Structural Constraints and Enablers to Community Food Security in Nova Scotia, Canada

Re-centering labour in local food: local washing and the growing reliance on permanently temporary migrant farmworkers in Nova Scotia

This article explores the labour behind local food in the Canadian Atlantic province of Nova Scotia. Based on surveys and interviews with farmers, migrant farmworkers, and farmers' market consumers in the province, we suggest that the celebration of local food by government and industry is a form of "local washing." Local washing hides key aspects of the social relations of production: in this case, it hides insufficient financial and policy supports for Nova Scotian farms and the increased reliance on migrant farmworkers via the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Our research found that a growing reliance on migrant farmworkers was not just the case for larger, industrial farms, but also for smaller farms participating in local and alternative food initiatives, like farmers' markets and fresh produce subscription boxes. Additionally, our surveys show that while farmers' market shoppers expressed an interest in supporting local foods, they reported knowing little about farm workers or working conditions. Our paper contributes to the literature on local and alternative food initiatives by connecting the relations of production to consumption. Rather than focusing solely on the nature of the relationships between farmers and consumers and the values embodied in direct agricultural markets, this research explores the central role of permanently temporary migrant workers in local agriculture.

Seeds and the city: a review of municipal home food gardening programs in Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, home food gardening articles have saturated popular media outlets. Home food gardening is more popular than ever, and community gardens and community greenhouses are at capacity with long waiting lists for plots. Several local governments across the country are also participating in the food gardening craze. This study compares 19 municipal urban home food gardening programs that ran in 2020. These municipalities provided program participants with free gardening supplies and instructions on how to grow food at home. This study reveals a complicated relationship among municipalities, food gardening programs and household and community food security. The study also determines that the social and emotional challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic are somewhat alleviated through gardening. Ultimately, municipalities are limited in their policy capacities to adequately move the needle on food insecurity in Canada.

Capacity building and personal empowerment: participatory food costing in Nova Scotia, Canada

Food insecurity impacts millions of people globally. It has been recognized as a priority and a human right by the United Nations where empowerment of women is identified as a significant goal in addressing food insecurity. In the Maritime Province of Nova Scotia (NS), Canada, more than one in five children live in food insecure households. Since 2002, participatory action research (PAR) has been an integral component of food costing in NS with an aim to support capacity building for food security. Building on earlier research that examined short-term outcomes, and recognizing a lack of research examining outcomes of PAR processes, this study aimed to explore the medium-term individual capacity building processes and outcomes of women involved in Participatory Food Costing (PFC). Findings revealed that capacities were built with respect to interrelated themes of 'awareness, participation, personal development, readiness to change, political impact, influence on others, self-esteem, project growth and project continuity'. In addition, the involvement of these women in PFC resulted in both personal empowerment and food security-related policy change. Involving vulnerable populations through PAR is valuable in influencing health-related policy.

Student Engagement with Community-Based Participatory Food Security Research: Exploring Reflections through Photovoice

FoodARC is a research hub for community-based participatory research (CBPR) contributing to healthy, just, and sustainable food systems for all. University students, largely from dietetics programs, are engaged as co-learners and research partners. This study explores the contribution of CBPR to student learning on household food insecurity (HFI) and community food security (CFS) and ways to address these issues through practice. Photovoice, an arts-informed 3-phase participatory research process, was used to take pictures that reflected student experiences and insights regarding CBPR. Through a half-day guided discussion, 5 participants shared and discussed their photos and the meanings behind them with other participants and then collectively analyzed and interpreted common themes. Three overarching themes reflecting student learning and development associated with CBPR experiences were identified: students' expanded understandings of HFI and CFS as well as potential solutions to address these issues, their modeling of participatory ways of working, and applications to future professional practices. Student understandings about HFI and CFS through the integration of a community-engaged learning environment like CBPR results in important learning and personal and professional development. Learning is enriched and students are able to imagine their roles in addressing these issues through practice.