UNFORKED FOOD . CULTURE . IDEAS
WINTER 2015
Front cover image by Visit Abu Dhabi
In this issue, we go behind and beyond what is on your plate.
Welcome
By exploring the idea of food and exile and the relationship between taste and memory, our subjects are all perfect examples of people who carry the tastes and textures of their home country on the tips of their tongues and want to colour Toronto with their palettes. From our story on the origins of Yum Cha culture and how it has found its way into the fabric of our city (p50), or the politics of naming and ownership in our story on food and nationalism (p46), or the alarming rise in numbers of people who go hungry in our city (p58), this edition of UNFORKED takes an intimate look at the cultures, politics, and histories of the foods and people that make up our ever-changing mosaic. A local magazine for a global city, this issue also takes you on a photo essay through some of the world’s most memorable markets, reflecting the reality of Toronto as being the multi-cultural capital of the world. UNFORKED provides a multi-layered perspective on the social, political and culinary concerns surrounding food today by mapping our city through the food, history and culture of the people that now call it home.
SAMIRA MOHYEDDIN
Toronto based writer and restaurateur, who always pushes her chair in.
ERICA RAE CHONG
Writer. Photographer. Serial snacker.
XUETING ZHAO
Full time daydreamer, part time photographer. Made in China.
Contents
WHAT THE FORK What’s cooking this season 6 EATS Four alternatives to everyday ingredients 8 Fowl is fair 12 ACTION How much food dye is your child eating? 18 One man’s trash is another man’s dinner 22 Planet and plate 26 PEOPLE Farming for the future 30 CULTURE The market and the world around 38 Breaking bread and borders 46 Yum cha 50 PERSPECTIVE Slaughterhouse 86’d 54 Toronto is hungry 58
Christmas Coveting WHAT THE FORK
We’ve found three perfect gifts that are bound to be foodie-approved.
RUFFONI COPPER SAUCE PAN Copper pots are favoured by chefs for being a great conductor of heat, warming up evenly and allowing better cooking control. But really, we just adore this solid copper vessel’s gorgeous rose shade. $118, anthropologie.com
SLATE COASTERS Need a door gift for that upcoming Christmas party? Take these slate coasters, already neatly packaged in a set of four. The textured surface and gently beveled edges add a touch of sophistication to any cocktail party. $14.50, indigo.ca
EVENT
FEED SOMEONE IN NEED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
6
LOSIN TEAPOT Add a touch of whimsy to your next teatime. This intricate teapot made from new bone china is a statement shelf piece and an instant conversation starter! $48, anthropologie.com
Get into the holiday spirit while spreading some goodwill. If you’re stopping by Loblaw supermarket on Dec. 12 or 13, look out for the group of people dressed as Turkeys. Don’t worry, you won’t have to don a similar getup (unless you’re into that stuff). Simply buy a turkey and donate it to the volunteers of Second Harvest (Those guys in turkey outfits.) The turkeys will be loaded onto refrigerated trucks on-site and delivered to Torontonians in need through food banks and meal programs this holiday season. Visit secondharvest.ca for a list of participating Loblaw stores. UNFORKED | EATS
SPOTLIGHT WHAT: Spice things up this winter with some tasty Somalian bites from Kal & Mooy. “The name means mortar and pestle,” says Ahmed Duale who runs the truck with his wife Aisha Mohamed. “We don’t buy our food frofm the warehouse or supermarkets. We make everything from scratch.” WHERE: Duale and his bright blue truck can often be found downtown at Queen Street West and Massey Street or University Avenue and Gerrard Street West. MUST TRY: Their signature samosas. These pockets of beef, chicken, or vegetables are smothered in a rich, tangy tomato-based sauce with a blend of secret spices. Duale would only reveal that the recipe is his grandmother’s and that he lets it simmer for over 10 hours to achieve its bold flavour. Visit unforkedmag.wordpress.com for a video on the first Food Truck Festival Ontario.
Turkey, Flickr/Annie Truck, Ingrid Goh
Photography by Natalie Boog
EATS
8
4 ETHNIC ALTERNATIVES TO EVERYDAY INGREDIENTS Shake up your grocery cart with these four alternative vegetables.
12
FOWL IS FAIR Toronto has an offal lot to offer
4 ethnic alternatives to
everyday ingredients
By Erica Rae Chong Photography by Natalie Boog
8
UNFORKED | EATS
With such a wide variety of ethnic ingredients available, your weekly groceries don’t have to be boring.
