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This essay examines how culinary infrastructure encouraged and impeded immigrant entrepreneurship in provisioning Toronto before Canada adopted an official policy of multiculturalism in the 1970s. Culinary infrastructure refers broadly to facilities and technologies – both physical and knowledge-based – that undergird food systems. The Anglo-dominated infrastructural hub of the St. Lawrence market provided the central food retailing space during the Victorian era, then became a wholesale depot in the first half of the twentieth century, and finally gentrified into a tourist market in the 1970s. Nevertheless, until the belated rise of supermarkets, most residents purchased food from immigrant entrepreneurs, largely pushcart vendors in the nineteenth century, and increasingly small shopkeepers and street markets such as Kensington in the twentieth. This essay concludes that although the allocation and regulation of markets were intended to assimilate immigrant foodways into an idealized Anglo city, newcomers actively shaped Toronto's culinary geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does the package have an impact on children's perception of the healthfulness of milk? That's the question we sought to answer as part of a survey given to 185 Canadian children aged 7-12. Children were randomly assigned to complete one of two surveys, in which they indicated the healthfulness of different food items, including milk in four different types of packaging. Milk with the least amount of packaging - milk in a glass - was perceived to be healthier than milk in a plain carton, milk in a carton with a macronutrient claim, or milk in a child-friendly container (p < 0.001). Such knowledge is useful from a public health perspective in terms of positively influencing consumer choice, and sheds important insight into how food packaging communicates to, and is understood by, children. While the food industry often frames declining milk consumption as a promotional problem - and one solved by increasing the fun factor of milk through packaging - more packaging is not the solution to creating a healthy food environment for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sub-culture of "locavore" chefs is playing a critical but under-examined role in addressing concerns about the conventional, industrialized food system by re-localizing the sourcing, processing, and preparation of food. The values that underlie why certain chefs decide to work in this niche market, their strategies to overcome the situational challenges of sourcing locally produced food, and the ways they develop the knowledge and skills needed to prepare and incorporate these ingredients into appealing menus all point to the unique position that these chefs occupy in the local food movement. This paper presents insights from a study that utilized in-depth interviews to investigate the culinary practices of twenty-three local food-promoting chefs in Alberta, Canada. Using a social practice theory framework, these chefs' culinary practices were examined based on what material conditions they encountered, how they employed particular skills and competencies and why they decided to become "locavores." This study reveals that although issues of product accessibility, distribution, cost, and consistency of quality and volume are constraining factors, chefs' ability to innovate and reskill, to foster supportive relationships with farmers and consumers, and their commitment to alternative values are keys to their success in niche "local" markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors explore the application of viral marketing in the food industry in Canada (as a representative of a high-income country) vs. Serbia (a middle-income country). A theoretical background on the scope of viral marketing is given at the beginning. The initial secondary research pointed out that there was a great number of viral marketing campaigns in the food industry, in both high- and middle-income countries. The primary research showed a high degree of use of viral marketing in the food industry in general, as well as a number of similarities between the two countries. Positive experiences with viral marketing in the food industry were far more common than negative experiences. Most marketing professionals, in both countries, believed that a viral marketing program would benefit their company, and they planned to run a viral marketing campaign again in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study proposes a framework for the collection and management of knowledge related to food security in Canada. This paper has several goals. First, the paper summarizes the current state of food security knowledge in Canada. Second, the paper presents data from an experiment where food security issues were discussed by stakeholders at two fora, the first of which was held in western Canada and the second held in eastern Canada. Finally, based on the notes taken during and feedback received after the fora, this paper suggests a framework for organizing and managing the multiple perspectives and complex types of knowledge about food security and sustainable development from a Canadian context. Two fora were held in Canada where food security issues were presented and discussed by multiple stakeholders. Most provinces in Canada were represented in at least one of the two sessions. Sessions were designed to be informative and interactive; agenda were designed to take advantage of the needs and experiences of multiple stakeholders in both western and eastern regions of Canada. To develop the framework, the sessions were also designed to assess the types of issues and knowledge about food security in Canada. Evidence presented from this experiment supports arguments that food security work must be