Lakehead Researchers Serve Up Northwestern Ontario Food Report
June 3, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON
A new report by Ontario researchers – including two from Lakehead University – documents how farmers’ markets, co-ops and other sustainable food systems strengthen the economic, environmental and social health of local communities.
Lakehead University's Dr. Mirella Stroink and Dr. Connie Nelson led a process that included interviews and in-depth consultations with representatives of more than 40 local food initiatives across Northern Ontario.
Dr. Stroink, an associate professor in Psychology, and Dr. Nelson, an associate professor in Social Work, are participants in Lakehead University’s Food Security Research Network.
Their report – called Models and Best Practices for Building Sustainable Food Systems in Ontario and Beyond – provides many insights into how farmers are connecting more directly with consumers in Northern Ontario.
“These Northern local food initiatives are inspiring for their creativity and resourcefulness. They are meeting the growing demand for local food in the face of challenges such as limited funding, a policy environment favouring the industrial food system, and the vast distances among communities in the North,” Dr. Stroink said.
Dr. Nelson added, “Our findings suggest that next steps include moving toward sustainability by enhancing local food processing, storage and market distribution for these emerging local food initiatives.”
The report is now available to the public through the Nourishing Ontario website: http://nourishingontario.ca.
It draws on work by faculty and students from Wilfrid Laurier University (led by Alison Blay-Palmer with the assistance of Phil Mount), the University of Guelph (led by Karen Landman with the assistance of Erin Nelson), Lakehead University (led by Connie Nelson and Mirella Stroink), Carleton University (led by Peter Andrée and Patricia Ballamingie), Ryerson University (led by Fiona Yeudall), York University (led Rod MacRae), the University of Toronto (led by Harriet Friedmann and Sarah Wakefield), and Mount Saint Vincent University (Irena Knezevic).
The work was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. For more information visit the SSHRC website http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx.
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Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.