The South Cariboo Agri-Culture Enterprise Centre (SCACEC) public forum on Community Food Assessment and I Love My Food was a wonderful success, says South Cariboo Food Security Committee (SCFSC) chair Lisa De Paoli.
She notes around 50 people attended the Feb. 13 meeting in the Valley Room in 100 Mile House.
“The Community Food Assessment committee has been meeting for over two years gathering input from the community for a food security assessment and action plan.”
The meeting had an overhead preview of the SCFSC achievements, results, plans, policies and upcoming strategies.
Attendees voted on which strategies should be a priority and determined that promoting opportunities for skill development and increased self-sufficiency around food was number 1 with 10 votes.
The other eight strategies discussed were: promote increased production, manufacturing, marketing and consumption of locally produced foods (seven votes); support the development of a viable local food economy (seven votes); encourage agencies to develop policies supporting local food production (six votes); continue to develop the food distribution structure to increase access to quality food for those most in need (six votes); address root issues underlying food insecurity (four votes); expand business and interagency co-operation and partnerships on initiatives that improve the quality and quantity of food required for health and wellbeing (three votes); and address issues of land, culture and environment as they relate to the food security of indigenous peoples (three votes). Another strategy – encourage the development of policies and practices, which promote nutrition and healthy eating – did not receive any votes from the attendees.
De Paoli says the committee will be looking at the results over the next month or so and then finalize a plan to put into action. They will be presenting the plan in the late spring to the Joint Committee (Cariboo Regional District and the District of 100 Mile House).
“We meet the second Thursday of the month at the Cariboo Family Enrichment Centre (CFEC) from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., everyone is welcome to join us or become a member of our e-mail list,” says De Paoli.
For more information, call the CFEC office at 250-395-5155.
