Local partners are meeting on March 10 to discuss food security of Ottawa’s residents.
The University of Ottawa, the Ottawa Good Food Box, and the Wabano Centre of Aboriginal Health will be collaborating at the Healthy People, Healthy Communities conference. The talk will focus on how to better tackle food security in Ottawa by increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Most of the discussion and research looks into how to get more people involved in the Ottawa Good Food Box – a local non-profit community-based initiative that strives to specifically improve fresh food access in Ottawa’s downtown core.
“We have found that access to fruits and vegetables was one of the biggest barriers for people,” says Natasha Beaudin, the health promoter for the Ottawa Good Food Box program.
According to Beaudin, people who sign up with the program eat up to twice as many fruits and vegetables compared to those who do not.
The Healthy People, Healthy Communities project targets First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and other minority at-risk populations, to help increase their food security.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Dr. Isra Levy, the city’s medical officer of health, will be in attendance on March 10 at 6 p.m. at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.
The conference is open to the public and more information can be found at: http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/healthy-people-healthy-communities-feast-forum-tickets-21499422351.