Impact of Climate Change
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures, changes in precipitation, and increases in extreme weather events, are already affecting food security. Increased greenhouse gas emission, the result of human activities, is the major factor driving climate change. While our global food system accounts for 1/3 of all greenhouse gas emissions, it is clear that how grow and consume food should be at the forefront of our climate change response.
Importance of Local Food
While food security is increasingly affected by climate change, growing local food is now more crucial than ever. Our global food system is a large contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change. We must rethink the way we grow and consume food. Shifting to a local and circular food system would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while protecting biodiversity through regenerative systems, reducing food loss and waste, improving access to healthy foods and creating economic opportunities within communities.
From a Global to Local Food System
The global food system includes everything to do with food, from its production, processing and manufacturing, transportation, retailing, and consumption. It also includes the environmental outcomes of these activities, such as food loss, waste and greenhouse gas emissions. While a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, a large portion of this comes from food waste and food loss.
Although they are similar, food loss and food waste represent the decrease in food at different stages along the food chain. However, both offer opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Food loss occurs between the production, processing, manufacturing, transportation, and retailing stages. By keeping food production local, much of this loss could be avoided. Food waste occurs between the retailing and consumption stages. By educating the public on waste reduction, much of food waste can be avoided. While some food loss and waste is unavoidable, using regenerative systems found in nature can prevent biodiversity loss and soil degradation by keeping the food's energy and nutrients within the community it serves.
Canada's Food Network and High Food Prices
Canada has a short and limited growing seasons. Despite this restrictions, it still produces a substantial amount of food. In fact, Canada is the fifth largest food exporter in the world. However, it is also the sixth largest food importer, mainly in foods that aren't grown year-round like fruits and vegetables of which 80% is imported during the winter and spring months. In total, Canada imports more than it exports, meaning it heavily relies on food travelling long distances from warmer climates. We often see the foods we exports, processed and sold back at higher costs.
While food availability, through the combination of growing and importing, is enough to feed its population, not all Canadians have consistent access to it. This is driven by the high costs of food and lack of economic access. With the continued impact of climate change on the economy and food production, food insecurity is set to worsen unless we act now.