UNIT 3: Canada and the Global Food Supply: Food Production & Food Security

A typical meal can consist of several different fresh and prepared or processed foods. Have you ever wondered how the food you eat was produced and how it arrived in front of you? The Food System includes all the processes, activities, people, and other resources involved in growing and harvesting, production and processing, importing, packaging, transporting, distributing, marketing, retailing, consuming, and disposing of food and food-related items. THE FOOD SYSTEM

Food systems vary in size from local to global In a local food system, production, processing, and consumption may all take place within a small area such as a village, town or city. Very few local or regional systems are completely independent from the outside world. Increasingly, the food systems of all countries and regions in the world are becoming integrated into one global food system. Food systems are the interdependent links required to put food on tables at home and in restaurants, and to provide food products for trade and export.

INPUTS – Numerous inputs are required throughout the food system in order for it to function, such as human (expertise and labour), natural (soil and seeds), and other resources (buildings and machinery). PRODUCTION – The 2 main categories of production are the conventional or industrial approach and then the new, alternative approaches that concern themselves with sustainability, security and ethics. PROCESSING – This is any deliberate transformation in a food that occurs before it is available for us to eat, which ranges from washing and bunching vegetables to preserving, additives, cooking and packaging. DISTRIBUTION – Food products are often transported from the site of production to a different site for processing and packaging, moved to warehouses for storage and organization, moved again to distribution centres, and then to retail outlets or food service facilities. THE FOOD SYSTEM

ACCESS – Some people have easy access to food, while others have limited access to any kind of food. Most of us obtain food from supermarkets or restaurants, but other options are farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture projects. CONSUMPTION – Food consumption includes eating already prepared food and preparing and eating food in your own home. By choosing some foods and not others, the consumer plays a critical role in the food system. OUTPUTS – Food is the most important output of the food system; however, some unwanted outputs are food waste, packaging, and air and water pollution. In Toronto, single-family households discard about 275kg of food waste a year. Over 30% of fruits and vegetables in NA do not make it onto store shelves because they’re not pretty enough. Close to half of all food produced worldwide is wasted– discarded in processing, transportation, supermarkets, and kitchens… THE FOOD SYSTEM

FOOD SECURITY & FOOD INSECURITY At the core of Food Security is access to healthy food and optimal nutrition for all. Food access is closely linked to food supply and production, so Food Security depends on a healthy and sustainable Food System.

Definition of food security According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (2008): “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” For food security to exist, the food must be produced in a sustainable way. This definition of food security also recognizes that access to food includes, not only the availability of food, but also the resources to acquire food. What barriers might limit a person’s access to nutritious food? Definition of food security

The effects on community Effects of Food Security Effects of Food Insecurity Proper physical development Good health Positive behaviour Effective members of community and industry Hunger Malnutrition Negative effects on health Poor quality of life

The components of food security The Centre for Studies in Food Security at Ryerson University outlines five components (the five ‘A’s) of food security: Availability – sufficient food for all people at all times Accessibility – physical and economic access to food for all at all times Adequacy – access to food that is nutritious, safe, and produced in environmentally sustainable ways Acceptability – access to culturally acceptable food, which is produced and obtained in ways that do not compromise people’s dignity, self-respect, or human rights Agency – the policies and processes that enable the achievement of food security

Food insecurity in developing countries Some of the Main Issues associated with Under-Nutrition: Natural Disasters – drought or floods destroying food production; aid programs not functioning by worsening, band-aid solutions and no future prevention planning Undernourishment – diet is not sufficient to give energy, or, people get energy but not enough nutrients Cash Cropping – growing crops mainly for export and not providing enough food for the country’s people producing Country Debt – countries in debt cannot afford imports, nor afford to put money into health care, education and agriculture Lack of Education – reduced access to education means people are less able to get a job Disease – lack of nutrients in the diet lessens people’s ability to combat diseases Government – policies and actions will affect the food security of individuals when governments don’t create social safety nets such as social security and food banks War/Conflict – conflict destroys a country’s infrastructures causing job loss and making food more difficult to acquire, Food insecurity in developing countries

Environmental factors What causes Hunger? Poverty Economic factors Social factors Environmental factors Political factors Hunger Unemployment, low wages, high food prices, landlessness Inadequate housing, safe water, health care, child care, educational opportunities, discrimination, etc. No access to food outlets, unsafe environment (polluted), inefficient use of land available to produce food, climate change, natural disasters Wars, unequal distribution of food, political views, inadequate social assistance programs, lack of transportation

Issues with over-nutrition in developed countries Media – people are bombarded with images of products and convenience foods and this access to easy, high fat food may lead to obesity and associated diseases Unequal Distribution of Resources – the developed world has less population; however, it uses more of the world’s resources, including food; eating meat uses more of the world’s food and energy resources; over-population is blamed for hunger but there actually isn’t a lack of food

Malnutrition and Starvation Malnutrition is a condition caused when the body does not get the proper nutrients, either because of poor diet or because of the incomplete digestion of nutrients Starvation is the state of being in extreme hunger for a prolonged period of time; this results in a lack of essential nutrients and can ultimately lead to death

Levels of food security Micro-Level Food Security: Individual and househole food security focuses on individuals and families. These depend on how people produce and acquire food as well as the equitable distribution of food among members of a household. Community food security applies to any size community where all members have nutritious food access. Macro-Level Food Security: National food security occurs when a country has adequate assured supplies of food to meet the needs of all of its people. Other factors are agricultural production, international trade and economic independence, national food policies, and available resources. Distinguishing between various levels of food security is important because improvement strategies will be different at different levels,; for example lunch programs and food banks help at local levels, where- as the UN focuses on food supply, access and distribution worldwide.