OUR PHILOSOPHY

Over the years, we have broadened our focus to look at the entire food system – how food is produced, distributed and consumed. We see hunger as just one symptom of a food system that is geared to treating food primarily as a commodity. Most people believe that access to food is a basic human right, because, like air or water, it is fundamental to health and survival. But the question is how to make this right a reality. First, should food be subjected to the same rules of market distribution that govern, say, soap or toothpaste? We believe there is a role for not-for-profit food distribution mechanisms, of which the Good Food Box is one example.

What we’ve come to realize is that the "what" and "how" of food access is also important. All of our projects are based on the premise that it’’s not just any food that we’’re talking about. We try to promote an awareness that fresh, whole foods are key to health, well-being and disease prevention, and to illustrate this principle through all our programs.

How people get their food is also important. Food distribution systems that involve communities and help to create neighborhood leaders have a great potential to enhance individual and community empowerment, by leading people to feel that they have some control over this very basic part of their lives. Again, because of its material, cultural and social importance, food is special in its power to mobilize people to action. All our programs are based on this community building principle.

FoodShare tries to take a multifaceted, innovative and long-term approach to hunger and food issues. This means that we're involved in diverse actions: grassroots program delivery, advocacy for social assistance reform, job creation and training, nutrition education, farmland preservation and campaigns for comprehensive food labelling are just a few examples of the areas we work in.