If you’re one to pick up a pint of Greek yogurt at
prepare various ingredients through cooking classes.
your local supermarket each weekend, you wouldn’t
“When I first meet clients during the initial assess-
have been able to five years ago.
ment, I ask them what they [buy] on a regular basis
Grocery store items are becoming as diverse as
and most of them list standard vegetables like ro-
Toronto’s multicultural population itself with some
maine lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers,” Li says. “It’s
produce being imported from as far as Indonesia.
almost automatic. You know what you want, you go
In fact, Canada imported almost $36 billion worth of agri-food and seafood from 200 countries in 2012,
to the supermarket and you fill your cart with what you eat.”
nearly 10 per cent of which came from Asia, accord-
This week, instead of going to your favourite
ing to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).
Japanese restaurant or getting the same Indian take
That’s a $6 billion increase from five years prior.
out, consider making a trip to your grocery store’s
But most people aren’t very adventurous when
international aisle instead. We asked three diet
it comes to grocery shopping, says Amanda Li, a
specialists what ethnic alternatives we should be
registered dietitian at Loblaw Companies who helps
adding to our grocery lists in place of popular every
clients design meal plans and teaches them how to
day ingredients.
UNFORKED | EATS
9
IF YOU LIKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH, TRY KABOCHA MELON WHAT IS IT: This knobbly green pumpkin-lookalike is also known as a Japanese pumpkin or melon. It’s a common ingredient in vegetable tempura and has a naturally sweet flavour, similar to a butternut squash.
IF YOU LIKE PEAS, TRY EDAMAME WHAT IS IT: Edamame are immature soybeans, harvested while they’re still soft and in their pods. You’d probably recognize these as appetizers from Japanese restaurants where they’re served boiled and lightly salted. Edamame can be found fresh, frozen or pre-cooked at most supermarkets and Asian specialty stores. BENEFITS: “Edamame are high in vitamins C and B and contain twice as much protein as peas,” says Sosan Hua, a Toronto registered dietitian. “One hundred grams of peas have only five grams of protein but the same portion of edamame has about 11 grams.” If you’re a vegetarian, edamame is a great source of protein (and a tasty alternative to tofu).
BENEFITS: “Like most orange-coloured vegetables, the kabocha melon is very high in beta carotene, which is partially converted into vitamin A, a vitamin necessary for good vision,” says Hua. They’re starchy and high in carbohydrates, although not as high as bread and rice, she says. If you’re trying to cut down on carbs, the kabocha melon is a good alternative. PREPARATION: The kabocha melon can be roasted with a little oil. “Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, so a little oil will help your body to absorb it,” Hua says. The skin of the kabohca melon softens after cooking and is not only edible, but a good source of fibre.
PREPARATION: Hua suggests steaming the edamame for three to five minutes and seasoning them with a little salt or paprika for added flavour. Steaming the beans preserves its vitamin content, which tends to be lost if cooked over high heat. They can also be added to a variety of dishes including salads, soups and stir-frys. 10
UNFORKED | EATS
IF YOU LIKE CHICKPEAS, TRY LENTILS WHAT IS IT: Lentils are small round legumes available in many different colours and sizes. Common grocery store varieties include green lentils, red lentils, black lentils and French lentils (lentilles du Puy). Canada is the world’s largest exporter of lentils to the global marketplace, with Saskatchewan being the leading lentil-growing province. IF YOU LIKE SPINACH, TRY CHINESE AMARANTH WHAT IS IT: Also known as Chinese spinach, this vegetable comes in green and red varieties, as well as a mix of both colours. It’s commonly found in Southeast Asia. Look out for them at Asian grocery stores or at your local farmer’s market. BENEFITS: “Amaranth is high in folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin A,” Hua says. “It also contains iron and calcium.”
BENEFITS: Lentils have the third-highest amount of protein by weight, amongst all legumes, after soybeans and hemp. “This makes it a perfect source of protein for vegetarians, plus it’s high in fibre,” says Sunita Mohan a nutritionist and host of Health Matters, a local health and lifestyle television show. PREPARATION: Lentils are commonly found in Indian dahls and curries as a thickener, says Mohan, but these versatile little legumes can be used for so much more. Boil and toss them with salads or puree and add them to soups and even muffins!
PREPARATION: Hua suggests stir-frying Chinese Amaranth with a little oil and garlic, but warns not to overcook it. “If it turns yellow and soft, it’s overcooked and a lot of nutrients have been lost,” she says.
