The Food Security Action Committee, part of the Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance (CAPRA) met on Nov. 25 to set a list of priorities for 2022.

By Alessia Proietti

Food Security Action Committee on Nov. 25

Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance’s list of priorities

Nov 30, 2021 | 2:33 PM

The Food Security Action Committee, part of the Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance (CAPRA), had their first major meeting on Nov. 25 to discuss ideas on how to increase access to food for those in need.

The two-hour long virtual meeting included various food banks in Central Alberta and other municipal stakeholders and focused on creating a “shared vision”.

“We came up with kind of big picture ideas for work we can do in 2022 to really help our community and advocate for food security,” said Elise Leong-Sit, Chair of CAPRA’s Food Security Action Committee.

Having not worked together in two years as a result of the pandemic, the meeting began with a discussion on the difficulties faced by the organizations. Some listed feeling a sense of hopelessness and fatigue, due in part to the increase in demand for services but the limited volunteers available.

Four main themes were deemed priorities for the committee’s future work: big picture advocacy, food production and distribution systems, community empowerment, and “connecting the dots”.

Last seen March 31

Missing: Eugenie Headman, 66, of Maskwacis

Apr 04, 2026

mayor hopes to meet housing minister this month

Alberta demands Ottawa back off on housing funding stripped from Red Deer

Apr 02, 2026

Last seen Jan. 15

Missing: Courtney Cattleman, 17, of Maskwacis

Apr 02, 2026

“What we see right now is there are a lot of families who access our food rescue services like food banks and other things like that for years and years or decades and decades at a time and it’s really a sign that the system is failing those families,” said Leong-Sit. “We’re wondering about in what ways can we advocate for food security at an upstream level.”

Leong-Sit says hunger is one symptom of poverty, giving the analogy of a doctor who consecutively saves drowning civilians, until asking the question of who is pushing the people in the water farther upstream, identifying the real issue at hand.

In food production, numerous reasons were discussed on why nutritious foods are higher in cost such as shipping expenses from food grown in far locations and detailed safety policies for local producers to follow. In distribution, options like the utilization of vacant spaces in cities for gardening or other food related objectives were proposed.

While initiatives exist in empowering the community with food related skills like the Salvation Army’s kitchen settings, the committee discussed other options like gardening education. For example, teaching newcomers how to use unfamiliar vegetables grown locally and gardening skills to grow ingredients more traditionally used.

Finally, connecting the dots relates to getting the services to the people that need them.

“With a lot of traditional responses to food and security like collective kitchens or community gardens, what we find is that they miss the people that they really are aiming to help. Those vulnerable populations who are below a certain income cutoff,” said Leong-Sit.

She gives the example of how a parent working two jobs to pay bills may not have the time to learn new food skills in the same way as someone else.

The committee’s next bi-monthly meeting will be at an undetermined date in January to outline details and plans of action for each of the four priorities.

CAPRA will also be having a “January Alliance” meeting on Jan. 19, 2022 at 9 a.m. to discuss common priorities amongst all committees.

CAPRA brings together over 45 members, hundreds of community supporters, and organizations with the goal of finding local solutions in the fight against poverty.

“The issue of poverty and the mission of poverty reduction is a huge one that I hesitate to say the work will ever really be done,” said Leong-Sit. “We hope to really get a good start in 2022 and see how it goes – one step at a time.”

CAPRA and its committees are open to members of the public and those interested can contact Leong-Sit at elise.leong-sit@ahs.ca for more information.