The Conseil du Système alimentaire montréalais releases its 2020-2022 integrated action plan

Nearly 100 food access initiatives are being rolled out in Montréal

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 1, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The Conseil du Système alimentaire montréalais (Conseil SAM), Quebec's first food policy council, has just released its 2020–2022 integrated action plan, which includes 92 projects to increase access to healthy, diverse, local, affordable and sustainable food for everyone.

Founded in 2018, the Conseil SAM provides regional leadership in the food sector by supporting key initiatives and creating opportunities for stakeholders to network, share expertise and collaborate.

From left to right: Laurence Fauteux, Executive Director of Grand Potager; Rotem Ayalon, member of Conseil SAM; Richard D. Daneau, Executive Director of Moisson Montreal and Conseil SAM spokesperson and Marie-Andrée Mauger, Verdun borough councillor, district Desmarchais-Crawford. (CNW Group/Conseil du Système alimentaire montréalais)

The organization hit the ground running and developed an ambitious strategic plan with key players in the Montréal food and nutrition community. Once the plan was in place, these stakeholders were invited to contribute projects that are aligned with the integrated plan's five priorities: improving access to Montréal market for local products, reducing the ecological footprint of the food system, reducing food insecurity in vulnerable populations, improving the nutritional quality of food and working to consolidate formative projects and improve inter-sector collaboration. To date, the Conseil SAM has worked with and supported nearly 200 active partners in the food system.

The Conseil SAM's 2020–2022 integrated action plan taps into expertise from various levels of government, health and social service networks, community organizations, the business community, social economy enterprises and community organizations. It grew out of an impressive effort by food sector stakeholders to mobilize and collaborate. This includes key institutions like the City of Montreal, Équiterre and Moisson Montréal, as well as dynamic organizations that are active in the city's boroughs, such as Bouffe-Action Rosemont, the Corbeille Bordeaux-Cartierville and the Carrefour alimentaire Centre-Sud.

During the pandemic, food access is more important than ever

While this integrated plan was developed well before the pandemic, the last six months have exposed even more the vulnerabilities in the Montreal food system. This unprecedented period has also highlighted the impact of certain issues, particularly the resilience of our food system, as citizens and organizations were asked to adapt to exceptional circumstances.

Among the 92 projects included in the 2020–2022 integrated action plan, some are already underway and others are new initiatives. Thanks to this joint plan, the people working on these projects can now get an overview of all the plan's projects so they can position their efforts and work in collaboration with other organizations that share similar goals. These initiatives are underway both citywide and in specific neighbourhoods. Visit csam.ca to learn more.

Quotations:

"This integrated action plan demonstrates how the Conseil SAM quickly became a key partner for the City of Montreal and food sector stakeholders, to the benefit of the entire population. At a moment when we need to ensure the long-term resilience of Montreal's food sector, the Conseil SAM's mobilization efforts are more essential than ever before." 

-  Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal

"This plan represents the commitment of an entire group of key players and institutions in Montréal's food sector to work together. To solve our system's issues—in particular food insecurity—we need to break down silos and focus on the convergence of our efforts. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish, with the execution of each project and the results of this new way of working together."

-  Richard Daneau, Executive Director of Moisson Montréal and
Conseil SAM spokesperson

"Having a positive impact on food access for the population relies on the implementation of a healthy and sustainable food system. It's a complex effort that requires multi-pronged actions involving stakeholders from different sectors. The Conseil SAM brings together these key players so they can help find solutions to help ensure a healthy and sustainable food system in Montréal. It's a necessary collaborative action to make Montréal a healthy city."

-  Dr. Mylène Drouin, Regional Director of Public Health for the
CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de l'île de Montréal

"To build a more resilient and sustainable food system, we all need to take action in a number of areas, from farm to table. Whether this is by tackling the health of our soil, having our governments set an example with regard to locally sourced food, developing short food supply chains, providing fair pay to workers in the industry or protecting our agricultural lands, we can make this happen through political will, investment and civic engagement. The Conseil SAM's action plan is aligned with this vision and we're proud to be a part of it."

-  Colleen Thorpe, Executive Director, Équiterre

SOURCE Conseil du Système alimentaire montréalais

or to schedule an interview with Rotem Ayalon, Conseil SAM spokesperson, please contact: Chloé Chagnon / André Fortin, Massy Forget Langlois Public Relations, [email protected] / [email protected], 514-743-6302 / 514-928-3828