approached in a collaborative manner, no matter the approach or discipline. Data from fora held in western and eastern regions of Canada indicate a number of specific ways in which those along the food continuum have the desire to share knowledge and enter into partnerships to work toward secure and sustainable food systems. Data also indicate how academia and institutions of higher learning might play a key role in sharing food security-based knowledge. The data from this study suggest that academia could play a leadership role in collecting and sharing information about food security-based knowledge from all disciplinary approaches that could help collaborative in addressing the complexity of food security challenges. The framework developed in this paper could provide the guide for organizing knowledge about food security and sustainable development. The framework could be used as a map to guide understanding about the different ways in which food security can be approached and understood; this could help reduce tensions among partners in projects where a wide variety of experiences are attempting to work collaboratively. The two food security fora brought together stakeholders with specialized knowledge about food security in a Canadian context. The analysis of data arising from the fora permitted unique insights to arise about the nature of knowledge by region. The data in this study also allowed us to build a framework for food security knowledge from these regional knowledge bases. This paper suggests that academia actively take a leadership role and openly share knowledge about food security. Open sharing of knowledge will help collaborates in dealing with complex food security issues understand in-depth other approaches; this sharing may help to make explicit the tensions that arise during collaborative work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 15% of all food insecure households in Canadian surveys are not income poor. Using pooled data from the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey, spanning the years 2005–2010, this study investigated risk factors for food insecurity in higher-income households. Food insecurity was increased among renters, single-parent households, and those with greater household size and where educational attainment was lower, unemployment benefits were received, chronic disease was present, and smoking and problem gambling occurred. Consideration of these factors may inform policies and programs that provide access to short-term income support for higher-income households as well as treatment for gambling and other addictions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the Global North, there has been increasing analysis of the ways that alternative food initiatives (AFIs) are developing viable, place-based solutions that challenge the corporate-led industrial food system; however, there has been little study of the interrelationships among them. In an effort to better understand the possibilities for food system transformation, this paper builds on existing studies to investigate the increasing collaborations among AFIs occurring through provincial food networks in Canada. I pay particular attention to the attempts to foster and maintain these networks by exploring the history of collaboration since the late 1970s and the development of provincial networking organizations (PNOs) as central to this process. Contrary to assumptions that AFIs act in isolation, I demonstrate that they are part of actual and existing mobilizations through robust social movement networks. Together, these collaborative efforts may be illustrative of a new wave in food activism that is represented by the emergence of a multi-scaled and cross-sectoral ‘food movement’ – a network of networks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives. To determine how residents of the Inuit community of Nain, Nunatsiavut, Canada would like research results disseminated to their community. Study design. Qualitative study using focus groups and key informant interviews. Methods. As part of a larger study on food safety, one focus group was conducted with hunters (n=7) and a second with members of the general community (n=7) to determine research dissemination strategies previously used in the community, and to obtain recommendations for effective and appropriate strategies for future use. One-on-one key informant interviews were also conducted with Nain community members (n=5) selected for their insights on the study themes. Informants included a teacher, a nurse, a community elder, and one official from each of the Nain and Nunatsiavut governments. Data from focus groups and key informant interviews were combined and analysed using thematic analysis. Results. Open houses were identified as the preferred method to present research results to the community. Presentation methods should be interactive, visual and presented in both English and Inuktitut. Research dissemination efforts should be timely and involve both the researcher and a local official or community member to give the results additional validity and relevance. If possible, involving youth in the presentations will increase the impact of the message. Conclusion. Preferred information dissemination techniques in this Inuit community echo successful techniques from research conducted in Aboriginal communities. Future knowledge translation efforts in Inuit communities should consider involving youth in presentations due to their influential nature within the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and medium sized food businesses have been slow to adopt food safety management systems (FSMSs) such as good manufacturing practices and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). This study identifies factors influencing workers in their implementation of food safety practices