From left to right: Edamame, Flickr/Carrie Kabocha melon, Wikimedia/So Leblanc Chinese amaranth, Wikimedia/Tu7uh French lentils, Flickr/WordRidden UNFORKED | EATS
11
12
UNFORKED | EATS
FOWL IS FAIR Story by Samira Mohyeddin Photography by Samira Mohyeddin & Xueting Zhao
“They don’t allow us to serve it fully fertilized in Canada so these are only 16 days fertilized, whereas in the Philippines they look like they are ready to fly,” says Libuano-Joyce.
I don’t know if I can do it. Its limp fragile
peculiar foods on the job.
neck, sinew sealed eyelids, and faint traces
“Pigs head, chicken tail, chicken feet, I
of feathers prevent me. I’m attempting to
have had it all,” she says. Her Jewish Ashke-
eat Balut, a fertilized duck embryo and a
nazi background also exposed her to vari-
Filipino delicacy.
ous off cuts of meat while growing up.
“Just close your eyes and don’t think
Ipsum fondly recalls an Ashkenazi deli-
about it,” advises Toronto food writer, Lio-
cacy known as Eyerlekh, a Yiddish word re-
ra Ipsum. Ipsum has eaten her fair share of
ferring to the unhatched eggs found inside
UNFORKED | EATS
13
just-slaughtered chickens. The eggs are desired culinary commodity. typically cooked and served in soups. Her
But some people who watch and work
voice softens as she begins to speak of her in Toronto’s food scene are lamenting the grandmother’s kitchen and the creamy tex- effects of the trend. ture of the soup.
“Restaurants are really glamourizing it.
“Culturally, the soup is on the decline
It is creating an adverse effect on the eco-
because during those times my grandpar- nomics of it. We are now paying so much ents were butchering their own meat and they wouldn’t let anything go to waste,” says Ipsum.
more for these cuts of meat,” says Ipsum. “This is not just a cheap trick,” says Paul Hadian, who has worked in some of the
The idea of not wasting the animal and
city’s finest restaurants as a cook and butch-
using all the parts is one of the philosoph-
er. “A lot of chefs are defining themselves
ical underpinnings of the nose-to-tail
with their own cultures and are doing it by
movement currently taking over many of regaining a sense of lost tradition.” Toronto’s top restaurants. Chefs and cooks
Regaining a sense of home was the mo-
are using cuts of meat that were at one time tivating factor for 39-year-old Diona Libusimply discarded.
nao-Joyce when she opened her street-style
There is also an economic reason for the
Filipino restaurant, Kanto.
prevalence of offal served at many restau-
Housed in a 100 sq. ft. shipping crate,
rants these days. Chefs and restaurants are
Kanto is part of a strip of market restau-
not only increasing their profit margins by
rants at the corner of Dundas and Bathurst
serving off cuts of meat but are also show-
in Toronto’s west end.
casing their talent by showing how they
One of 14 vendors, Libunao-Joyce’s crate
can elevate a lowly cut of meat to a much sits in front of the Scadding Court
14
UNFORKED | EATS
Community Centre and is a perfect reflec- have already spotted the veins that trace the tion of the various cultures that make-up
outside of the sack in which the embryo lies.
the surrounding community.
“It’s an aphrodisiac for some,” Libua-
It is in her restaurant where I have begun no-Joyce says. If only my mind would my showdown with the duck embryo.
switch over to my libido.
Libunao-Joyce asks me into the kitchen
A deep breath and off I go. I take a
where her 69-year-old mother, Catalina, is bite of the yellow yolk and enjoy the rich busily preparing and packaging an order
creamy texture and faint gamey duck taste.
for take-out. Looking over at the stove, I Although I manage to eat the cooked part can see the duck egg being boiled.
surrounding the embryo, I can’t eat the em-
“They don’t allow us to serve it fully fer- bryo itself. tilized in Canada so these are only 16 days
This is not the first time Libuano-Joyce
fertilized, whereas in the Philippines they
has watched someone’s first tasting of this
look like they are ready to fly,” says Libua- Filipino delicacy; she is patient and forgivno-Joyce.
ing.
Libuano-Joyce has worked alongside This wasn’t my first exposure to Filipino her mother since 2007. Unlike her mom, food. I have long enjoyed the salty and Libuano-Joyce did not have a cooking tangy extremes of Filipino cuisine, but the background but came to the catering and duck embryo or Balut will forever elude me; restaurant business after quitting her job as
it is not for the faint or feathered of heart. It
an insurance broker.
is an acquired taste. But for Libuano-Joyce,
As I slowly and gently tap the top of the it is a way of preserving a cultural heritage duck egg, I try to take Ipsum’s advice to just
that helps to unpack and forever pocket her
shut my eyes and think of England. But I memories of home.
