Food Security

Food Security

Indigenous food sovereignty is an essential element to addressing food security and food insecurity. The Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty has outlined four key principles that guide Indigenous Food Sovereignty.

Food Security Hubs

Food Security Hubs are a partnership between Island Health and community agencies that are leading food security efforts within their regions. These organizations collaborate with communities to address food security through a wide range of projects, programs and advocacy. Island Health recognizes the importance of developing community partnerships for the purposes of building community food security on Vancouver Island. The Vancouver Island Food Charter holds a vision of a just and sustainable food system in the Island region, which is rooted in healthy communities, where no one is hungry and everyone has access to nutritious and culturally acceptable food.

Island Health provides funding to these agencies to enhance their capacity to:

  • Provide leadership and support
  • Develop communication networks
  • Facilitate dialogue with neighbouring communities and municipal /regional governments, and;
  • Collaborate with Island Health and other Hubs across the Health Region. 

To learn more about the Food Security Hubs, see below and visit their websites:

Kwakiutl Health Centre

The Mount Waddington Community Foods Initiative is led by the Kwakiutl Band Council. The Kwakiutl Health Centre has operated a fully equipped health facility in Tsaxis (the Kwakiutl Band’s Fort Rupert Reserve) since 2005. The Centre’s vision sees health and wellness as a balance between personal, family, and community health, where relationship to the land is a focal point for a strong connection to culture, food, and relationship. The Kwakiutl Health Centre has supported the traditional Kwakiutl food ways and gardens for many years, and currently employs 2-4 staff a year to support food sovereignty and food security.

Greenways Land Trust

Greenways Land Trust has developed the Strathcona Food Network, a grassroots network aiming to foster a Healthy Food System throughout the communities of the Strathcona Regional District.  Greenways Land Trust partners with the United Way BC funded Strathcona Community Food Hub.

Greenways has supports networking between rural and remote communities to share local solutions to barriers to food access, supports the operations of community gardens in Campbell River, provides input to public consultations on food security policy development and runs a fruit tree gleaning project.

LUSH Valley Food Action Society

LUSH Valley Food Action Society helps people in the Comox Valley learn about food and how to grow, share and enjoy it. They want to make sure everyone has the skills and knowledge to grow local food, feel confident and help their community.

LUSH Valley dreams of a community where healthy, local food is easy to get and brings people together.

Their work focuses on a few big goals:

  • Helping people get fresh, local food

  • Teaching people about food and how it’s grown

  • Sharing fresh food with those who need it

  • Advocating for fair food policies

Alberni Valley Food Security Society

The Alberni Valley Food Security Society is a a food focused action group that strives to strengthen the food system in the Alberni Valley. They run the Dry Creek Community Garden, a fruit tree gleaning project, and spearhead other initiatives to increase backyard food production in the Alberni Valley.

East West Coast

Eat West Coast is a regional food security initiative of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust. This program aims to help local communities and organizations develop effective, community-based responses to food-access challenges and increase the understanding of healthy, affordable food choices.

Nanaimo Foodshare Society

Nanaimo Foodshare Society works to increase resilience in Nanaimo’s local food system. Nanaimo Foodshare works to increase food security by empowering community with better access, resources, skills, and knowledge. Foodshare is a member of the NOW Network (Nanaimo-Oceanside Community Health Network) and the Nanaimo Food Security Community of Practice.

Cowichan Green Community

Cowichan Green Community (CGC)’s mandate is to improve food security by developing strong relationships with local food producers, increasing capacity for local food production (both urban and rural), and empowering people with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to feed their community.  CGC is a hub for social innovation, community engagement and community building.

The Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CRFAIR)

The Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CRFAIR) supports the Capital Region through information sharing, networking, collaboration and policy development around healthy food systems in the region. 

CRFAIR is the backbone organization of the Good Food Network, a regional network of food system actors working collaboratively and aligning efforts towards the Good Food 2025 strategy. 

The Good Food Network has developed shared-impact goals and a Collective Impact Map with the aim of mobilizing efforts across three impact areas: (1) Local Food Economy, (2) Food Literacy and (3) Food Equity and Access.

Additional Resources

Island Health Indigenous Health and Food Security

Island Health's Indigenous Health Dietitians and Public Health Dietitians are actively involved with supporting food security in Indigenous communities.

Find information about about our Public Health Dietitians and Food and Nutrition resources: Visit our Public Health Nutrition page.

Find information about food safety: Visit our Food Safety page or contact Health Protection Environmental Services.

Additional Resources
Island Food Security Hub Collective - Food Charter