Overview of ILO issues in Saskatchewan
Local food system development
Industrial livestock operations are part of the increasingly integrated corporate food chain that ends with the big grocery chains such as Sobey, Loblaws and Walmart. Local food from non-factory farmed sources is often very difficult for consumers to find in these supermarkets. As a result, the local food movement is developing alternative institutions and structures for connecting producers with consumers, to improve access and to provide fair prices at both ends of the transaction.
Some of the alternative food system components are:
- local farmers markets
- the Good Food Box
- Community Shared Agriculture
- community-based organic food co-operatives
- the Good Food Store that will soon be built in Saskatoon's Station 20 West (pdf)
- and local independent food retailers.
Regina's LOFO website links local farmers and consumers using the internet. The Eat Well Guide also provides this service.
Food Charters in Prince Albert (pdf), Saskatoon (pdf) and Tisdale (pdf) have been developed to guide local municipalities' policies. See Building a Citizens' Good Food Policy by Don KossickThe demand for local and organic food is growing fast and steadily. There are some bottlenecks in Saskatchewan that will be alleviated if additional appropriately scaled and designed local processing and storage facilities are developed. Meat processing and inspection regulations need to be designed to provide better opportunities for Saskatchewan livestock producers to sell to local consumers.
Food organizations active in Saskatchewan
- Food Secure Saskatchewan
- Saskatchewan Organic Livestock Co-operative (SOL)
- Saskatchewan Organic Directorate (SOD)
- CHEP
- Regina Eco Living
- Heifer International
- Saskatchewan Eco Network