Provincial Initiatives and Activities

Efforts to ensure food security and improve access to healthy nutritious food occurs at all levels of government, across provincial departments, communities, local organizations, and food producers

Many initiatives highlighted in this presentations involve partnerships and collaboration within and outside of government

Food is a common bond…

Personal

Food

Choice

What is ACCEPTABLE

[socio-cultural]

&AFFORDABLE

[economic]

What is

AVAILABLE

[Market

Non-market]

A SIMPLE FOOD CHOICE PARADIGM

School Nutrition Policy All public schools must have a written nutrition policy The policy requirement is legislated in the Public School Act

along with trans-fat legislation. HLYS provides Guidelines for Foods Served in Schools, and a

variety of support materials. A collaborative School Nutrition Support Team (SNST) has been

created to provide practical assistance to schools.

Healthy Schools Funding to SDs and RHAs; Mini Campaigns

School Nourishment Programs Funding is provided to the Child Nutrition Council of

Manitoba, a community-based non-profit to help support school nourishment programs (breakfast and snack) and a school fruit and vegetable snack pilot program.

Farm-2-school Healthy Choices Fundraiser pilot program {with MAFRI, MAHE and Peak of the Market]

Community Food Security Funding is provided to Food Matters Manitoba, a community non-profit

that support for collaborative efforts to help strengthen food security of individuals and communities.

Pre-school Nutrition Scan of programs and policies in child care centres across Canada Conducted consultation with a selected child care personnel in

Manitoba Proposal for supporting nutrition in child care settings is under

consideration.

Eat Smart Meet SmartWorkplace healthy eating resource and policy

Infant nutritionInfant feeding resources on breastfeeding, use of formula, and solid foodsBaby-Friendly Initiative

NEW Sodium reduction Childhood Obesity Prevention – Achieving Healthy Weights

Manitoba Prenatal Benefit A monthly cheque during pregnancy is available to

income-eligible women to help with eating well

Healthy Baby Community Support Programs Community programs offer social support and

informal learning opportunities to encourage early, regular prenatal care and promote healthy infant development.  These programs: Encourage affordable healthy eating through cooking

and nutrition activities Build women's confidence and awareness of health

and parenting choices, and foster awareness of babies' nurturing needs

Baby Friendly Initiative Promotion of breastfeeding as cultural norm

Clinical and community dietetic service delivery

Dial-a-Dietitian Telephone access to nutrition information and advice Based in Misericordia

Curriculum Nutrition and healthy eating are integrated

throughout the K-12 curriculum

Early Childhood Development Initiative Healthy eating is part of early childhood literacy

programming such as: Alphabet Soup, Family Literacy Olympics, and Wiggle, Giggle and Munch funded in some school divisions that specifically focuses on physical activity and nutrition. (Note: these initiatives are not specifically targeted to poverty reduction or food accessibility)

Spence Neighbourhood Association Inc. – Spence Greenhouse Project Phase 2 2010 

North End Community Renewal Corporation – North End Food Security 2010  

West Broadway Development Corporation – Good Food Club: Growing for Change 2010

Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation – Community Gardens Project 2009  

West Broadway Development Corporation – Soup Bee Pilot 2009 

Food Matters Manitoba – Good Food Box 2010 

West Broadway Development Corporation – Greening the Way Phase 2 2009 

Farmers’ Market Association of Manitoba – The Waterfront Farmers Market 2009 

 

Employment and Income Assistance Additional resources are available to assist participants with the cost of nutritional supplements

and therapeutic diets Participants residing in northern or remote regions receive additional funds through the Northern

Allowance to assist with the higher cost of food in those regions The Northern Energy Cost Benefit is intended to supplement the Northern Allowance to assist with

the increased cost of transporting goods Eligible EIA participants may receive subsidized meals from organizations/agencies such as Meals on Wheels and the

Manitoba Housing Congregate Meal Program.

Disability Programs Family Support Services (Children’s Special Services) provides financial support for the purchase of

food supplements if a child has a specific diet resulting from his or her disability

Manitoba Child Benefit (MCB) A monthly benefit intended to assist low income families with the cost of raising children

Manitoba Child Care Program Regulations require that Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating is followed when providing  meals

and snacks in full time child care centres Menus must be prepared in advance and posted for the information of parents and guardians

 Promoting eat local The Local Produce Guide is a resource that helps people access

fresh local produce, including highlighting farmers markets, U- pick vegetable and fruit and access to local crops.  MAFRI also supports development and upgrading of farmers markets. 

