History of the PFPP

History of The People’s Food Policy Project

Thirty years ago, a group of activists created the People’s Food Commission (PFC). The Commission toured the country, holding hearings in 75 communities which explored how food systems affected ordinary Canadians: farmers, fisherpeople, housewives, poor people, trade unionists, academics, artists and others. The PFC final report, The Land of Milk and Money, predicted many of the negative trends that have now come to pass, and identified the need for a change in the direction of food policy in Canada.

Unfortunately, this change has not materialized. The policy framework supporting the industrialized food system and its social, environmental and economic costs is still firmly in place – even as the advent of ‘Peak Oil’ and climate change make a new approach imperative.

Socially, however, much has changed in the past 30 years. There is a growing movement of people who have been moved to action by awareness of the deep problems in the food system, especially those related to hunger, pollution, and chronic disease. Across Canada, a host of projects have been undertaken – everything from stream remediation on farms to school breakfast programs, as well as skill-building and community-building projects. People are seeking to reclaim the food system at the local level and build a system based on a different set of principles, and rooted in respect: for traditional wisdom, for ecosystems, for people struggling to feed themselves and their families. From this community base, people have also engaged with the policy-making process – in terms of school food policy, for example, or a municipal food charter. Despite these efforts, however, food policy in Canada remains dominated by governments and industry and does not reflect the reality of people on the ground. This is where our project comes in.

For the final report of the People's Food Commission, click on The Land of Milk and Money (1980).