UNFORKED | EATS
15
ASK NOT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY. ASK WHAT’S FOR LUNCH. Orson Welles
16
UNFORKED | EATS
Plate, Michael Korbel; Food dye, Das Miller
ACTION
18
HOW MUCH FOOD DYE IS YOUR CHILD EATING? Children today are eating much more artificial food dyes than before, enough to cause behavioural problems, study says.
22
ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S DINNER Over a third of all food produced in Canada is thrown away, but some Torontonians are trying to change that.
26
THE PLANET AND YOUR PLATE Transportation and factory fumes aren’t the only things hurting our environment. It’s also the food we eat.
how much
FOOD DYE is your child eating? By Erica Rae Chong
18
UNFORKED | ACTION
Kathlyne Ross was in for a fright.
termined as little as 35 milligrams of arti-
Her daughter went out trick-or-treat- ficial food colouring is enough to trigger ing for Halloween last month. What was lurking in the treats she brought home gave Ross pause.
behavioural changes. “We found that an average child could easily consume 100–200 mg in a day,”
“I’m shocked,” says the vice-president says Laura Stevens, the lead researcher of product development at Loblaw. “It’s of the Purdue University study, and adds amazing how all the stuff she collected
that children today consume much more
had some artificial colour or flavour in it.” artificial food dyes than before. Artificial colouring has become an in-
It’s not just an issue of quantity,” says
creasingly common ingredient in every- Lisa Tsakos, a Toronto nutritionist and co-author of Unjunk Your Junk Food.
day food items. A recent Purdue University study,
“We eat artificial colour here and there,
which measured the amount of dyes in
but it accumulates in your body and it
foods and beverages commonly con- takes your body time to detoxify it.” sumed by children, found that before a kid walks out the front door in the THE USUAL SUSPECTS morning, he might have consumed
Two of the biggest food colouring
enough food colouring to trigger hyper-
culprits in the study, Allura Red (Red
activity or ADHD symptoms.
40) and Tartrazine (Yellow 5), were also
One serving of Cap’n Crunch’s Oops!
the most common artificial food dyes in
All Berries cereal (which has 41 mg of Canada and have been associated with food dyes), Keebler Cheese & Peanut But-
asthma, skin reactions and even cancer,
ter Crackers (14 mg) and a cup of Kool-
Tsakos says.
Aid Burst Cherry (52 mg) for breakfast
Despite this, Allura Red and Tar-
would add up to 107 mg of artificial co- trazine are two of 10 artificial food colouring. And that’s just one meal.
lours permitted in food and beverag-
According to the Center for Science in es by the Canadian Food Inspection the Public Interest, clinical trials have deUNFORKED | ACTION
Agency (CFIA). 19
A serving of Fruity Cheerios has 31 mg of food dyes, a combination of Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1.
“Because it doesn’t seem to affect they’re worried it’s going to affect everybody… Some people have no
The latest company to join the
the taste or the appearance and that group is Loblaw, which announced
reactions to artificial ingredients, or they’re going to lose sales as a result.” in late October that it has removed no obvious ones, while others react
This isn’t a global occurrence,
ARTIFICIAL TO AU NATUREL
from over 4,000 President’s Choice
Mounting public concern in the brand products.
though. Tartrazine has been banned
past few years have spurred several
“What’s driven us is knowing that
in Norway and Finland.
major companies to remove dyes our consumers want to know what’s
“The interesting thing is that
from some of their foods. Kraft has
in their food,” says Ross. “They’re
American companies that sell prod-
removed the artificial yellow dye
reading ingredient decks and nutri-
ucts in Europe use natural colours from some of its signature mac and there but they still use artificial co- cheese products, and General Mills lours in the United States and in
has removed dyes from Trix and Yo-
Canada,” she says. “Mainly because
plait Go-Gurt.
20
UNFORKED | ACTION
tion panels.” But the transition from artificial dyes has its challenges, she says. “When you use a natural deriv-
Cereal, Flickr/Vanessa Lynn
violently to them,” says Tsakos.
all artificial colours and flavours
ative, sometimes colour fades over
5 FOODS YOU NEVER KNEW HAD FOOD COLOURING
shelf life or they don’t have the same vibrancy you once had with the artificial colour,” Ross says. One product that proved particularly tricky was the company’s red velvet cheesecake. “When we started working on it, it kept turning out pink,” she says. “At one point, we even had a debate over whether the customer would
1
2
Citrus Red 2 is used to colour the peels of oranges to create the desired orange hue, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.
