Our missions

Right to food, food safety and food autonomy

Our mission is to promote food autonomy and healthy lifestyle habits in order to improve the health and quality of life of the population of the MRC du Haut-Saint-François.

Right to food

Governments have an obligation to ensure the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. They recognize the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger[2].

The main criteria for the right to food are :
  • the availability of food;
  • geographical proximity and
  • the economic accessibility of
    food;
  • the adequacy of food, which must be healthy, safe and meet the needs of people according to their age, physical and socio-economic conditions;
  • the sustainability of the food system which allows the development of a network of territorial collaboration that integrates
    production, transformation, processing, production
    distribution and consumption of food products as well as the
    management of residual materials, in the goal of increasing health
    environmental, economic and
    the community’s social fabric. [3]

[2]UN, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1976. Online at:
https://www.ohchr.org/FR/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CESCR.aspx.

[3]Sustainable Communities, Right to Food. Online at : http://collectivitesviables.org/articles/droit-a-l-alimentation.aspx.

Food safety

Food safety exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life[5]. 

[5] Committee on World Food Security, Agreeing on Terminology, CFS, 39th Session, 15-20 October 2012, p. 17. Online at: http://www.fao.org/3/MD776F/MD776F.pdf

Food autonomy

With respect for human beings, nature, all living beings and the environment, food autonomy implies individual and collective responsibility for access to quality food and better control of the food system, which cannot be achieved without a popular education approach. Food autonomy is a process of empowerment enabling everyone to exercise the right to food[6]. 

[6] Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec, Definition of Food Autonomy, Adopted at the General Assembly
annual meeting of 3 June 2015. Online at: http://www.rccq.org/en/a-propos/autonomie-alimentaire/.

Food accessibility

  • Access to a sufficient quantity of healthy food
  • Diversified supply locations and
    neighbouring
  • Reasonable and fair prices
  • Sufficient purchasing power to make choices
    adequate food with dignity

The power of choice

  • Taking part in decisions that affect our community
  • To be collectively equipped and informed about
    food issues

Collective action

  • Taking part in decisions that affect our community
  • To be collectively equipped and informed about
    food issues