Our goal at MLFPC is to create a just and sustainable food system that serves all the residents in our community. We take this commitment very seriously—every member, every volunteer, and every supporter of the Council wants to see our food system working for our entire community and is dedicating their time, energy, and hard work in pursuit of this goal. But we also want to be working with the community as a whole—we want to fully include every voice and every perspective on what constitutes a just, equitable, and sustainable food system and on how best to achieve it.
The murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police has spotlighted the systemic racism entrenched in our legal and social institutions, Canada not excepted. At the MLFPC, we want to do more for this movement rather than primarily drafting and releasing statements of solidarity. We are committed to acknowledging Middlesex-London’s BIPOC communities in ways that are valuable to them while correlating with our mission, vision and values.
We’re working towards specific actions that break down institutionalized racism and lead to improved DEI within our operations and sphere of influence. Acknowledging that food has been used as a weapon and tool of oppression and that the Canadian food system has long been, and continues to be, infected by structural racism and inequities, is the first step, but only a first step. We welcome suggestions and comments from you of actions that we can take to continue down that pathway.
Here in this blog series, we would like to offer a collection of interviews with local BIPOC community leaders and food activists, chefs and restauranteurs, and farmers and foodservice professionals discussing food, our local food system, and the ways that a more just, equitable, and sustainable food system within our community may be achieved. We hope that by showcasing their voices and work, more will rally behind their leadership and that we all can move closer to achieving the food system we aspire to have. We’re delighted to get to know these members of our community better and to join them in building a better society. We hope that you will enjoy reading and following this series as much as we have in bringing it to you.
