Food Politics Conference –Open to the Public
Event Date: April 6
Fresh Milk, Food Politics, a one day conference, will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2013 8:45am -5:00pm at the Ukrainian Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia. Speakers and exhibits will cover a wide range of food issues. Speakers include: Mark McAfee, Alice Jongerden, Michael Schmidt, Halyley LaPalme, Karen Selick, Jason Gratl. Tasty local food will be served. To register call 604-306-7720 or visit freshmilkfoodpolitics.com.
Date: April 6, 2013
Time: 8.45 am-8pm;
Location: Ukrainian Cathedral 154 East 10 Ave
Event website: http://www.freshmilkfoodpolitics.com
Fresh Milk, Food Politics Event to Explore the Right to Healthy Food
Health professionals, consumers, farmers, researchers and litigators will come together for Fresh Milk, Food Politics, a one day conference, to discuss the hottest food politics issues in British Columbia. The topics will range
from raw milk, fish farming, genetically modified foods, to seed and food security. Slow Food Vancouver, Home On the Range Organics Ltd, and Real Milk Legal Defense Fund are spearheading the April 6 event.
Presently, officials in the U.S. and Canada maintain that raw milk is a health hazard, in spite of demand amongst health conscious consumers. Fish farming is coming under scrutiny for producing unsafe food and contaminating the wild fish population. Anti-GMO grassroots activism is increasing due to the failure of the much anticipated mandatory labeling proposition in California. All of these issues and more controversial topics will be explored during the one day event.
Fresh Milk, Food Politics is open to the public and will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2013 8:45am -5:00pm at the Ukrainian Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia. An optional wine and cheese party will be held 6:00pm – 8:00pm in the same venue.
“Slow Food International has a number of priority issues. Among them are campaigns for Raw Milk, Slow Fish, No GMOs and Seed Freedom. These are the ones that Slow Food Vancouver is focusing on this year,” explains Sofi Martinez, Taste Education Lead for the Vancouver convivium. Slow Food Vancouver will also be among the numerous exhibitors at the event.
Opening remarks will be given by Alice Jongerden, a British Columbia dairy farmer who is currently challenging the constitutionality of the Regulation 7 Transitional Health Act, which officials have used to deny her the right to provide raw milk to her herdshare members. Herd
sharing, or cow boarding, is a contractual arrangement in which the owner(s) of dairy animals hire the farmer to care for their own animals in order to have legal access to raw milk. Canada is still the only remaining G8 country where the consumption of fresh milk is banned.
A wide range of food issues will be covered by various experts. Hayley LaPalme of My Sustainable Canada will tackle challenges related to food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture. Nadine Ijaz, clinical nutritionist and faculty member at Pacific Rim College will give an analysis of the current science on raw milk. Mark McAfee founder of Organic Pastures in Fresno CA will present on food politics and food rights. Michael Schmidt, the Founder of Cowshare Canada and an Ontario dairy farmer will detail his ongoing battle with the Canadian government and cast a vision of the future of the food rights movement.
Prominent attorneys, Karen Selick of the Canadian Constitution Foundation and Jason Gratl of Gratl Purtzki are also on the program. Selick will discuss the legal issues surrounding what parents feed their children; Gratl will focus on food law and price of freedom.
Date: April 6, 2013
Time: 8.45 am-8pm
Location: Ukrainian Cathedral 154 East 10 Ave, Vancouver, B.C.
Event website: http://www.freshmilkfoodpolitics.com
