Dr. Kristen Lowitt is Director of the Community Food Systems Lab at Queen’s University and a leading voice in regional food systems research. On September 22, she will moderate “Food Sustains Us: Building a Local Food System that Nourishes Community,” a panel breakfast hosted by the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area at the Delta Hotel Kingston Waterfront. We sat down with her to find out what is at stake and what attendees can expect.
Q: For people who haven’t thought much about food systems before, how would you describe what a local food system is and why it matters?
A: “Food has been described as the intimate commodity. It’s something we eat every day. There are cultural practices around food and it’s important to our health. We’re all connected to it in various ways. A local food system is really about thinking about the relationships around the production, harvesting, and consumption of food in this place where we are. It’s not just about food as a product or a source of nutrients. It’s really food and all the relationships that surround it in our region. Connections to environments and ecologies, to people, to communities and neighborhoods and cultural groups. That’s what we’re really thinking about.”
Q: You and your colleagues spent time choosing the word “nourish” for the event title. What does it mean to you beyond nutrition?
A: “Nourish is really about relationships. We eat food every day, but how do we connect with other people around the sharing of meals? It’s something that connects us to our cultures and to one another. How do we nourish our relationships with the environments where food is coming from and the people that are providing it? It’s really about all those relationships and those multiple aspects of nourishing.”
Q: You have been working on a comprehensive food strategy for the KFL&A region. What would success actually look like for residents?
A: “The Food Policy Council emerged as a way of convening different organizations, partners, and stakeholders in the region around food system issues. The food strategy builds on that process. What we’ve been doing over the past year and a half is taking a community-based approach, engaging community members involved in eating, producing, harvesting, growing, and sharing food about what they’re doing day-to-day, what’s working well, and what could be improved. We want the strategy to be a community document where community voices are heard and displayed, with lots of opportunities for people to contribute in ways that bring their skills and interests.”
Q: Everyone is feeling the pinch at the grocery store. Is the cost of food part of the conversation?
A: “Over the last 60 to 80 years, we’ve been increasingly used to food being cheap. We’ve been spending less as a share of our overall income on food and we’ve come to expect that. But what is the true cost of food? From a systems perspective, we have to address the livelihood piece for farmers and the food security piece for consumers together. Individuals and households in Kingston need to have sufficient income to buy the good quality food that they want, and farmers need to be able to make a living. When more of the food dollar goes directly back to the producer, through a farmers’ market or a local food hub, that’s a step in the right direction for everyone.”
Q: If you could change one policy to have the most practical impact on our food system, what would it be?
A: “Something that came up repeatedly in our community consultations was food procurement. What if the city, Queen’s University, or our hospitals tried to buy more local and regional food? There are farmers who would love stable contracts so they know what they can produce for a certain market. There is a lot more we could do in terms of public procurement of food that supports local and regional producers. It would be quite achievable in our region if we got the right people together to talk about it.”
Q: What do you hope people leave the breakfast feeling on September 22?
A: “I hope it’s the opportunity to connect with other people in the region who are engaged with and concerned about food systems issues. This isn’t just about whether I’m buying the right thing at the grocery store. It’s really about how do I engage democratically in the food system and what do I want it to look like. Building those relationships is really at the heart of what nourishing is about.”
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“Food Sustains Us: Building a Local Food System that Nourishes Community” takes place Tuesday, September 22, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. at the Grandview Room, Delta Hotel Kingston Waterfront, 1 Johnson St. Register Here. Space is limited.
