Lifecycles Project Society Long-time FED partner and member, the LifeCycles Project Society cultivates community health by connecting people to the food they eat and the land it comes from. They support our region in growing, accessing, and eating local food in ways that foster diversity and enhance our urban environment. We spoke with Lifecycles’ Administrator Mary Tooley on why it’s important to think globally but act locally when it comes to food security. How does the Lifecycles Project support food security on Vancouver Island? MT: No one should be going hungry because they cannot afford to buy food. We aim to put good fresh food into the hands of those who need it. We are in this w
In 2009, the World Summit on Food Security stated that the four pillars of food security are availability, access, utilization, and stability. The pillars of our own food system here on Vancouver Island are in need of some serious repair before the whole thing comes toppling down. Here’s why: The backstory: Up until the 1950s, 85 percent of our food supply was grown locally here on the island (1). Today in 2019, our local food supply has dwindled to roughly 10 percent. Our island economy now imports more fruits and vegetables than we export and we lean heavily on California and other warmer regions to supply us with our food. With the human population on the island increasing so is the deman