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Science & Agriculture

CNC studies local food production

Feb 15, 2024 | 3:09 PM

PRINCE GEORGE—CNC is asking for community members and organizations to take part in a survey discussing food security in Prince George.

The survey will help the College and the Public Health Association of B.C. to study peoples priorities when it comes to local produce and the challenges people face when accessing it.

“It is important for people to have access to local, healthy food every day, and this survey will help people around Prince George strengthen food security and farming in their communities,” said B.C. Minister of Agriculture and Food, Pam Alexis.

Alexis continues by saying the reasearch will help the Province support local food producers which will contribute to a sustainable food system in B.C.

“Everyone needs to eat. In a world facing climate change and growing food insecurity, we need to adapt and be part of the solution to meet that critical need. This research study is one of the ways CNC is working with partners to better understand a community need so we can contribute to solutions,” said Dr. Chad Thompson, CNC’s vice president: academic.

The reasearch goals are:

  • Understand residents’ views on Prince George’s food culture through their survey.
  • Provide crop cultivation workshops at CNC’s geodesic greenhouse in March.
  • Prepare research findings which may influence future coursework and micro-credentials at the college.

“We have been here before, when food supplies were threatened and we learned how to survive. We need to reclaim and relearn that hard won knowledge. We need to remember how we relied on local, when you could become famous for your tomatoes, or for growing grapes where grapes weren’t supposed to grow. Local food helped build local community. Let’s start again, building local healthy local communities where we can learn how to grow good food together,” said Dr. Theresa Healy, President of Public Health Association of British Columbia (PHABC)

CNC will also reach out local food producers to involve them in the survey and March’s workshops. Once the research findings are available, the College will study the feasibility of food security and crop cultivation coursework.

“Being sustainable with the ability to grow food in a northern climate is becoming exceedingly important. Sourcing and growing local food will be vital in dealing with climate change and natural disasters, as well as challenges such as increasing inflation,” said Shelby Roberts, a research associate in applied research and innovation at CNC.

The online survey is available at http://tiny.cc/cnclocalfood. It is open until March 1, 2024.

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Email: sam.bennison@pattisonmedia.com