Reflections on 2024
Read a Message From Our:
A Message from Our Chair
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to Food First NL’s 2024 Annual Report. After 3 years as Vice Chair, I stepped into the Chair role this past December at the height of monumental changes across the organization. It has been a consequential year for the board and staff and feel privileged to lead the Board into 2025 and beyond.
First, I want to extend my deep gratitude to Carolann Harding, our outgoing Chair, for being such an incredible colleague, mentor, and champion of this organization. Carolann brings vast board experience and knowledge, which she applied wholeheartedly throughout her leadership tenure. Her ability to identify risks and opportunities has strengthened the organization, and we are fortunate to have her remain with us for another year as Past Chair.
At the end of 2024, we welcomed four new directors to our Board, whose diverse knowledge and experience will be invaluable to our work and will complement the expertise of our existing board members. At the same time, we bid farewell to outgoing directors, Jamie Jackman and Melissa Caravan, whose long-standing contributions have left a lasting impact.
Looking back at 2024, the word that comes to mind is ‘maturity.’ Several core initiatives at Food First NL are now in their third or fourth years, and the Board was pleased to see them continue to solidify and improve. We witnessed the impact of guidance from the Lived and Living Experience Advisory Group and the continued growth of our social enterprises. Equally important, though less visible to the public, was the strengthening of Food First NL’s internal systems. From financial administration to communications, our staff team continues to exceed expectations, driving the organization’s impact forward.
Leading the team through our exponential growth, alongside the Board, is our CEO, Josh Smee, who was deservedly recognized as one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs in 2024. I cannot thank him enough for his unwavering leadership through challenges and triumphs, helping us achieve the success we see today.
As we enter 2025, we are at the midpoint of our 2023–26 Strategic Framework, and its pillars of advocacy, organizing, taking action, and valuing people — are standing stronger every day. This progress is only possible because of the many partners Food First NL collaborates with at every level. On behalf of the Board, thank you for all you do to help move this province toward a future where everyone can eat with dignity and joy.
Andre Myers
Chair, Board of Directors
A Message from Our CEO
One big part of my job as CEO is staying connected to the national movement of people doing similar work. Thanks to that, I often see Newfoundland and Labrador through an outside lens. What I saw in 2024 is just how much attention and even admiration is focused on this province. If you ask people in the food movement about which provinces are moving in the right direction, they will pretty quickly name this one.
That can be a hard thing to stomach when you know just how much of a struggle so many people face day to day. People throughout N.L. are struggling to access the food they need or do the work they want to do to make our food systems stronger.
It may be hard to stomach, but it’s not wrong. We have seen some significant policy changes, big new investments, and some incredible community-based efforts emerge in the last year. But it’s not yet enough. At the risk of a nautical metaphor, it feels like we’re on a huge ship, turning ever-so-slowly in the right direction, but not fast enough to avoid the rocks ahead. Those rocks have things like “climate crisis” and “cost of living” written on them. They’re big ones.
The thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that the solutions are right there. These are problems, but they’re not mysteries. They’re also attracting a lot of attention from incredible people. I’ve never before seen so much clarity about what needs to be done. Clarity from our community partners, our national partners, and people living with food insecurity.
We’re also heading into a year full of opportunities to bring these solutions into the conversation. We’ll have elections happening at all three levels of government, and we’ll see some big new programs — the National School Food Program, the Canada Disability Benefit, and more — get rolling. Food First NL’s on-the-ground programs continue to solidify, and our team spent 2024 upping their game in so many ways. We have a renewed board, a clear sense of purpose, and an amazing network of both new and longstanding partners. I think we can meet this moment. We’re sure going to try.
Joshua Smee
CEO