in small and medium meat processing establishments in Ontario, Canada. A qualitative approach was used to explore in-plant factors that influence the implementation of FSMSs. Thirteen in-depth interviews in five meat plants and two focus group interviews were conducted. These generated 219 pages of verbatim transcripts which were analysed using NVivo 7 software. Main themes identified in the data related to production systems, organisational characteristics and employee characteristics. A socio-psychological model based on the theory of planned behaviour is proposed to describe how these themes and underlying sub-themes relate to FSMS implementation. Addressing the various factors that influence production workers is expected to enhance FSMS implementation and increase food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I examine how different notions of “quality” are used to shape the direction of a food and wine cluster. In particular, I explore the powerful role of the retailer-distributor in shaping that direction. The retailer-distributor can be either public or private, but ultimately plays a significant role in shaping the food and wine supply chain. “Alternative” quality-claiming retail and distribution venues have exploded in numbers recently (i.e. farmers markets, internet sellers, community supportive agriculture and direct tourist-inspired farm-gate sales). However, like Goodman (2004, Rural Europe redux? Reflections on alternative agro-food networks and paradigm change, Sociologia Ruralis, 44(1), pp. 3-16), I argue for a more modest estimation of their “paradigmatic potential” to shape the future “quality” direction of food and wine clusters in Canada—especially as the larger food and wine retail-distributors continue to dominate the food and wine supply system. That said, given the political and social tensions surrounding the public regulation of food, there is still room for the growth of more localized “quality”-based agro-food-wine clusters if policymakers deem them important to grow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on regulation, marketing and critical gap in food studies. The author argues on the need for more scholarly activity to inform the development of food policy that furthers population health in Canada. The paper also examines the current direction in Canadian regulations in connection with the food studies, as of September 2008. It suggests that more liberal policies on nutrition labeling and fortification in Canada will fuel the further development and nutrition-related promotion of processed foods.

Canada has a long history of civil society involvement in food activism. While neo-liberal developments and deregulation since the 1970s were global in scope, Canada's political response was distinct due to its unique geography, social history, and system of governance. The first significant civil society collaboration to address food system inequities was the Peoples' Food Commission in 1978. The second wave of activism was precipitated by the need for civil society participation in the World Food Summits in 1996 and 2002 and led to the formation of Food Secure Canada-Sécurité Alimentaire Canada (FSC-SAC) in 2005. The current challenge for FSC-SAC is how to make an impact within the increasingly reregulated policy decision system. Several opportunities for civil society-state interaction are offered, including possibilities for new types of regulatory action toward greater food system sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of a survey of farmers' markets customers in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada. The recent growth of farmers' markets in North America and the association of these markets with local food systems development provoke examination to gain insights into consumer motivations for patronizing these markets, and to then reflect on their potential role within locally oriented and sustainable food production systems. The survey carried out on customers of three Niagara region farmers' markets corroborates previous studies that noted that socioeconomic and cultural factors such as the importance of food freshness, support of local farmers and the local farm economy, and social interaction--embeddedness--are key expressions of people's support and interest in farmers' markets. This work serves to heighten our understanding of consumer attitudes toward direct marketing via farmers' markets, yields useful speculation about these markets and their roles in sustainable local food systems progress, and also raises critical questions about such customer patronage and associated farmers' markets potential in local food system development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bison herds in western Canada have grown rapidly as producers seek to diversify their farm enterprises. Much of this growth, however, has been driven by high prices for breeding stock. Markets for bison meat have begun to emerge, and growth in these markets is essential for the long-run sustainability of the industry. However, very little information exists regarding potential bison consumers and their attitudes toward bison products. Using conjoint analysis, a survey of consumers in western Canada was used to gather information on consumer preferences for bison. Hypothetical bison products were described in terms of different levels of four attributes: price, fat content, tenderness and convenience to cook. Price emerged as the most important of the variables; however, there was evidence that some consumers would be willing to trade off higher prices for increased tenderness and lower fat content. Cluster analysis revealed distinct consumer segments with different preference structures, pointing to potential product differentiation strategies for the bison industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]