For over 25 years the GDDPC has been involved in many projects within its community, including food security. Today, the mission of GDDPC to catalyze citizen engagement for the viability of communities has become more and more necessary in the food sector.
It’s urgent! In the document entitled Local Food Systems and Sustainable Communities, G. Feenstra states: “The long term health of a community’s food system is an important indicator of its vibrancy and viability. It is possible to revitalize a community, in a logical and appropriate manner, by creating a local food economy. An appropriate and diversified diet contributes to people’s health. Furthermore, the way food is grown, distributed and eaten has an enormous impact on the community’s environmental, spiritual and economic well-being.”
In a very brief history of food insecurity in Canada, we would simply read: poverty has spread and gotten worse; food insecurity has appeared and worsened – Lynn McIntyre and Krista Rondeau, 2009
Food constitutes one of the main human needs, in addition to being an important determinant of health and human dignity. There is an abundance of food here in the Pays de Cocagne! Though not always available to everyone! No person in the Pays de Cocagne should have to live with hunger! We and our partners can do something.
For us, at the GDDPC, the Pays de Cocagne consists of Grande Digue, Cocagne South, Cocagne North, Cocagne Cape, Cocagne Cove, Notre-Dame, Caissie Cape and Saint-Martin. Added on is the Saint-Antoine region and part of the Irishtown region. This represents a population of over 8,045 people. According to the latest statistics, the population of these regions has slightly increased.
The meaning of the name Pays de Cocagne is, in the European imagination, a kind of earthly paradise, a miraculous country where nature overflows with generosity for its inhabitants and guests. Far from famines and wars, Cocagne is a land of festivals and feasts. This describes us so well!
The Pays de Cocagne food program will aim to establish:
- A community food charter for the Pays de Cocagne region.
- Partnerships with local, provincial and federal organizations in order to reinforce community capacity to meet the food needs of all citizens of the Pays de Cocagne.
- Partnerships with non-profit community organizations that assist low-income individuals in the community.
- Implementation of initiatives that complement or complete services offered in the community.
- A supply of food and a storage plan for basic food needs during periods of individual and community emergency.
The Pays de Cocagne food program will have 6 components:
- Food charter or Action plan for the Pays de Cocagne region.
- Education: Teaching kitchens, workshops, discussions, collective kitchens.
- Social Enterprises/Solidarity Cooperatives, i.e.: (Soup du jour, Copains, Tartefines or Tortonis, Les Gourmandises), Commercial Kitchen for transformation and production, and a Catering Kitchen to showcase our local products, a Café Restaurant and a Public Market.
- Community Food Volunteers and Mentors to undertake gleaning, U-picks, processing, preservation, storage of food, for short and long term.
- Community Gardens, vegetable gardens, gleaning.
- Communications: communication plan, blogs, website and videos.
The Pays de Cocagne food program will be made up one or more working groups to:
- Study and develop a food charter.
- Study the Social Enterprise/Worker Cooperative component in order to create a commercial kitchen that would produce artisanal products based on local products, i.e. Soup du Jour, Copains, Tartefines, Gourmandises du Pays de Cocagne, among others.
- Create a network of volunteers and CFMs that are passionate about community nutrition, as well as a training plan, support and appreciation for the group
NEW! Report 2023-2024 Local, pesticide-free food for nature and our people (in French)
Report 2022-2023 Together for food sovereignty (in French)
Report 2021-2022 Ambassadors for food sovereignty of the Pays de Cocagne (in French)
Report 2020-2021 Ambassadors for food sovereignty of the Pays de Cocagne (in French)
Report 2019-2020 Food Sovereignty in Pays de Cocagne (in French)
