Food System Roundtable WR

We are excited to support a new project to promote Waterloo Region’s many farms, markets, and community food organizations. This Fall, the Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region is launching a free online directory to connect Waterloo Region residents to their local food system by allowing them to search for ways to Eat Local, Grow Local, and Give Local. We encourage you to add your business or organization to the list by completing the registration form. Let’s show our community all the great things happening in Waterloo Region! 
 

Technical and design support for this project is provided by Open Food Network Canada, a national nonprofit that works with local food and farming enterprises to scale fair, local, and sustainable agrifood initiatives. Funding support has been provided by Community Foundations of Canada and the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.

The Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region has been embedded in the region’s food system for over 15 years.

Early History described by Toronto Food Policy Council: “The Region of Waterloo Public Health led a process in 2005-2006 to develop a food system plan, beginning with their discussion paper, titled Towards a Healthy Community Food System in Waterloo Region. The report identified priority food-related issues and the need for co-operation among many different organizations and individuals to achieve a healthy food system together. Through a community and stakeholders’ consultation process, the decision to form a Roundtable came out of a 2006 forum. A start-up committee of 8 people was formed, who spent a year developing the Roundtable’s Terms of Reference. A call for applications was then circulated, and the committee decided on 18 members. In November 2007, the Roundtable was officially recognized at a public launch event at Conestoga College.”

The Roundtable played a critical role in bringing food justice, sustainability, and security issues to the forefront through the development of the Food Charter, adopted by the Region of Waterloo in 2013. Today’s Roundtable is a non-profit organization focused on “championing healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system through policy advocacy, education, and community partnership building in the Region of Waterloo”.