There’s more than pickles floating in that jar. Some preserved pickles may contain Tartrazine and Blue 1 to make them look greener.
accept a pink velvet cheesecake.” The company eventually found the
right
balance
of
natural
colouring from beets and purple carrots to replace the artificial red dye. In other products, purple beets are used for bluish colours, carrots are used for orange colours, and chlorophyll and spirulina are used
3
4
Ever wondered how dried mangoes retain their sunny yellow colour? Sulphites are added to preserve the mangoes but some manufacturers also add Tartrazine to give these yellow slices an extra punch.
as substitutes for green colouring. Ross and her team may have eliminated artificial colours and flavours from PC products but she now has a different problem to contend with: her daughter’s Halloween candy. “It’s going to be tough now encouraging her not to eat all this stuff.”
The brilliant pinkish-orange colour of wild salmon comes from a diet rich in red-hued krill. Salmon bred in farms, on the other hand, are fed fishmeal, chicken byproducts, soybeans, wheat and a long list of other monochrome food.
This results in the fish looking a lot less rosy and a lot more greyish like tilapia or cod. So salmon farmers feed their fishes canthaxanthin and 5 astaxanthin, both natural pigments, to alter their hues and make them It’s no surprise that your fluffy white appear more orange and “fresher.” marshmallows contain chemicals like Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate. But did From top left, clockwise: you know that factories also add Blue Orange, depositphotos.com. 1 to this chemical concoction? Blue 1 Pickle, 10000baddrawings.com. Salmon, 123rf.com. eliminates off-colours and makes the Marshmallows, canstock.com Dried mangoes, Champions For Change marshmallows, strangely, whiter. UNFORKED | ACTION
21
ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S DINNER Over a third of all food produced in Canada is thrown away, but some Torontonians are trying to change that.
By Erica Rae Chong
It’s a perilous journey for pro- according to a new study by Provi- tends beyond the food that is wastduce to go from the field to your sion Coalition, a food sustainability ed. As food gets tossed out, so does dining table. If it can’t hold up to weather
association. The group reports that the water, labour and fossil fuels 30 to 40 per cent of food produced that go into producing it, transport-
changes and under-develops, it’s in Canada goes to waste and that tossed. If it fails quality checks or households contribute to over half becomes contaminated during pro- of it. cessing and packaging, it’s tossed.
ing it, and later disposing of it. “A lot of it has to do with the fact that people are really busy nowa-
“It’s a huge problem, considering days,” says Soma. “We go to the
If it gets damaged in the delivery that 841,000 Canadians required grocery store, stock up on food for past the grocery checkout counter says Tammara Soma, co-founder frigerators. But then after a tiring and into your fridge but sits in the
of the Toronto Youth Food Policy day of work, we choose to eat out at
back forgotten, into the bin it goes!
Council. “As we are wasting food,
Canadians throw away $27 bil- people are getting hungrier.” lion worth of food every year, 22
restaurants or get take out instead of going home and eating the food that
This unappetizing problem ex- we bought.” UNFORKED | ACTION
Dumpsters, Flickr/Pavel P.
van, it’s tossed. And if it makes it food bank services this year alone,” one week and put it in our big re-
Other problems Soma encoun- sium held at the University of To- much is being done at the federal ters are large portions of packaged ronto on Nov. 24. The event fea- level,” Soma says. “Municipalities food and “buy one get one free” tured a film screening of Just Eat It:
are talking about it, but you don’t
promotions in supermarkets, which A Food Waste Movie and a question have a collective organised effort encourage people to buy more than and answer session with a panel of they need.
in addressing food waste. I thought
industry experts from various stages it would be great to have an event
“Grocery stores need to recon- of the food production chain, includ- where we can raise awareness, start sider their marketing patterns,” ing representatives from the Ontario a conversation and help set off that she says. “Addressing food waste Food Terminal, Toronto Food Pol- spark that will help move the issue is a systemic thing that needs to icy Council and the Toronto Waste of food waste along.” be addressed from the point of Management Planning. production all the way to the point of consumption.”
