NRC 2018 Forum - UNPACKING FOOD LITERACY

To start off the day, you will hear from two ‘food literacy champions’ who will share their insights on the potential for food literacy to empower people of all age groups to live well and inspire Forum attendees to take action on implementing strategies to improve food literacy in their area of work.

Why Food Literacy Matters: Implementation and Impact in Elementary Schools (Bary Finley)
Barb will share what she has learned during 12 years of programming in Vancouver schools.

Why does Food Literacy Matter? (Gwen Chapman)
Food literacy matters because everyday food practices matter. For those of us who work in the nutrition field, and indeed for many Canadians, the health implications of what people eat are top of mind. In this context, food literacy matters because it can be a tool to help people make healthier food choices, combating the diet related health problems that appear to be rampant in Canada and around the globe. But everyday food practices also interconnect with other significant issues of our time such as environmental sustainability, global hunger, and ethical issues like animal welfare and the quality of livelihoods of people who work in the food system. Conceptualized broadly, food literacy strengthens people’s knowledge about and ability to take action across all components of the food cycle, including food production, distribution, preparation, consumption, and waste handling. Food literacy matters because it holds the potential to transform the ways people act within the food system, bringing about positive change in critical areas.