Calling all foodies -Food for thought tour coming to Toronto Danforth and I'll be there

16 posts / 0 new

Sat, 2009-04-18 12:32

Bookish Agrarian

Calling all foodies!

Hi All.

Never done this before when I have been speaking somewhere.

But anyway I am going to be one of the guests at an NDP event in Toronto-Danforth and thought I would invite anyone who was interested in coming. It is open to all, since I am there in a non-partisan capacity it must be!

I do a lot of work with farmers, but it would be great to hear from eaters.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Seminar and Forum
Saturday, April 25th, 2009
1 - 4pm

Join us at this fun, interactive and informative event. It is a way for Torontonians to participate in the building of a National Food Policy and explore the ways they can support local sustainable and alternative food in their community.

Ralph Thornton Centre, 765 Queen St E.

Alex Atamanenko has been doing this work all across the country and been doing it in a very open, non-partisan way. Now he will be in T-D, along with Jack Layton talking about food issues that effect all of us regardless of where we live.

Sat, 2009-04-18 12:49

Papal Bull

You know what? I'll probably have enough money next week to make it out to such an event and this is a particularly interesting topic. Although 1 PM on a Saturday? That's a touch unrealistic ;)

Sat, 2009-04-18 13:11

Michelle

Looks really interesting! I'll see if I can make it - I'm going to be at the OPSEU convention in the morning, and I even have to leave that a tiny bit early to get home so my ex can drop my son off at my place...so it'll be tight. I hope I can make it!

Sat, 2009-04-18 15:18

Boom Boom

Would be good to know if there will be a discussion on GM foods, how to fight against scum like Monsanto etc, and hopefully there will be reporting on this event. Wish I could be there.

Sun, 2009-04-19 11:15

Bookish Agrarian

I can pretty well guarentee that will be discussed Boom Boom

Anyway it would be great to see you there Michelle and PB if you are able to make it. Sounds like a very busy day Michelle.

Sun, 2009-04-19 11:16

Bookish Agrarian

By the way Boom Boom. If you haven't already I would check out these two sites

www.nfuontario.ca

www.nfu.ca

Tons of information on those kinds of topics.

Sun, 2009-04-19 12:05

Loretta

From a letter from Alex Atamanenko's website (www.alexndp.ca):

Quote:
The time is long overdue for a full re-assessment of the process by which GM products have been and continue to be approved in Canada. A first positive step in this direction would be to introduce legislation requiring the mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods. As we continue to research and investigate the effect of genetically modified organisms (GMO's) on our environment and health Canadians deserve the right to know what they are eating.

Sun, 2009-04-19 12:12

Bookish Agrarian

Alex has also introduced, twice now?, a private members bill around terminator seed technology. The long and the short of it is that it really is only the NDP, and to some extent the Bloc that ever bring up issues like this.

Alex is also responsible for a recent 'hoist' motion that has effectively killed the governments plans to fast track some of these issues through the Grain Act. Of course never expect to see credit for that on the national news, to busy worrying about other important issues like the latest celebrity gossip.

Sun, 2009-04-19 13:16

Boom Boom

Thanks for the information and links. I look forward to a full report!

Our Hydro has gone off, must be a blown transformer somewhere, and Quebec Hydro is always slow to respond, so I guess I'll be offline for a while - I only have an hour or so left before my laptop battery gives out.

Sun, 2009-04-19 16:01

#10

Bookish Agrarian

Well it is as windy as a room full of politicians eating beans here and our hydro keeps flickering. In fact I have been working out in it all day and I finally had to come in and get out of it even though there is fencing to do, manure to spread and about a thousand other things. Drying out the land good though, so there is always an upside.

Tue, 2009-04-21 00:14

#11

Papal Bull

Damn, I was really looking forward to this, but it looks like I will have to spend quite a bit of time doing a big project for work this weekend.

Wed, 2009-04-22 17:23

#12

Loretta

From the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) - Ban Terminator Technology in Canada

Quote:

NDP MP Alex Atamanenko has re-introduced the Private Members Bill - Bill C-353 - to ban the release, sale, importation and use of variety-related genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs) in seed. I ask you to support this Bill.

Wed, 2009-04-22 18:26

#13

Bookish Agrarian

Yep, Alex has done very, very good work on that file and others as I mentioned above. It is a shame that one of the nicest and most conscientious MPs in the country, regardless of party, gets so little media attention for all the important issues he has addressed.

Thanks for linking to CBAN Loretta - it is an important group for people to find out about.

Sun, 2009-04-26 21:18

#14

Bookish Agrarian

Hey Boom Boom -I can report that GMOs, Monsanto and food system control were very much a part of the discussion. Atamanenko will be releasing a report with suggestions on a food policy for Canada. I would keep a look out for it, it promises to be quite interesting.

Mon, 2009-04-27 07:42

#15

Michelle

I have lots to say about this, including being happy to meet Bookish Agrarian and his lovely family...but alas, I have to get ready for work. Coming back!

Mon, 2009-04-27 15:36

#16

Bookish Agrarian

Well I can say without the slightest hint of brown-nosing that it was a great pleasure to meet Michelle in person.

I am told I wasn't exactly on top of my game at the meeting by that lovely family, but that's the pleasure of precocious children.

What struck me as needing addressed was the assumption, including from one of the panelists, was that there is some kind of connection to what we pay as consumers in the grocery store and what farmers receive for their products.

Poor food availablitly and poverty were linked to what farmers receive for food, when the price of food in a grocery store has almost zero connection to what farmers receive.

In fact many farmers live in real poverty, despite their paper net worth. During the late 90 and the early 2000s the largest growth in food bank use in Ontario was occuring in rural farming communities. The manufacturing crisis has outstripped that, but the underlying problems still exist witness the numbers of farmers with off-farm jobs just to cover the bills.