Get My City Growing During COVID-19!

Planting season is here! The government just announced financial aid for the agri-food industry[1], when we urgently need support with growing local food. People across Canada are putting shovels in the ground, rallying to increase access to local, nutritious food during the COVID-19 pandemic — our cities and towns have a key role in making this happen.

Empty shelves in grocery stores and news of potential food shortages and price hikes. These have prompted a grassroots movement across the country planting ‘quarantine gardens’, to bolster local food production and support food insecure neighbours. But people are struggling to access the land, tools and resources to grow the nutritious food their communities need.

We’re asking Canada's mayors to step up and immediately give us more space and resources to get our cities and towns growing. They need to provide more municipal lands for growing food and supply people with the tools and education they need. This is our chance to fix our broken food system. Permanently.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled a food system that was already in crisis. Consider that 58% of the food we produce in Canada is wasted every year (over half!) and yet, 4 million Canadians do not have enough to eat. Our global food system is also cooking the planet, causing up to 37% of greenhouse gas emissions while driving deforestation and biodiversity loss.

These are the ingredients of a food system that is failing to feed people while fuelling the climate crisis. But with the right policies and support in place, we can ensure greater access to good food for all while greatly reducing our environmental footprint.

Our cities and towns can alleviate the immediate threat of food insecurity brought on by COVID-19 while setting us on a path towards food justice and resilience.

Make your voice heard! Write to your mayor now and call on them to invest in your city or town growing!