DAY 1 | DEC 3RD | 10:30am
day 1| dec 3rd| 10:30am
Moderated by
Sonja Yli-Kahila, Coordinator of the Food Share Network
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Tackling Food Insecurity: A Just and Equitable Future
Thursday, December 3rd | 10:30 am
This session will explore the big questions related to food insecurity and how individuals and agencies can take action to decrease food insecurity in the region. Food insecurity is caused by larger systemic inequities and challenges that need to be addressed at their roots. During this session, we will be connecting with visionary leaders that are trying to tackle some of these injustices, as well as from those with lived experiences of food insecurity.
Moderator |
Sonja Yli-Kahila, Coordinator of the Food Share Network
Sonja Yli-Kahila is the lead for the Food Share Network and has been supporting food security initiatives in the Western Communities since April 2020. The Food Share Network is a collaborative of more than 70 organizations in the Capital Region that promote food security. Sonja has led the transition of the Food Share Network into a Society and is currently involved in setting the Food Share Network's strategic direction, in collaboration with members. Sonja has a background in nutrition, health, and policy. She has a passion for health and for working towards a society where everyone has access to the food they need to thrive and enjoy life.
Speaker|
Joan Stonehocker, Executive Director LifeCycles Project Society
Joan’s life-long passion for growing and eating healthy food aligns perfectly with her role as the Executive Director of LifeCycles Project Society. She has spent more than a decade advocating for income responses to food insecurity and developing healthy food projects as a catalyst for building strong and vibrant communities.
Joan has a background in business, with degrees from the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto. Joan is delighted to be back in her home province and to be working with the dedicated team at LifeCycles, connecting people to the food they eat and the land it comes from.
Panelist|
Kim Cummins, Program Director, Shelbourne Community Kitchen
Kim is the Program Director at the Shelbourne Community Kitchen: a neighbourhood food centre that offers food skills education and garden programs along with fresh and dignified food distribution. She completed her bachelors at Concordia University in Fine Arts before working for 10+ years as a professional cook and a food service manager at a therapeutic community. During her time in the Culinary Arts program at Camosun College in 2012, Kim founded a student-run CSA program aimed to support emerging organic farmers while increasing student access to local, affordable produce. Kim has a passion for building strengths-based food skills programs, social justice and promoting local food systems. She loves how healthy food has the capacity to connect people with their culture, the land, and their community in profound ways. (Photo credit: Alicia Kapasi).
Panelist|
Ariel Reyes Antuan; Co-founder of Iye Creative & Palenke Greens, Entrepreneur, Community Organizer
Ariel Reyes Antuan is a community connector, Iye Creative co-founder, and entrepreneur born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Ariel for the past 10 years has been involved in coordinating at the highest level, optimizing, and managing various community projects and grassroots initiatives that favour long-term, reciprocal and respectful relationship building for communities in Cuba and what’s currently Canada.
As an Afrocuban in the diaspora, Ariel has worked in culturally diverse environments, cities, and countries developing initiatives. He deeply understands community issues and how important it is to develop holistic and strategic community-based partnerships in order to plan around the needs of disenfranchised groups to provide them with tools that empower their own liberation.
Panelist|
Elizabeth (Liz) Maze, Executive Director Red Cedar Cafe
Liz Maze is the Executive Director of Red Cedar Cafe, a nonprofit organization with a mandate to strengthen food security, community wellness and social solidarity on Vancouver Island. Red Cedar formed as a grassroots community initiative in April 2020 in response to the pandemic and associated economic hardship, to ensure that people in our community have access to healthy, tasty food during this challenging and extraordinary time. Liz is a lifelong human and environmental rights activist, and works closely with local and regional governments, community organizations and members to help alleviate poverty and food insecurity in our region. With a background in international law and global affairs, Liz brings global best practice to the local level.
Panelist|
Christina Kante, Health Team Programs Coordinator Victoria Native Friendship Centre
Christina Kante is the Health Team Programs Coordinator at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre and is a grateful visitor on the Lekweungen speaking people’s traditional territories. Christina completed her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Victoria in 2005 and has worked in community development, counselling, and facilitation ever since. Food security has been a long time personal and professional passion. She has participated in a variety of food security committees, networks, workshops, and co-ops both in BC and Saskatchewan.
Her journeys have taken her around the globe, where she completed a CIDA internship in Cape Town, South Africa, spent time volunteering in Lesotho, and travelling in West Africa. In her current position at the VNFC, she provides coordination for the Health team, which includes Addictions, Health, and Housing support, Wellness Services, and the VNFC Food and Medicine Garden. She is passionate about social justice and access to good healthy food.
2020 good food summit sponsors
We want to thank our generous sponsors for whom without the 2020 Good Food Summit would not be possible.
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