Youth and the food agenda

Jennifer Bain, Toronto Star
September 18, 2009

More than 70 people crammed into a Toronto City Hall meeting room last week for the launch of what they believe to be the world's first youth food policy council.

The Toronto Youth Food Policy Council is now recruiting members who are interested in food policy, food security, urban agriculture, farming and related topics.

"For the first time, youth are being given a voice in the food policy discussion," says acting chair Tracy Phillippi, a York University student working on a masters in environmental studies. She's one of seven members and one consultant on the council.

Immediate plans include creating a newsletter to connect members with food issues and happenings, joining a World Food Day conference with FoodShare on Oct. 16, and planning a winter solstice celebration. The council meets again Oct. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at city hall.

Email tmphill@gmail.com for details or join the Friends of the Toronto Food Policy Council Facebook group.

During the Sept. 9 meeting, ChocoSol Traders handed out cold chocolate drinks. The youth-run business, which describes itself as "socially just," makes stone-ground eating and drinking chocolate from fair-trade cacao beans.

ChocoSol, which aims to reclaim some chocolate sales from the multinational corporations that control the industry, was given a Local Food Hero award by the Toronto Food Policy Council.

Jennifer Bain