Members of the London community are coming together to see how processes in local production, distribution, and sale of food can be improved to overcome food insecurity.
(Poster of members involved in the summit, Naomi Ljunggren)
The Middlesex-London Food Policy Council hosted the Cultivating Resilient Food Systems summit on Thursday at The Grove, that brought together policymakers, farmers, educators, and advocates.
“Thinking about what future generations of Londoners are gonna need from our food system, the challenges and opportunities we face today, and how we can work together more effectively,” said Brendon Samuels, Environmental Stewardship and Action Community Advisory Committee member.
“If we want to grow more food to feed our population locally and in our region, we need to identify what the barriers are.”
Some of the member groups partaking in this collaborative effort include the London Food Bank, Food Security Structures Canada, Growing Chefs! Ontario, and Farm and Food Care Canada.
There is “such an advantage of being able to grow local in our area,” says Michelle Smibert, a Councillor for County of Middlesex, who believes the summit will allow collaboration between various areas of contribution.
Recent reports show high rates of food insecurity in Ontario with over 760,000 food bank visits in the province this year. This is a 124 per cent increase in just six years.
“If we can do more of [growing local] then we can help address food insecurity,” said Smibert.
Workshops, panels, speaker discussions, and shared learning took place at the event to spark ideas and conversation about how the community can move forward together.
(Food being served to attendees at the Cultivating Resilient Food Systems summit 2025, Naomi Ljunggren)
This also follows the United States tariffs that caused widespread impact across the province earlier this year, affecting where companies source their goods from and how consumers are spending their money.
“Farmers are only 1.5 per cent of the population,” says local egg farmer, Dianne McComb, who believes agricultural support is needed in this process because “everybody eats.”
McComb encourages the community to support local and emphasizes the need to know that “we produce healthy food here in Ontario and in Canada.”
Members are seeking policy change and provincial support to aid in bringing food to mouths across the region.
