Food Security

Food security is defined as:

having ready access to affordable, healthy, nutritious, safe, and culturally acceptable food at all times to sustain an active lifestyle.

It is hard to believe that almost 10% of the Canadian population lives in a food insecure household.

It is often caused by lack of income, sometimes unexpected:

• loss of employment or lack of sustainable employment,
• a sudden and severe illness or accident or a death in the family,
• an unexpected legal issue,
• a natural disaster (like the tornado that devastated Goderich, Ontario just 25 minutes away from here).

That's when decisions have to be reached about whether to pay your monthly bills or buy healthy food.

Lack of food education is also a risk of food insecurity and it can cross all boundaries.  The Gardens provides educational sessions and events, focused on the issues surrounding food insecurity and the sustainable production of food, to foster self-sufficiency.