These foods are made for eating (not wasting)!

Small Group Walk - Registration required and limited to 20 participants

Description: In Canada more than half the food we produce is never eaten, and at least a third of that is perfectly good, edible food. Food waste is a huge driver of climate change. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.
At the same time, 1 in 5 Canadian households are food insecure. But food insecurity is a result of poverty - not having the financial means to purchase the food you want and need to eat. So distributing surplus food addresses hunger, not food insecurity.
The concept of dignified food access is important. Everyone deserves to eat what they want to eat. Prioritizing choice, respect and empathy in food distribution programs is key.
This walk will cover a wide range of topics including food waste, food recovery, food insecurity and dignified food access. It will focus on Mount Pleasant and the community of like-minded groups working on these challenges, but will also discuss issues broadly in Vancouver and Canada.

Walk Leader(s): Chris Watson, Jenn Elliott, Emma DiGiosa, Carla Pellegrini - We are a few of the staff members at Food Stash Foundation, one of Vancouver’s largest food recovery charities. We spend our working hours collecting good, surplus food that otherwise would have been wasted, working with volunteers to diligently sort it, and running programs to distribute that food in dignified ways to our community. We are passionate about serving community, protecting our planet and building connections.

Starting place: Mount Pleasant Community Fridge

How to recognize you walk leader: We’ll be wearing Food Stash t-shirts or sweatshirts.

Accessibility Info: Stairs, non-accessible curb cuts, or other barriers, Busy sidewalks, Breaks offered along the way, Triggering content, Loud noises, Family-friendly, Bicycles welcome, Pet-friendly

Travel Tips: Parking in the area can be quite difficult. There is limited street-parking available (most spots are 1H or 2H limit), however, it is often full. Whenever possible, we encourage folks to bike, take transit, car-share or arrange for a drop-off and pick-up from the location. The community garden is conveniently located near the 1st Ave bike route, a few blocks away from Science World train station, and is accessible by many bus routes (#3; #84).

This event is taking place as part of the Jane’s Walk Vancouver Festival (May 2-5 2024). Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs. Check out other Jane’s Walks happening this year in Vancouver here.

We respectfully acknowledge that Jane's Walk takes place on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Mount Pleasant Community Fridge, 273 East 4th Avenue, Vancouver, Canada