Frequently Asked Questions

  • The VFJC is an open and inclusive member based coalition which is actively working to build a broad collective of cross sectoral organizations committed to food justice.

    Non-profit, non-governmental organizations with a grassroots base impacted by the food system, those with lived experience and/or expertise in the food system, and those currently doing policy advocacy work are welcome to apply. Members must be able to sign on to our mission, vision, and basis of unity and demonstrate their commitment to racial equity. 

    Contact: vanfoodjustice@gmail.com

  • Members are encouraged but not required to: 

    • Attend bi-monthly meetings alternating between zoom and in-person

    • Participate in working groups, learning spaces, and strategy discussions as appropriate

    • Share in the development of the Coalition’s advocacy priorities, goals and strategies

    • Support Coalition activities or positions

    • Share your organization’s system change work

    • Show up in tangible ways when allies call on us for support

  • The VFPC is a civic agency established by City Council with community representatives appointed by Council. The primary role of the VFPC is to provide community engagement and input to Council and / or staff on issues of concern related to food system broadly. The VFPC is an effective forum for advancing policy motions to City Council. For more information visit: https://vancouver.ca/your-government/vancouver-food-policy-council.aspx

    The VFJC include a diversity of grassroots, non-governmental community-based groups and individuals, many of whom are also running community food programs. The Coalition is autonomously organized and may utilize a range of strategies and tactics to advance food systems and social change from the community up. The VFJC also works with the VFPC by supporting, advocating and pushing for policy change where necessary.

  • The VFJC include a diversity of grassroots, non-governmental community-based groups, many of which are also running community food programs. The Coalition is autonomously organized and may utilize a range of strategies and tactics to advance food systems and social change from the community up.

    The Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks are members of the VFJC. Food Networks primarily work in the area of community food development on such projects as community kitchens, food skills workshops, school and community gardens, markets, seed libraries, and food festivals. Most Food Networks also run essential or emergency food access programs.

    While VNFNs do engage in some municipal policy work, they generally lack the capacity to engage in systems changing political work above the neighbourhood scale. The VFJC then provides the vehicle for the Food Networks to participate in wider scale systems change, advocacy and political action and through a broader coalition.

  • Food justice requires a deep examination of who has the power and control in our food system and the resulting structural inequalities. While food is a basic human right, systems of power over others such as inadequate social benefits, racism and discrimination, gender violence, capitalism, colonialism, child welfare systems and policing to name a few all lead to food inequity and food insecurity, whereby some in our community are deemed less deserving of food. Hunger lands among the people who have the least amount of power.

    When people in highly unequal societies do not have access to the resources to adequately feed themselves, it is because of social exclusion. When people in a wealthy country go hungry, it is because of discrimination. Those most food insecure and include low income, Indigenous and black communities, people’s with disability, newcomers and food workers.

    Food justice efforts (which are generally led by indigenous peoples and people of color) work not only for access to healthy food, but for an end to the structural inequities that lead to unequal health outcomes.

    Food Justice practice including anti- racism and anti-oppression work requires a meaningful commitment to addressing and ending these systems of oppression and structural inequities.

  • As defined by the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights to which Canada is a signatory (1976): “Right to adequate food is realized when [everyone], alone or in community with others, has physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement.” 

    For the Right to Food to be realized in Canada, food must be universally available and affordable for all; accessible, with individuals and communities able to obtain the food that they decide themselves is good healthy food as well as culturally relevant; nutritionally adequate and sustainably produced such that the local ecology is not harmed.  

    These rights imply government accountability, transparency and obligation including legal recourse. There are many aspects to rights, for example ensuring people have unrestricted open and free access to food in a way that upholds dignity, ensures equity in policy making, or works to create the economic and enabling environments that foster human development. Unfortunately, we do not have guarantees that these rights are fully implemented and constitutionally or legally protected.

    It also means making adequate food available without violating other rights. In addition, food should be accessible for present and future generations.

    As a signatory to this Covenant as well as other international declarations e.g. UNDRIP, Declaration of Human Rights, etc. to realize a right requires these obligations to be enshrined in law.

    The right to food empowers people to be free from hunger and to be free from oppression underlying food insecurity.

  • As defined by Via Campesina "Food Sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems."

    Food sovereignty as opposed to food security focuses on people being able to define, defend an develop their own food and agricultural systems.

    This stands in contrast to the present corporate food regime, in which corporations and market institutions control the global food system. Food sovereignty emphasizes local food economies, sustainable food availability, and centers culturally appropriate foods and practices.

  • Charity often reaffirms existing power imbalance and can perpetuate inequity so long as the underlying systems of oppression and inequality are not addressed.

    Charity can often be stigmatizing and re-traumatizing for food recipients beaten down by a lifetime of oppression, discrimination and violence.

    Charities rely on large donors who are often a part of the problem. In many ways, large food aid charities such as foodbanks are now fully integrated in the corporate food supply chain and function as surplus or waste dumping grounds with tax write offs and social greenwashing for the donor, all the while benefiting by oversupply that keeps prices for food low (not for the consumer) and low wages.

    Arundhati Roy says eloquently:

    Charity douses anger with pity. Charity reduces the receiver and bestows upon the giver a power and self-righteousness that they ought not really have. Charity keeps the structures in place……"We Need A Reckoning"

    While we must recognize the harms inherent in charity, we do not disparage the many organizations that work to feed those who are food insecurity. These organizations are merely fulfilling a system of neglect. The blame falls on the systems driving food insecurity.