Buy Manitoba Program, part of a five-year program to develop a branding and public-awareness campaign that will help consumers identify and buy locally.   Locally produced foods are a fresh choice for our consumers and buying locally supports Manitoba producers and processors.

Northern Growing Opportunities (GO) Centre Officially opened May 2009 to help people have more

access to agriculture-related information, education programs and agri-business specialists..

Northern Agriculture Program Encourages the expansion of agriculture production and to

increase the availability of locally produced healthy foods in northern Manitoba

Leverages funding for innovative projects that provide practical support and solutions to expanding agriculture and food production to increase availability and reduce the cost of fresh, healthy foods for northern residents

Funding is open to northern residents, agriculture producers, partnerships, co-operatives, corporations and band councils

Food Development Centre (FDC) A Special Operating Agency of the Province of Manitoba.  It is mandated to assist the

agri-food industry in the development and commercialization of conventional and healthy foods.

 Manitoba Agri-Health Research Network (MAHRN) Promotes and builds Manitoba’s unique cluster for the research, development, and

commercialization of agricultural products of health.

Canadian Climate Advantage Diet (CCAD) A project exploring the agronomic, policy and health care advantages that support the

development of a 'Canadian' diet focused on unique Canadian foods that would provide easier access to local products and whose health attributes have been assessed and supported by sound science.  The goal is to encourage local agricultural production and processing of key crops including oilseeds (canola, flax), cereals, pulses and indigenous berries and other healthy crops (buckwheat, hemp).  

 Manitoba Consumer Monitor Food Panel A collaborative project between MAFRI and the Faculty of Human Ecology at the

University of Manitoba that will run from 2010- 2013. It is a provincially representative longitudinal panel of food consumers to track attitudes and perceptions towards food, diet and health. It is anticipated that this study will continue beyond 2013.

Ensuring the food supply is safe:

Manitoba’s Food Safety Act provides a legal framework for overseeing the production and processing of food in Manitoba and for improving the protection of food from farm to table. Under this act, Manitoba would not only ensure that any food safety issues at any point in the food system are addressed but would deal with significant disruptions in Manitoba's food supply caused by major emergencies such as a pandemic. Amendments have been made to The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Act to allow the minister to obtain information necessary to plan for possible disruptions in the food supply.

Northern Healthy Foods Initiative

Objectives are to support and promote gardening, greenhouses, community food programs and food business development; help northern Manitobans make healthier food choices and make these foods more available; stimulate economic development that improves the northern food system; and demonstrate new approaches to improving food accessibility in the north.

Northern Healthy Food Initiative activities include:

Chronic disease prevention education Traditional fishing, hunting and gathering encouraging the local economy of

harvesters and self-sufficiency Food preservation Helping families rediscover healthy local food sources Educational workshops and conferences (Northern Harvest Forum, Veggie

Adventures Curriculum Workshop, Root Camp, Growing Local Conferences…)

Educational DVDs on gardening and traditional gathering and preserving (Vitality Gardening series, “…And This is My Garden”, Mother Nature’s Pantry – Food From the Forest)

Northern Healthy Foods Initiative activities include:

Gardening, cold frame and greenhouses operations Provision of gardening needs from seeds to tillers Gardening technical advise Revolving Loan Freezer Purchase Program Composting Soil blending Garden tool lending program Small livestock production School nourishment programs Curriculum implementation to engage youth Youth and family resource centre programming

ACCESS TO FOODNorthern Healthy FoodsFPT Obesity Task Force

FOOD AVAILABILITYAgriculture policyFarmers Markets

COMMUNITY SUPPORTNeighbourhoods Alive!Food Matters ManitobaWinnipeg Foundation

PROGRAMSchool nourishment

Healthy BabyCommunity School Partnership

Veggie Fundraiser

INCOMEMinimum Wage

Job Creation

INCOME SPARINGHousing support

Child Care

BENEFITSNorthern Allowance

Northern energy benefitPre-natal benefits

Child Benefit

CHARITYFood Banks

Soup Kitchens

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Gardens, buying clubs, good food boxes, cooking

classes etc etc

SUFFICIENT HEALTHY FOOD ON

FAMILY TABLE