What is meant by the term "Food Security"? How does it relate to the Social Economy? If you want to know the answers to these questions and more, join Dr. Heather Myers, from the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, and Debbie Field, Executive Director of FoodShare in Toronto, in an engaging telelearning session.

Background readings for each presenter:

• Dr. Heather Myers
  • A Model of Food Security and the Social Economy in the Canadian North
  • Feeding the Family in Times of Change - from Breaking Ice: Renewable Resource and Ocean Management in the Canadian North
• Debbie Field
  • Canada Needs a National Food Policy - a speech delivered to the House of Commons by MP Olivia Chow on May 2, 2006
  • 28 Policy Recommendations Towards Greater Food Security
  • Growing Hope: a special edition of Making Waves magazine
  • FoodShare: working with communities to improve access to affordable and healthy food - from field to table
  • Toronto Food Policy Council
  • Vancouver Food Policy Council
• Additional resources
  • News Article: Flour mill concept shows promise
  • At Dufferin Grove Park in Toronto: Friday night community suppers
  • Food Security in Thunder Bay: The Gleaning Project
  • Linking Land Use Planning and the Food Environment
  • Growing Hope: Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Policy Recommendations from the Community Voice

Call Logistics:

• Session Date: Thursday February 22, 2007
• Call begins at 12:30pm Eastern time, 9:30am Pacific time
• Call in information will be given upon registration
• Register before February 20 to obtain dial in information and background papers
• This session is in English; the next session will be in French

Session Format: 1 Hour Welcome: 5 min Presentations: 10 min by each speaker Discussion: 35 minutes Registration: By Email or by Phone Register by e-mailing telelearning@socialeconomyhub.ca with your name, location, and work or volunteer position. To register by phone call 1-250-472-5338. Limited number of phone lines for session – so register soon!

Dr. Heather Myers Dr. Heather Myers is a professor in International Studies program at the University of Northern British Columbia and a leading researcher on the connection between resource development and the social economy. She has been engaged in community-based activities designed to assess northern residents' awareness about the effects of environmental pollutants, and has been an experts witness to the Council of Europe regarding the Canadian seal hunt. She has also written extensively on the significance of Food Security issues in Northern Canada.

Debbie Field For the past fourteen years, Debbie Field has been the Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto, Canada’s largest community based food security organization. She came to FoodShare through her role as a founding member of the Coalition for Student Nutrition. As a parent she was instrumental in organising a hot lunch program at her children’s school. Debbie has an honour's B.A. in Sociology from Trent University and a Masters in Adult Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.