Eat Think Vote!

The Peterborough Food Action Network (PFAN) supports networking and communication to consider food access, food security and focus on improvements to programs and processes that will result in increased access to healthy, affordable and local food. PFAN is also particularly interested in the potential of government-level responses and building the case for new approaches to food systems planning that includes a focus on food security.

PFAN recently sent correspondence to federal election candidates representing the Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic and Green Parties in the ridings of Peterborough-Kawartha, Northumberland-Peterborough South and Haliburton-Kawartha–Lakes Brock.

Year after year, Nutritious Food Basket costing conducted by the Peterborough County-City Health Unit (PCCHU), clearly demonstrates that although food costs are rising, lack of adequate income is the reason that local residents, particularly those living on fixed income or are minimum wage earners, after paying for shelter and food, have little, if any money left over to cover other basic monthly expenses.

Candidates were encouraged to show their commitment to a pan-Canadian movement for healthy, sustainable and affordable food by signing the Eat Think Vote Candidate Pledge that calls for the Canadian Government to work with others to ensure that:

All kids in Canada’s schools have access to healthy food every day
The right to food becomes a reality for the 4 million Canadians who are now food insecure
The next generation of farmers gets the public support they need to thrive
Good food is affordable and accessible in Canada’s remote and northern communities.

Community members are also invited to show their support by visiting Food Secure Canada’s Eat Think Vote website at http://campaign.foodsecurecanada.org/ to sign the general petition. PFAN will have more information about both Eat Think Vote and Basic Income Guarantee at the 5^th Annual Purple Onion Festival from 11 am to 5pm on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at Millennium Park in Peterborough. Be sure to visit us at Booth #5!