Montreal Food Policy Council: Report on resilience in a time of crisis

MONTREAL, Oct. 15, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - To mark World Food Day, Montreal Food Policy Council (Conseil du système alimentaire montréalais) has unveiled a new report entitled Bilan des impacts de la pandémie de COVID-19 sur l'alimentation à Montréal : synthèse et recommandations pour la résilience de notre système alimentaire.

Over 90 professionals, researchers and frontline actors contributed to the report, aimed at identifying ways of making our food system more resilient in the face of future crises, be they health-related, socioeconomic or environmental.

Based on a Léger Marketing survey conducted for the Conseil SAM, as well as a review and analysis of the latest agroindustry and public health research, the report offers several recommendations.

"The pandemic highlighted the importance of food-related societal issues. The connection between the climate crisis, food and health has been made clearer that ever. Our hope is that the population will adopt a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet, featuring mainly plant-based foods. This will have direct benefits for the planet and its inhabitants," notes Dr. David Kaiser, head of environmental health at the Direction régionale de santé publique of Montreal and member of the Conseil SAM.

"The pandemic generated a lot of interest in local products. However, we need to make sure that the products we promote are also of high nutritional quality and environmentally responsible. There is still a lack of infrastructure allowing local producers and artisans to sell their products on the Montreal market," observes Anne Marie Aubert, Coordinator of the Conseil SAM.

"Several neighbourhood round tables played a key role on the ground during the pandemic, sharing information and coordinating activities. Essential services were provided by community neighbourhood organizations to ensure the population's food security. This essential work, along with the coordination efforts of the neighbourhood round tables, should be recognized and supported so we can make local food systems more resilient," notes Yves Bellavance, Coordinator of the Coalition montréalaise des Tables de quartier.

About the Conseil SAM

The Conseil SAM's mission is to ensure strong regional  leadership of food issues by mobilizing actors, advising decision-makers and supporting major initiatives. It is one of two networks supported by Montréal - Métropole en santé, the Table intersectorielle régionale en saines habitudes de vie for the Montreal region.

To find out more: Conseil SAM Bilan  | csam.ca

SOURCE Conseil du système alimentaire montréalais