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Peel Food Charter endorsed by Regional Council

March 28, 2018   ·   0 Comments

Peel Regional Council recently endorsed the newly created Peel Food Charter.
The Region reported a significant number of households in Peel, approximately 14 per cent, experience food insecurity. That means that individuals and families do not have access to sufficient and nutritious food they need to be healthy and active.
In response to this need, the Peel Food Security Taskforce, a group of community members and organizations concerned about food security in the region, developed the charter with a vision for “a just, sustainable and secure food system for now and in the future.”
The charter includes practical actions that individuals, families, businesses, organizations and governments can take to achieve that vision.
“By endorsing the Peel Food Charter, Regional Council encourages all residents and partners to contribute to a community in which all Peel citizens have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food,” Brampton Councillor Martin Medeiros, chair of the Human Services Section of Regional Council, said. “The Charter includes a clear set of goals and opportunities for action, and is intended to inspire ideas to help us achieve a secure food system for Peel.”
The Region reports that children make up 51 per cent of visits to the Mississauga Food Bank agencies. Between 2009 and 2016, the cost to feed a family of four per week in Peel increased by 26 per cent (from $156.15 to $197.13).
The Task Force also created the Peel Food Map, a tool to help funders and organizations identify vulnerable communities and service gaps, and to refer individuals and families in need to local food programs, including food banks and breakfast programs. The map includes more than 200 food programs and initiatives in Peel.
For more information on the Peel Food Charter and how to take action on food insecurity in Peel, visit povertyinpeel.ca/

         

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