Click here for the RAVEN updates about our activities related to farming, community food security and food sovereignty, including links to all the articles and videos produced in collaboration with the NB Media Co-op.
New Brunswick is experiencing a rise in the number of small farms in the province. Statistics Canada data show that in New Brunswick, the number of small farms under 10 acres has risen seven percent over the last five years. Many people in rural communities see sustainable and regenerative farming as key to their future sustainability.
Here’s one definition of community food security developed through research and practice: “Community Food Security is a condition in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally appropriate, nutritionally sound diet through an economically and environmentally sustainable food system that promotes community self-reliance and social justice.” (reference) Note that the focus is on community rather than gardens for individual households (although that’s important too).
Food sovereignty emphasizes food as not only a commodity but also something that can support sustainable livelihoods, reduce distance between suppliers and consumers, resist dependence on unaccountable corporations, place control in the hands of local food suppliers, reject privatization of natural resources, promote knowledge and skills, all while working with nature in a responsible, productive manner.