About local food

In my quest to eat sustainably and to discover what eating sustainably means in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I speak with four of Toronto's local food activists: Jane Hayes, Wayne Roberts, Tobey Nemeth, and Elizabeth Harris. Using an arts-informed research approach and a narrative, expressive writing form, I tell the research story in a way that conveys the messiness and complexity of food systems in a large city.The reader travels with me through places in Toronto as I talk with Jane, Wayne, Tobey, and Elizabeth about defining "local," eating animals, farming "organic," minimizing waste, trading fairly, embracing diversity, connecting communities, and valuing food. Each participant works in their own way to develop a local food culture in Toronto. A local food culture requires a shift from a reductionist approach to food to an ecological perspective, where a strong sense of place and community connect people with food systems.