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City of Greater Sudbury Food Charter

Final Version, June 2004 Passed by the Sudbury & District Board of Health, the City of Greater Sudbury, the municipalities of Killarney and of St. Charles, and also by the Township of Tehkummah on Manitoulin Island, as of September 15, 2004

Given that access to safe, affordable, nutritious food is a basic human right of individuals and communities, and connects us to our families, our cultures, and our traditions;
And that community food security is a comprehensive approach that includes all components of the food system, from producers to consumers, and promotes regional food self-reliance;
And that having a food secure community is the foundation of population health, social justice, community-based economic development, and a sustainable environment;

Therefore, the Food Security Network of the Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts, including The City of Greater Sudbury, the Social Planning Council of Sudbury, and the Sudbury & District Health Unit, will work towards the development and implementation of a community food security mandate that supports research, policies, and programs that will endorse:

1) Population Health and Wellness:

• Individual and household food security as a determinant of health;
• Adequate income, employment, housing, and transportation policies that ensure food accessibility and availability to all citizens; and
• Nutritional education and healthy food choices in schools, businesses and public places.

2) Community Development:

• An annual community food security report card;
• Food self-reliance through community-based food programs, such as community gardens, fresh food box programs and collective kitchens;
• Multi-cultural food festivals and cultural events;
• An emergency food preparedness plan; and
• The involvement of the community in developing food security solutions.

3) Investment in the Regional Food System:

• A regionally-based and community-driven food system;
• The viability of agricultural and rural communities;
• The development of regional value-added agricultural production, food processing and distribution systems; and
• The promotion of regional food products at farmer’s markets, farm-gate sales and local food outlets.

4) The Development of a Sustainable Food System:

• Public and institutional education on the interdependence between the food system and a sustainable environment;
• Scientifically proven best management agricultural practices and regional crop varieties;
• The development and implementation of renewable technologies in the expansion of the regional food system;
• The reduction of persistent toxic chemicals that can accumulate within the food chain;
• Sustainable waste management practices; and
• Support for initiatives that minimize the loss of bio-diversity, resource depletion, and climate change, and that raise the awareness of global environmental issues.

To join Sudbury Food Connections (formerly the Food Security Network), call the Sudbury & District Health Unit at (705) 522-9200, ext. 257.

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