COVID-19: Food Security

PUBLISHED: 04/25/2020 Is Canada’s food supply at a tipping point? Agriculture and food production are essential services in our COVID-19 world, but this is a key time for the industries to ensure we have enough on the table. We now see limits on how much you can purchase at the grocery store, that is if you can find what you need. There are even hurdles are facing those wanting to get crops into the ground. Food can be a big hurdle for living pay cheque to pay cheque who may rely on the services of a food bank. One source of healthy food, farmers markets, are looking at new ways to do business. Farmers for the most part keep an eye on the sky as the weather pretty well dictates what and when. Now, there’s the pandemic wild card in the deck. ———————————— GUESTS: Keith Currie – President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture https://ofa.on.ca/about-ofa/board-of-directors/keith-currie/ Kirsten Beardsley - Chief Network Services Officer at Food Banks Canada https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstin-beardsley-90737b16/?originalSubdomain=ca Philip Powell – Former CEO at Farmers’ Market Ontario https://www.farmersmarketsontario.com/ ———————————— REFERENCES: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/04/19/news/farmers-enjoy-new-popularity-covid-19-leads-fears-food-instability https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/493811-link-between-factory-farmed-animals-covid-10-and-preventing-the https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/covid-19.html https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/crtcl-nfrstrctr/esf-sfe-en.aspx https://www.ontariopork.on.ca/Communications/COVID19-Farm-Information https://www.ontariobeef.com/default/COVID19Updates.aspx https://www.tvo.org/article/what-covid-19-means-for-the-people-who-pick-ontarios-fruit-and-veg https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/covid-19-b-c-farms-dumping-milk-because-of-problems-getting-it-to-the-store/ https://www.macleans.ca/society/some-canadians-are-turning-to-their-yards-to-grow-their-food-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ https://mailchi.mp/farmersmarketsontario.com/covid-19-update-6 https://fruitgrowersnews.com/news/ppe-in-short-supply-for-farm-work-during-the-covid-19-crisis/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/africa/coronavirus-famine-un-warning-intl/index.html?fbclid=IwAR19AbRaryy5pZALYkqlOJpLyqwAaGdIn9MgC_XR3EVf7FFIpo3OPyWGcFU https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/farms-adjusting-to-covid-19-restrictions-1.4907537 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-federation-of-agriculture-canada-covid-19-1.5541666 https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/what-on-earth-newsletter-covid-19-food-meat-1.5542706 https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/covid19.html https://www.foodbankscanada.ca/COVID-19.aspx https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/04/22/opinion/covid-19-creating-food-crisis-and-canada-needs-respond https://www.farmersmarketsontario.com/covid-19- https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/farmers-markets-looking-for-ways-to-stay-afloat-during-the-pandemic-1.4909913 https://www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/business/covid-19-farmers-market-aims-to-help-consumers-and-farmers-while-keeping-the-public-safe/ https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/farmers-market-vendors-adapt-to-covid-19-changes-1.4905006