Your Plate and the Planet
Food systems are one of the biggest drivers of climate change, accounting for over a third of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity. From deforestation for agriculture to the energy-intensive production and transportation of food, every step of the system impacts our planet. What we eat matters, too—animal-based foods generally have a much higher carbon footprint than plant-based options. By making more sustainable food choices, reducing food waste, and supporting local and regenerative agriculture, we can significantly cut emissions and create a more climate-friendly future.
Food Systems and Climate in the Bow Valley
The Bow Valley’s unique mountain environment shapes the way we grow, source, and consume food. As climate change impacts our ecosystems, it also affects food security, local agriculture, and supply chains. This webpage explores the connections between food systems and climate in the region, highlighting challenges, opportunities, and sustainable solutions for a more resilient future. Whether you're a resident, business, or visitor, keep reading to explore ways you can support a climate-smart, just and sustainable food system in the Bow Valley.
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Food justice means ensuring that everyone has access to healthy, culturally appropriate, and sustainably produced food, regardless of income or background. It addresses inequalities in the food system, including issues of affordability, land access, labor rights, and environmental sustainability, advocating for fair and equitable food policies and practices.oes here
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Food security means having reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food to lead an active, healthy life. It involves the availability, accessibility, and proper utilization of food, ensuring that all people can meet their dietary needs consistently.
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Food sovereignty is the right of communities to define their own food systems, ensuring access to healthy, culturally appropriate, and sustainably produced food. It emphasizes local control over food production, distribution, and consumption, promoting ecological sustainability, economic fairness, and social justice.
What can I do to support a just, climate-smart food system?
1. Reduce food waste
The Impacts of Food Waste
Food waste is a significant environmental and economic issue, both globally and right here in the Bow Valley. In Canada, over 46% of all food is wasted annually, with 41% of this being avoidable. This waste has a huge financial impact, amounting to $58 billion in losses each year. Beyond economics, the environmental cost is staggering—avoidable food waste contributes approximately 25.7 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, the equivalent of 253,000 flights from Toronto to Vancouver!
Locally, in Canmore, a 2023 waste audit found that 42% of residential waste going to the landfill is food waste, with 9% being edible food. When food waste decomposes in landfills, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Reducing food waste can significantly lower emissions and save money for households!
Composting in the Bow Valley
When we compost our food scraps they get sent to Stickland Farms in Central Alberta where they are turned into valuable soil for Alberta farms! This completes the food lifecycle, ensuring nutrients are returned to the earth to help new things grow! You can find bins around town for composting food scraps instead of sending them to the landfill. Check out these maps to find your nearest bin in Canmore and Banff.
What can go in the compost? Check out the Town of Canmore sorting guide or search where your items go on the Town of Banff What Goes Where Tool.
Save the Planet, and Save Money! Addressing food waste is an easy and practical step toward sustainability. Not only does it help the environment, but it also saves money and supports food security. Whether by planning meals, composting, or supporting community initiatives, everyone can play a part in reducing food waste and making the Bow Valley a more sustainable place to live.
Other Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home
Reducing food waste is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to lessen our environmental footprint. Here are some simple strategies:
Plan Your Meals – Create a meal plan and shopping list before heading to the store. This helps prevent impulse purchases and ensures you use what you buy.
Store Food Properly – Use a fridge and pantry guide to store food correctly and extend its shelf life.
Portion Control – Be mindful of portion sizes when cooking and serving meals to avoid excess leftovers going to waste. Try this portion calculator to help guide you! It's especially helpful if you are expecting company and you need to make more than your normal portions!
Revive & Repurpose – Wilted veggies can often be revived with a soak in ice water. Stale bread can become croutons or breadcrumbs. Overripe fruit is perfect for smoothies or baking.
Use Your Freezer – Freeze leftovers and fresh produce to extend their usability.
Compost Food Scraps – If food waste is unavoidable, composting ensures that nutrients return to the soil instead of emitting methane in landfills. Pick up a free kitchen composter from Canmore or Banff Town Hall!
2. Move towards a Plant-rich Diet
“Plant-rich diets hold enormous potential for climate change mitigation if adopted on a global scale.” - Project Drawdown
In a recent workshop with Dawn Byford at e=mc2 Centre for Business Excellence, we learned about the impacts of different foods and lifestyles, and how we can contribute to lower carbon emissions, better land/water use, and healthier food choices for ourselves and the planet.
Tips for shifting sustainably
Be gentle with yourself. Use the 80/20 rule.
ADD IN. Don’t deprive yourself.
ENJOY your food!
Baby steps and small changes slowly. Use familiar flavours.
Create a COMMUNITY of support.
Get your family and involved.
Positive attitude and kindess towards yourself and others. We are all on our own journey!
3. support local & equitable food systems
Buy from local farmers, Indigenous food producers, and ethical supply chains that prioritize environmental sustainability and social justice. This helps build resilient communities while cutting emissions from long-distance food transport.
Small changes in our daily food choices can lead to big climate and equity impacts!
We have lots of local resources, organizations and initiatives in the Bow Valley to support our local food system:
Bow Valley Food Alliance: A network committed to creating local food systems that are healthy, socially-just, collaborative, diverse, and accessible. These food systems are based in vibrant regional economies, respect for the earth and environment, reconciliation, intergenerational knowledge, system innovation, and education.
FoodHero at Safeway: Offers discounted food items nearing their best-before dates. Download the app here: foodhero.com
Canmore Food Recovery Barn: Rescues surplus food and redistributes it to the community. Check out the Food Market on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 5:30pm at Shepard of the Valley Lutheran Church!
Banff Food Rescue: Banff Food Rescue keeps good Food from becoming Food Waste. They pick up and receive food from grocery stores/ retailers etc. 215 Banff Avenue. Lower level Sundance Mall.
Canmore Food & Friends: A community meal program that connects friends through food! Join Community Dinner on Mondays from 5-7pm at St. Michael Church.
to sum it up!
Everyone has a role to play in creating a food system that is both fair and sustainable in the Bow Valley. By choosing local and climate-friendly foods, reducing waste, and supporting equitable food access, we can lower our carbon footprint while strengthening our community. Together, we can build a resilient food system that nourishes both people and the planet.
Additional Resources
Curious to learn more? Explore these awesome resources:
Food Secure Canada Knowledge Hub: Explore the latest news and learn about Food Secure Canada’s focus on food systems pathways.
Earth to Tables Legacies: These are the stories of food activists from Turtle Island (North America) – young and old, Indigenous and settler – who share a vision for food justice and food sovereignty, from Earth to Tables.
UN Food Systems Summit: The UN Food Systems Summit, held during the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, set the stage for global food systems transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.