By: Katie Brenneman

In recent years, there have been growing concerns about the sustainability of food systems in Canada. As climate change continues to be an ever-growing problem along with rising costs, food insecurity is becoming a serious issue, pointing toward a need for rapid decarbonization and better equity and accessibility where healthy food is concerned. 

Why Sustainable Food Systems Are Important

Food systems or food environments play a significant role in the food choices people make, with those environments being defined by various economic, physical, sociocultural, and political factors. For example, the types of foods in the food supply, how certain foods are marketed, and the price of foods can all influence which foods people decide to buy and consume. As such, food systems are heavily connected to public health. 

Unfortunately, current food systems are not conducive to supporting healthy food choices. In Canada, the average diet quality is subpar because few people are meeting healthy food recommendations due to unsustainable, unhealthy, and inequitable food environments.

As a result of these inadequate systems, “food deserts” have become a common feature of low-income areas. This term relates to neighborhoods where fresh food is rare and hard to find. Fresh produce — such as vegetables and fruits — are rare. In place of grocery stores, there are convenience stores selling ultra-processed foods devoid of nutrition.

When there is a lack of access to healthy and sustainable foods, the risk of chronic illness increases, and people with chronic illnesses are also at higher risk of developing mental health problems. Depression and chronic illness, for example, have both been reported at higher rates in people who develop diet-related conditions due to poor food choices, such as diabetes. 

Challenges of Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems

There are several systemic issues stymieing progress toward more sustainable, equitable, and healthier food systems: 

• • Nutritional deficiencies in modern diets due to ultra-processed foods;
  • Socioeconomic Inequities, such as minority groups living in areas where they are deprived of accessible, healthy, and sustainable food options;
  • The higher price point of healthier and sustainable foods makes it more challenging for people to purchase quality foods regularly;
  • Structural and systemic inequities (physical barriers) resulting in an adequate supply of sustainable and healthy food options in certain geographical areas (food deserts); 

• Climate change and climate risks impact food production, trade, labor, agricultural land use, and biodiversity. 

While many governments, including Canada, are making an effort to improve food security and establish more sustainable food systems, a more robust strategy is necessary to get a better handle on current issues and ensure healthier communities worldwide. 

Sustainable and Equitable Food System Best Practices

The four key principles of transforming food systems are to make healthy and sustainable foods more accessible, more available, more desirable, and more affordable. Below are a few examples of best practices to make this happen:

1. Champion and Reward Healthy and Sustainable Choices

Raising awareness of the importance of sustainable and healthy food choices by encouraging people to make “greener” choices in their communities is a great way to improve food environments. Ideas include implementing healthy rewards programs, creating and running healthy food campaigns and events in the community, and investing in more healthy and sustainable food advertising. 

2. Creating Healthier and More Sustainable Local Food Systems

Local governments and communities should seek to invest in organizations, stores, and services that enable better food choices. This can include healthier corner stores with more affordable healthy food options, nonprofit health food grocery stores, healthy and sustainable food cooperatives, and local food coalitions. 

As food delivery services are incredibly popular with modern consumers, it’s also worth promoting healthy food delivery options. With services like GrubHub, Doordash, Uber Eats, and more, ordering healthy food is much more convenient, and local municipalities and restaurants can work with these companies to promote healthier options with things like in-app “healthy filters” and “healthy choice” ads and promotions. 

3. Healthy and Sustainable Policies

It should go without saying that government policy can have a significant and positive impact on local food systems. Governments should look to enact new policies such as:

• Requiring comprehensive nutrition labeling
• Reducing tax on healthier food options and increasing tax on foods with high rates of unhealthy ingredients.
• Prohibiting advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.
• Develop nutritional criteria for food and drink products to carry health and nutrient content claims.
• Mandate regular collection of food security data across provinces and territories. 

As healthy eating habits can more easily be established at a young age, it’s also important for policies to focus on improving access to healthier and more sustainable foods in schools. This can include strengthening school nutrition standards, providing universal fruit and vegetable programs, and improving school curricula where food literacy is concerned. 

4. Land Use and Zoning Ordinances

Local municipalities can also create local laws that ban land use for specific purposes, such as the development of unhealthy food retail or fast food establishments. In contrast, laws can also be developed to better support and allow healthy food to be grown and sold in communities, such as allocating certain public spaces for community garden initiatives and farmer’s markets. 

5. Sustainable Technologies

As climate change has a major impact on food systems, it’s also important for local communities to invest in smarter renewable technologies. Solar panels, wind turbines, and clean water systems, for example, can help communities combat the negative effects of climate change, enabling them to create more sustainable and healthier food systems. 

Conclusion

Given the scope of unsustainable and insecure food systems across Canada, it is vital that government agencies, local communities, and organizations collectively work toward implementing more robust initiatives and policies. This is the only way to see faster and more widespread improvement to ensure the future health of Canadian communities. 

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Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in business management, tech innovations, education, and sustainability-related content.