the goal of building towards a food just future. 

With the intention of shifting our new year’s (and beyond) resolutions from charity and individual lifestyle changes towards mutual aid and collective action, we’ve put together a list of commitments that can act as a starting point. 

8 COMMITMENTS TO FOOD JUSTICE IN 2023

1. Learn some basics about food justice and the historical relationships between food, colonization, capitalism and slavery.

Recommended reading:

• Household Food Insecurity in Canada (2021)
• Fighting more than food insecurity with Paul Taylor
• About Black Food Sovereignty
• Overthrowing the Food System’s Plantation Paradigm
• The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save The Earth – The Red Nation
• On Property: Policing, Prisons and the Call for Abolition – Rinaldo Walcott

2. Make a donation or redistribute a set percentage of my income to grassroots organizations and mutual aid funds organized in my city.
   
3. Find a grassroots group or other organization that is working towards building food security in my community. Commit to regularly sharing one of my resources (time, money, vehicle, practical skills, etc.) towards their cause.

Some organizations to consider sharing resources with (it’s always great to get involved with a group working in a neighbourhood or community you are already a part of):

• This Way Up
• Out The Mud (St. Jamestown)
• The People’s Pantry (Mississauga)
• Unity Kitchen
• Birchmount Community Action Council
• Afri-Can FoodBasket
• Dashmaawaan Bemaadzinjin (They Feed the People)
• Justice 4 Migrant Workers

4. Join at least one phone/email zap demanding that decision-makers act in favour of equitable policies and increased funding towards food-related and other social programming.
   
5. Make a deputation at a city council meeting expressing your views on an issue being considered by council or one of its committees.

Attend a deputation training: Progress Toronto regularly hosts training on the City budget, making deputations, meeting with politicians, etc. 

6. Attend a protest, rally, sit-in, or other gathering that uses collective disruption as a tactic to demand change. 
   
7. Join or start a knowledge-sharing circle (book club, workshop, discussion group) that focuses on learning together about food justice and related topics. 
   
8. Host or participate in a community-based cooking or food-growing space.

Some opportunities to consider:

•  Eco Just Food Network
• Sundance Harvest has occasional callouts for farm support and a Work Share program’

JOIN OUR FOOD JUSTICE ACTION GROUP

Do you want to take part in more advocacy initiatives around food justice?  We are looking to connect folks who are interested in learning together, building relationships and mobilizing around food justice related campaigns. Sign up to stay informed about upcoming meetings.  

For questions, or if you’d like to contribute to our growing list of commitments to food justice, please reach out to moe@foodshare.net.