Dr. Tammara Soma
VFR: Dr. Soma, tell us about yourself, and what drew you towards researching issues pertaining to food systems planning, food waste management, and the circular economy?
Tammara Soma: I am an Assistant Professor at the School of Resource and Environmental Management (Planning Program) at Simon Fraser University and Research Director of the Food Systems Lab. I decided to focus on the field of food systems planning because I strongly believe in the potential for food work to be a source for good – from farm, forest, to table, and beyond. I love working on food systems planning because I would like my research to contribute to healing communities and healing the land. I take a circular and systemic approach to food because interconnectivity is important in food systems work. As someone born and raised in Indonesia, an agrarian nation where food can be grown year-round, I find it interesting that despite the difference in context, countries and cities around the world are facing similar issues around food insecurity and food injustice, which is caused by the dominant industrial food system.
VFR: You spoke at the recent Food Justice Town Hall, an event attended by Vancouver municipal candidates, and your presentation covered the “4 Seeds of Food Systems Resiliency.” The first “seed” centered on the number 4 and the circular food economy. Can you please share about the importance of centering Indigenous voices and a circular worldview, as they relate to a circular food economy?
TS: I chose the number 4 on purpose. For many Indigenous peoples and nations, the number 4 is a special number. The number 4 reflects the 4 seasons (so seasonality matters – and this is particularly true in the context of climate change); the 4 directions also matter, and therefore place-based approaches are important; and most importantly, the number 4 represents circularity and cycles. So, in centering Indigenous voices, I believe it is important to invest in a circular food economy and circularity. The circular food economy is about reducing resource extraction and focusing on waste prevention. It is about creating or investing in the infrastructure in this city or the surrounding area that would support a circular food system. This includes food hubs; this includes facilitating more closed loop urban agriculture; most importantly, this includes fostering an interconnected circular worldview that is key to a circular food economy in Vancouver. The Vancouver Economic Commission recently released a report on circular food economy which my graduate student, Jamie-Lynne Varney, prepared. I encourage you to review the report and the key recommendations to move us towards circularity.
VFR: For the second “seed,” you touched upon the importance of food literacy and investing in youth. Why is this focus on youth so critical in the discussion around food systems resiliency?
TS: Investing in food literacy through youth food education, food programming (like Farm to School and Fresh Roots), and supporting school meals in partnership with the provincial and federal government are all important so that we can grow a healthy society. We need to support initiatives that will help youth to become self-sufficient, healthy, and strong. Currently, over 1.4 million children are food insecure in Canada, and food has been weaponized against Indigenous peoples and children, particularly due to residential schools. Investing in food literacy and food programming for youth ensures a resilient society for 7 generations to come, it also supports intergenerational healing. By investing in youth, we can also invest in youth food educators (especially Indigenous food educators) and help heal the disruption in knowledge that was caused by residential schools and colonialism.
VFR: Seed 3 addressed the need to shorten the food supply chain. When the food supply chain shortens, what happens? How does this make us better equipped to tackle critical issues like climate change?
TS: The distancing of the food supply chain results in mental distancing or psychological distancing. We are not resilient when we do not understand the value of food. The distancing of the food system also increases waste along the food supply chain, from farm, to distribution, to retail and more. By shortening the food supply chain, we can tackle climate change, create more opportunities for direct markets between farmers/growers/harvesters/eaters, and reduce issues related to increasing energy costs, global fertilizer costs, transport costs, and shocks from global disruption.
By shortening the food supply chain and associated inputs, we can also spark the development of local food infrastructure, like food hubs, or value-added processing centres, and local food jobs, which means reducing long-distance transport. Most importantly, we can demand more accountability and transparency, because our food system will no longer be "out sight and out of mind."
VFR: For the final “seed,” you spoke about Belo Horizonte, a city in Brazil that enshrined the right to food within its municipal law. What key actions did the city take and what happened after?
TS: Belo Horizonte in Brazil is a municipality that has integrated the seeds of food literacy; they have worked to shorten the supply chain; and most importantly, they enshrined the right to food in municipal law. This approach to investing in food systems resiliency and societal resiliency has significantly cut poverty rates, sliced infant and child and mortality rate by 50%, and created a vibrant food ecosystem that is based on dignity.
The Right to Food approach adopted by the municipality of Belo Horizonte relies on only 2% of their municipal budget annually being dedicated to food. From supporting school meals, creating market regulation for key food staples in urban markets, and developing public restaurants where the rich or poor can sit together over nutritious, healthy, and affordable meals, their efforts cover many of the recommendations of the Sustainable Development Goals. This city is serious about reaching zero hunger. The political leaders of Belo Horizonte made a good choice, and they showed what good political leaders can do for people by investing in food – and after 25 years, the program is still thriving.
There’s no reason why cities like Vancouver cannot commit to 2% (if not more!) of their budget on food. This investment will blossom into jobs, healthy communities, and healthy ecosystems. It’s the ultimate win-win-win solution.
Be the first to read our E-newsletter
Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter that arrives to your email inbox every other Saturday!