(NC) We eat food every day, but many of us don’t give a second thought to where it comes from. Canadian farmers are actively working to produce sustainable food for our supply chain. But what does that mean?
Well, for many growers in Canada, sustainable food should protect the environment as well as help our communities.
Here are a few sustainable practices that could be part of where your food comes from:
For the economy
Community shared agriculture is becoming more common. Families pay a fee to farmers at the beginning of the growing season, and then receive a weekly share of whatever that farmer produces. Many farmers supply directly to their community to help improve access to food and connection to what we eat.
Rooftop farming is another innovative agricultural model that helps to keep farming more accessible and economically viable – even in cities
A taste of where your food comes from without traditional agricultural land.
For the environment
Watercourses that are fenced off so cattle cannot access them allow wildlife to have safe corridors to travel through, and support a diverse ecosystem. Keeping livestock away from waterways also helps maintain water quality.
Animals left out to pasture into late fall can stay healthier outdoors and graze on cover crops that have been protecting the soil and absorbing carbon emissions. Their hoofs can help seeds underfoot germinate in the ground.
For the future
Steps like those above, which encourage profitability and a stable food supply, while also making room for communities to eat and be engaged with where their food comes from, can provide social sustainability too. They are actions taken for future generations of children and grandchildren.
Learn more at canada.ca/taste-the-commitment.
