Media Release
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit

The Leeds Grenville and Lanark (LGL) Food Charter has been around for a decade and needs some updates according to members of FoodcoreLGL. The Charter is an aspirational document that provides a vision for the food system in LGL and can be used as a guiding document by municipalities, businesses, agencies and community groups when thinking about building a more inclusive and sustainable food system. 

“Given the current level of concern about the costs of food and increasing food insecurity in our communities, examining how our food system operates is as, if not more relevant than when the charter was drafted” stated Ramsey Hart, Executive Director of The Table Community Food Centre.

The LGL Food Charter was published in 2014 following a series of public consultations across the region. Because the charter was the result of such strong and diverse community input, FoodcoreLGL members want to make sure the people of LGL have an opportunity to provide input on the proposed updates. Proposed updates to the Charter include: 

• Inclusion of a land acknowledgement
• Addition of a statement about equity in the food system
• Recognition of the impact of climate change on our food system

“We felt these updates were important to reflect how the food system connects with the other pressing social, environmental and economic challenges of our times” noted Michèle Andrews of DoorNumberOne.org.

The revised draft of the charter can be read in its entirety online. Anyone interested is encouraged to visit the http://www.foodcorelgl.ca/. FoodcoreLGL website where they can find the updated version, the link to a survey to provide feedback, and another link to register for an online discussion about the charter on May 23rd at 7pm.   

Members of FoodcoreLGL hope updating the Charter will re-engage past participants and engage new people in their work. Consultations will not be limited to the text of the charter but will include action planning to identify what can be done together, to move communities closer to realizing the vision of the Charter. 

FoodcoreLGL is a coalition of food activists and organizations who work to take practical steps to realize the vision of the Food Charter. The group has representatives from food production, community health, and community organizations. Current members are:  Michèle Andrews, DoorNumberOne.org; Leela Ramachandran,  Kemptville Campus; Danielle Labonte, Elaine Murkin and Susan Fillion, Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit; Ramsey Hart, The Table Community Food Centre; and Lorne Helsop, Lanark Federation of Agriculture. 

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Contact:
Ramsey Hart, The Table Community Food Centre, 613-267-6428 x 108, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

or

Michèle Andrews, DoorNumberOne.org, 613-793-4237, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.