About 120 people from throughout the province have converged in Penticton to talk about food security at the 18th annual Food Systems Network (BCFSN) gathering.
BCFSN director of engagement and policy, Abra Brynne, said the two-and-a-half day event is a chance for dozens of people from diverse backgrounds to sit together and talk about food sovereignty.
“The idea is that the people who are eating should have control over the food system that is feeding them,” Brynne said.
Through tours of local fisheries, break out groups, feasting on locally-sourced foods and taking part in the Penticton Indian Band (PIB) Pow Wow celebration on Saturday night, the group aims to find tangible solutions as to how the public can gain back more control of the food system, according to Brynne.
“I’ve been doing this for more than 25 years and the globalized supply chains have gotten more abundant and longer, but at the same time people have come to realize what impact that has on our food systems, our health, on people’s access to food,” Brynne said.
“I’ve seen an enormous increase in people’s awareness of the repercussions.”
Brynne said those in attendance range from dietitians, government employees, indigenous people, fishers, students to people of all ages from throughout B.C.
She said one of the most important elements of the network is helping people build relationships.
“So they can access say a dietitian if they need that information, they can access a policy maker or someone who does training around policy or someone who does hunting and can build their own skillset if it’s needed or help build strategy,” Brynne said.
Brynne said a series of topics are covered throughout the event, then everyone taking part is encouraged to go back to their own communities to discuss them and possibly impact agri-food policy.
“We have looked at water, farmed salmon and the impact on wild salmon, we’ve looked at the land base,” Brynne said.
The gathering is being held at the En’owkin Centre.
This is the first time the annual gathering has been held in Penticton. A different city is selected each year to make it accessible to more people.
Click here to learn more about the BCFSN.
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