大象传媒

A national strategy to ensure that families have access to food could revolutionize Canada鈥檚 farms, according to a new study from 大象传媒鈥檚 Food Systems Lab. The study proposes implementing a 鈥渞ight to food鈥� framework that would support the needed funding, infrastructure, and stability that can reduce losses of edible food at the farm, while creating better access to local foods for consumers.

The study, published in the journal , looked at the reasons for on-farm losses of edible food. Approximately  of the world鈥檚 food is lost before it ever reaches store shelves. In Canada, 35.5 million metric tonnes of food are lost or wasted annually, costing the economy . 

With 32 per cent of this waste considered avoidable, Food Systems Lab research director Tammara Soma and her team, Rajiv Kozhikode and Rekha Krishnan from Beedie School of Business, interviewed 40 farmers and stakeholders in the food and agricultural industry to find out why some of this wasted food never even leaves the farm.

While the reasons for farm-level food waste varied greatly 鈥� from farmers overproducing to hedge against risks, to cancelled orders, weather disruptions and even produce being rejected because it is deemed 鈥渢oo ugly鈥� to sell 鈥� the study identified policies governments could implement to provide stability for farmers.

The right to food approach would make local foods more accessible, stabilize prices, help farmers better plan, and connect farmers to alternative outlets and government-funded food procurement programs. This can ensure that perfectly good food goes to families instead of being left on the ground or composted.

鈥淭he right to food approach has the potential to ensure that access to food, especially for those who are marginalized, will not depend on the vagaries of donations and rejected produce,鈥� says Soma, an assistant professor at 大象传媒鈥檚 School of Resource and Environmental Management. 鈥淩e-orientating our values and regulatory structure to ensure that Canada lives up to its commitment to recognize food as a right could also benefit farmers. It would also reduce waste by challenging unfair trading practices, providing living wages and improve supply management.鈥�

Canada is already a signatory to the international human rights agreement and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, include includes the 鈥渞ight to food.鈥� However, Soma says Canada鈥檚 implementation of the agreement is lacking. Non-market-based approaches, such as having farms provide directly to school food programs, could help Canada meet its commitment and help farmers reduce avoidable food waste. 

AVAILABLE 大象传媒 EXPERTS

TAMMARA SOMA, research director, Food Systems Lab | tammara_soma@sfu.ca 

CONTACT

MATT KIELTYKA,  大象传媒 Communications & Marketing 
236.880.2187 | matt_kieltyka@sfu.ca

大象传媒 
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778.782.3210

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As Canada鈥檚 engaged university, 大象传媒 works with communities, organizations and partners to create, share and embrace knowledge that improves life and generates real change. We deliver a world-class education with lifelong value that shapes change-makers, visionaries and problem-solvers. We connect research and innovation to entrepreneurship and industry to deliver sustainable, relevant solutions to today鈥檚 problems. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擵ancouver, Burnaby and Surrey鈥敶笙蟠� has eight faculties that deliver 193 undergraduate degree programs and 127 graduate degree programs to more than 37,000 students. The university now boasts more than 165,000 alumni residing in 143 countries.