Open Collections

Benson, Donna

University of British Columbia

Food security agreements have been in force in Canada since 1976. Yet, between 2008 and 2015, Food Banks Canada identified a 26% increase in food bank use. Between 2008 and 2018, researchers stated only 20-25% of food insecure individuals utilized food banks. In November 2020, others identified 60,000 charities in Canada helping to feed those in need. Sustainable food security solutions seemed imperative. Food bank charities were not an adequate solution due to inconsistent quality and quantities of donated surplus. The current study, within the United Nations context of human rights, intended to improve awareness and access to healthy food in Penticton, BC, through participatory action research in collaboration with the Salvation Army food bank. Theoretical foundations underpinning the study included pragmatism, advocacy, participation, adaptive leadership, and empowerment theory. The study was grounded in assets-based community development, organizational and community engagement through social network expansion and capacity-building. The researcher was viewed as a critical friend with relevant skills. Eleven participants engaged during the three-cycle project. Cycle 1-2 included a six-person participatory team. In Cycle 1, preliminary interviews of 15-45 minutes with each team member explored study concepts. Seven focus groups discussed potential projects for implementation and community sectors where contacts with decision-making authority were accessible. Cycle 2 engaged sector representatives (education, media, governance, and agriculture) in five focus groups and six interviews. Assets, funding procedures, and collaborative capacity were assessed. Although Salvation Army sponsorship was lost due to changes in personnel and priorities, we defined functional barriers, partners, and strategies for community capacity-building. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cycle 3 intervention (CoVic Garden Box Project) included four paid university students and a project coordinator. Two facilities and 26 families grew food for themselves and the food bank. We installed 61 raised beds and generated 1580 pounds of produce. The Penticton city councillors unanimously approved further engagement with staff toward inclusion in the 2021 Municipal Plan. In October 2020, the Action Research Network of the Americas Executive Committee assigned a Sustainability Action Research Committee (ARC) to help move the work forward. A closing survey provided insights for future work.

Text

2021-05-07

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/78210

Interdisciplinary Studies

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/