A food charter as a critical food guidance tool in a rural area

The case of Bruce and Grey Counties in Southwestern Ontario

Résumé

Food charters have been one means of mobilizing critical food guidance relevant discussions among stakeholders and policy makers in rural areas.  As actors in the rural food system of Grey and Bruce counties, we describe the counties' charter development led by the Food Security Action Group.  We deepen discussion of each of the six domains (health, social justice, culture, education, sustainable economic development, and environment) through examples of alternative food initiatives and practices, which both informed the charter and were supported by it.  We emphasize the cross-domain synergies realized as examples of critical food guidance, while cautioning about the constraints facing county efforts in the face of ongoing changes at provincial to global levels that are not consonant with the Food Charter vision.