Food systems connect all of us. We see that every day in our work at Food First NL, and building coalitions that extend beyond organizations with food-related mandates is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our work.

In 2021, we played a leading role in assembling and supporting three coalitions of community organizations who have been advocating for systemic change that would benefit all of us. Here in Newfoundland and Labrador, we continued our work with the Coalition for a Just Recovery, which has been advocating for a comprehensive response to the recovery from the pandemic. One of the key recommendations of that coalition is the creation of a basic income, and in 2021 we helped support a sub-group, Basic Income NL, to launch, produce a policy paper with detailed ideas and cost estimates, create working groups, and lead a public campaign on the issue.

Finally, we continue to strengthen ties with food systems organizations around Atlantic Canada. Together, a group of these organizations, convened by Food First NL, developed the Atlantic Food Systems Recovery Vision, a comprehensive shared vision for thriving food systems in the future. The organizations involved in it continue to meet monthly to connect on shared projects, priorities, and ideas. In food systems work, the future is regional.