The lockout at the Port of Montreal highlights the risk of food insecurity for Newfoundland and Labrador due to our dependence on imported food. The Food Security Network of Newfoundland and Labrador (FSN) is encouraging local food production and provincial food self-sufficiency as a way to ensure Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans have access to adequate and healthy food.
About 50 per cent of the goods coming into the province are shipped via the Port of Montreal, which (on July 23) has been closed for 5 days. Although shipping will be rerouted through other ports, Newfoundland and Labrador is likely to see shortages of some products. According to a 2007 report, approximately 90 per cent of the fresh vegetables available in Newfoundland and Labrador are imported. It has been estimated that the province has a two to three day supply of perishable vegetables in the event of a crisis that disrupts this supply chain.
The majority of red meat products are also currently imported into the province. The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture has indicated that only an estimated 5 per cent of beef products are being produced locally, and the sheep population in the province has decreased from 100,000 animals pre-confederation to a low of 4,000 currently.
The current disruption to the food supply is a wake-up call to remind us that Newfoundland and Labrador is increasingly reliant on imported food. The province's remote communities are particularly vulnerable and face some of the greatest challenges to obtaining fresh food, with limited local retailers and high costs of fresh food.
“We encourage citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador to learn where their local farms are, talk to farmers, and support them by purchasing food from them directly,” said Kristie Jameson, Executive Director of FSN, “This will help encourage farmers to continue to produce food and help make our province more food secure and self sufficient. Beyond this, we encourage people to become more engaged with their food and less dependent on prepared and imported options.”
Jameson highlights the fact that Newfoundland and Labrador has a tradition of food self-sufficiency and food preservation. At one time most of the food consumed in the province was produced or caught locally, with vegetables stored in root cellars and meat and vegetables pickled and bottled.
“Become involved with a community garden, or start your own backyard garden, start to preserve local food for the winter months, and cook more meals using fresh products,” Jameson encourages, “the more food that we can produce within our province, and the more basic food production, preserving, and preparation skills that we can build, the less dependent we will be on outside sources and the less these types of lockouts will impact our province.”
FSN can help connect individuals and organizations from across the province with local farmers, farmers’ markets, community gardens, and other food security initiatives to increase local food production and consumption and decrease this dependence on outside food sources.
The Packet
