Governance recommendations from forty years of national food strategy development in Canada and beyond

Mary Coulas,Patricia Ballamingie,Peter Andrée

doi:10.15353/cfs-rcea.v5i3.283

Mary Coulas, Patricia Ballamingie + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v5i3.283

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Abstract

This paper contributes to Canada’s current national food policy discussion by introducing lessons gleaned from the development of two earlier Canadian government food policy efforts, A Food Strategy for Canada (1977) and Canada’s Action Plan for Food Security (1998), as well as lessons drawn from national food strategy development in seven other countries. By examining the strengths and weaknesses of these previous policy-making processes, we show how today’s food policy conversation builds on the legacy of 1998's Action Plan. We then offer food policy governance recommendations designed to avoid the mistakes of the previous efforts. This paper explores international precedents for governance mechanisms designed to be inclusive of key food systems’ stakeholders, and to meaningfully include multiple levels of government in food governance. Drawing on both our domestic and international research, we conclude by recommending the establishment of a multi-sectoral and inter-governmental National Food Policy Council. We show how such a Council, operating in close cooperation with other key mechanisms, could help govern the pan-Canadian food strategy we advocate.

Highlights

Building on Mark Twain’s observation, this paper contributes to Canada’s current national food policy discussion by introducing lessons gleaned from the development of two earlier Canadian government food policy efforts, A Food Strategy for Canada (1977) and Canada’s Action Plan for Food Security (1998), as well as insights drawn from national food strategy development in seven other countries
We offer a set of food policy governance recommendations designed to avoid the mistakes of these previous efforts
This paper explores international precedents for governance mechanisms designed to be inclusive of key food systems’ stakeholders, and to meaningfully include multiple levels of government in food governance. Drawing on both our domestic and international research, we conclude by recommending the establishment of a multi-sectoral and inter-governmental National Food Policy Council

Summary

Introduction

Building on Mark Twain’s observation, this paper contributes to Canada’s current national food policy discussion by introducing lessons gleaned from the development of two earlier Canadian government food policy efforts, A Food Strategy for Canada (1977) and Canada’s Action Plan for Food Security (1998), as well as insights drawn from national food strategy development in seven other countries. In the 1980s and 1990s, government and new civil society actors increasingly sought to tackling food insecurity, both domestically and internationally Together, this (sometimes conflicting) emphasis on international trade and growing attention to food security set the stage for a very different approach to food policy in 1998’s Action Plan. Following the 1996 Summit, the Canadian government formed a consultative group including the Programs and Multilateral Affairs Division, and Marketing and Industry Services Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to create Canada’s Action Plan for Food Security. Our analysis of Food Strategy and Action Plan lead to four specific recommendations for governance of a national food policy in Canada: First, frame efforts as a “pan-Canadian food strategy” (inclusive of the provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous governments, as well as the private sector and civil society) as opposed to a more narrowly-defined national food policy. They formed the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance and developed “The People’s Food Plan” (2013)

A National Food Policy Council for Canada

Findings

Conclusions