With the recession affecting more individuals in Canada, it is more apparent now than ever that job losses and a declining economy will create tension within our society. Gas has been steadily cheaper and cheaper as the days go by yet food prices continue to rise. According to a study by the Heart and Stroke Association almost half of all Canadians say they are going without fresh, healthy food like fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and whole grain products and lean meat because it’s to expensive. The Heart and Stroke foundation is calling on governments to “create a level playing field” for consumers.
Food prices vary for many different reasons including transportation, sourcing such as local vs. imported and not to mention the ongoing push from consumers to produce environmentally & welfare friendly products. Farmers can not afford to sell food below their cost of production. To suggest that a level playing field is meet for consumers is ridiculous, producers are not just spending countless amounts of time, energy and money to feed our society so people can spend their pay check on unnecessary items.
Food is the one of the most basic needs for humans, and if society is no longer willing nor able to grow their own food, they should be willing to dish out the money for quality food. We need to change our attitude about food, how is it justifiable to spend $4.50 for a bag of pre-cut salad yet a normal head of iceberg lettuce is selling for $0.76 , clearly the difference between the two products is not going back to the farmers….
Due to the recession, we really need to take a step back and look at what it is we are spending out money on. Not only how much, but what is the value of that $3000 dollar TV compared to your family’s health and well being.
Fresh food is expensive to produce but perhaps the only way to change the public’s eating habits towards healthier foods is to tax junk food but, for any government, that would be political suicide.
An even better idea, would be to buy local produce and fresh foods to support our local economy and farmers in Canada, not the middlemen who take the majority of profits from processed food.
This video on local food was produced by my classmates in our agricultural communications class.
Another idea would be to grow your own vegetables. Take a look at the video below from the Kansas City KMBC-TV broadcast on growing vegetable gardens
Filed under: Agriculture Tagged: | Agriculture, Cheap Food Policy, Fresh Food, Gardens, Local Food, Recession
I agree with your suggestion about buying local produce and fresh foods to support our local economy and farmers in Canada. I think it’s fun to have a garden, but realistically, a lot of people don’t have the time or the land resources to do so. For them, community gardens are one answer, but so is buying locally. I disagree with people who argue that driving out to the country to buy local food is increasing the size of your carbon footprint. Would they also have no one drive to the country for leisure? Let’s be realistic, along with being environmentally sound. Agri-tourism is important for rural communities, and a drive to the country is part of it.