Ottawa and Area Resources, Links, and Connections

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food has released his preliminary findings about the right to food in Canada. The full report is expected in spring of 2013.

The end-of-mission report is available online.

STAY CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY WORK ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND FOOD ISSUES IN OTTAWA 

There are a number of ways that you can stay connected to ongoing work on food issues in the Ottawa area. Here are some options:

• Get involved with the Ottawa Poverty Reduction Network
• Learn more about the work of Just Food and become a member www.justfood.ca
• Support the work of ACORN-Ottawa www.acorncanada.org/ottawa
• Support the Ottawa Food Bank www.ottawafoodbank.ca
• Be a part of food and social justice work through your local Community Health/Resource Centre www.coalitionottawa.ca
• Participate in the Put Food in the Budget-Ottawa campaign

Background Information

At the end of his visit, the Special Rapporteur compiles a report based on his findings during his visit. We are aware that the Special Rapporteur will be investigating the following key issues while he is in Canada:

• Economic accessibility, as a condition for the enjoyment of the right to food, particularly for the poorest segments of the population, and the impact of poverty on the adequacy of diets;
• Aboriginal peoples and the right to food;
• The organization of food chains and its impact on the right to food;
• Governance of policies and programs that impact the right to food, including social protection programs; and
• International development cooperation, food aid and the right to food.

The Special Rapporteur’s visit, the groups that he is meeting with, and the key issues that are being investigated have been coordinated in collaboration with a very broad cross-section of research organizations, non-governmental organizations, and community service organizations in Canada. The Special Rapporteur also meets with municipal, provincial, and federal government officials, as well.

For more information about the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, please refer to Fact Sheet N° 27: Seventeen Frequently Asked Questions about United Nations Special Rapporteurs: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FactSheet27en.pdf

Or, visit the website of the Special Rapporteur: http://www.srfood.org/

The City of Ottawa provides information about nutrition and healthy living. Some of these resources include:

-Quick meal ideas
-Healthy eating information
-Information on food preparation and kitchen basics
-Links to nutrition and food services in Ottawa
-Nutritional informational for pregnancy and breastfeeding
-Nutrition and food information fact sheets

A Directory of Community Programs and Services Promoting Access to Food in Ottawa

This report, “Furthering Food Security in Ottawa:Examining Partnership-based Policy between Local Government and Civil Society” was developed by a Carleton student and Just Food volunteer in 2010.

The focus of this report is on the history of food insecurity, social and economic challenges in Ottawa, as well as the potential role of the municipality in addressing these problems. In 2001, a significant report was released by the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Food Security Group entitled Food Security in Ottawa: A Community Profile (City of Ottawa People Services Department & Ottawa Food Security Group, 2001). This report is an update to that document, and also asks the following research questions:

• Since the situation of food insecurity was outlined in the 2001 Profile, how has the picture of food security in Ottawa changed in 2010?
• Considering the expectation of municipalities to tend to social issues, what does this mean for the city’s involvement in partnership with civil society organizations in food security matters?

The full text of the report is linked below.

The Social Planning Council of Ottawa published, in 2010, a report entitled “Poverty Profile of the City of Ottawa: Based on the 2006 Census”. The report finds that both the number of people living in poverty in Ottawa, as well as the depth of poverty, have both increased since 2000. Poverty has severe implications for food security, health, and well-being – not just for those experiencing poverty, but for the whole community.

One of the recommendations of the report is:

That the City of Ottawa, in collaboration with Just Food, establish a taskforce which will identify and put in place additional programs / initiatives to increase access in the short term to nutritious food for low income residents in the City.  Despite an existing network of food banks and community food initiatives (such  as community gardens), many individuals and families do not have enough income for basic nutritious food.  This is an urgent issue, made more pressing by recent cuts to the provincial “Special Diet Allowance”.

The report is available in English, French and alternate formats. The English version is linked here: