Goal: Ensure everyone in Peterborough has enough healthy food to eat. The Peterborough Food Action Network uses a food security continuum to focus work in three areas:

1. Need Food (short-term relief)
2. Get Involved (build capacity)
3. Create Change (system/policy change)

How:

Empower & Address Needs:

• Increase the number of community gardens available in the City and County.
• Support community opportunities for food literacy development including growing, preparing, and preserving food.

Build Capacity:

• Promote awareness of food security issues and local food producers.
• Increase access to food skill and food security related opportunities for community members.
• City and County Food Program map updated & available online.
• Educate and engage the community to address food and poverty issues

Collaborate:

• Ensure the fresh food is available at emergency food programs including food banks and community meals.
• Build linkages with stakeholders and partners to sup- port community initiatives that address food security

Create Change:

• Address the root causes of hunger in our communities including advocacy for income and housing security.
• Support local food production that is affordable and accessible to all.
• Establish a network of places for food throughout the city and county through the Nourish Project.
• Support development of food policies (i.e. community garden policy).

 

Facts: A community enjoys food security when: -All people at all times, have physical and economic access to nutritious, safe, personally and culturally appropriate foods, food is produced in ways that are environmentally sound, socially just and promote community self reliance, and food is provided in a manner that pro- motes human dignity. Food insecurity is a local issue with 11.5% of people in Peterborough house- holds reporting being food insecure. For 5% , the situation is severe. Members: PFAN members participate at monthly meetings and through email updates/ sharing.

 

Members include community members and reps from health, social services, agriculture, education including: YWCA Peterborough Haliburton,  Nourish Peterborough,  Peterborough Gleans,  Peterborough Community Garden Network,  Kawartha Food Share,  Peterborough County-City Health Unit,  Faith groups