Soma isn’t alone in her quest
“I realised that countries in Eu- to fight food waste. A small group rope and the United States are work-
of volunteers in the city are also
For this reason, Soma organized ing hard to address food waste, but dealing with the issue from the the city’s first Food Waste Sympo- in Canada it seems that nothing ground up. UNFORKED | ACTION
23
Photo courtesy of Not Far From The Tree
A third of the fruits that Not Far From The Tree harvests goes to homeowners, a third goes to the volunteers and a third goes to local food banks, shelters and community kitchens.
Urban jungle or fruit orchard?
one or two trees in a single property, trees of participating homeowners
Seven years ago, Laura Reinsbor-
but if you add them all up, there’s an and splits the harvest three ways —
ough picked her first apple from a incredible resource in our mix.”
a third goes to the homeowners,
tree. It was then that she started to
a third is shared among the vol-
Reinsborough estimates that 1.5
notice other trees in her neighbour-
million pounds of fruit is produced unteers and a third is delivered to
hood bearing all kinds of fruits,
from fruit trees in Toronto each food banks, shelters and communi-
from cherries and berries to apples
year. That’s the weight equivalent of ty kitchens. Reinsborough calls it a
and plums. In her eyes, Toronto was 10,000 people. not a concrete jungle, but a bountiful orchard.
Unfortunately, most of that boun-
“win-win-win situation.” Today, Not Far From The Tree
ty ends up falling to the ground and operates in 15 of Toronto’s wards,
“I didn’t know what could grow rotting. This inspired Reinsborough
powered by a small army of about
here and that so many fruit trees
to start Not Far From The Tree, a To- 1,000 volunteers. They’ve collected
were already growing in the city,” she
ronto fruit-picking project, in 2008.
over 90,000 pounds of fruit since
says. “I was so inspired by the collec-
With a crew of 150 volunteers,
the group’s inception and just shy of
tive impact of how there may be just the group 24
picks fruit from the
UNFORKED | ACTION
19,000 pounds in this year alone.
Giving food a second chance
In 1985, two Torontonians — Ina
The group runs purely on dona- road, put agencies off the waiting list tions and the help of thousands of
Andre and Joan Clayton — were volunteers. A fleet of seven refrig-
and start getting more people fed.” “At the moment, food is a priv-
fed up that good food was going to erated trucks and a van deliver do- ilege, but it should be a human waste in supermarkets and restau- nated food, 75 per cent of which rants while people were going hun-
right,” says Soma. “That’s not the
are perishable in nature, to loca- case because it’s a very market ori-
gry. They decided to do something tions across the GTA every day, but ented system where in order to acto connect the two. The two women arranged with grocery stores to have excess food set aside. They’d then drive by in their hatchbacks, pick up the food and deliver it to food banks and shelters to feed those in need. Today, their operation is known as Second Harvest and has become the largest food rescue program in Canada, delivering more than 7 million pounds of food to over 200 social service agencies each year.
Krauser feels more can be done.
cess food you need to have money. The 841,000 people in Canada who
“
are using food banks don’t have the
People don’t think about how many people are in need and how many people don’t have access to good healthy food every day. There’s really no reason why anyone should go hungry when there’s good food going to waste.
means to attain food even though the grocery store next door is probably dumping tons of it.” In her six years of working at Second Harvest, Krauser has seen attitudes towards food waste improve and hopes that they will continue to do so. “People are more conscious of
“[Over the years], there are more
”
the food that they throw out, which
“Our biggest challenge is really
“People don’t think about how
people in need. We serve over 200
fundraising, making sure we have
many people are in need and how
social service agencies, but we have enough funds to keep our trucks on
many people don’t have access to
That’s enough food to provide more than 20,000 meals a day.
is great, but the fact is that food waste will always be there,” she says.
a waiting list of over 25 that would the road but also trying to increase good healthy food every day. There’s like to receive food from us,” says our capacity,” she says. “We hope to
really no reason why anyone should
Tonia Krauser, director of commu- get even more funding than last year
go hungry when there’s good food
nications for Second Harvest.
going to waste.”
so we can put more trucks on the UNFORKED | ACTION
25
PLANET AND PLATE Story & Photography by Xueting Zhao
Every second, a section of rainforest as big as a livestock sector is responsible for 14.5 percent football field vanishes in the Amazon. Ninety per-
of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – an
cent of them are deforested in order to raise cattle
amount that surpasses the GHG generated by all
for beef that will eventually be distributed all over cars, trains, planes and ships combined. the world until finally lands on a plate.
“The livestock industry is the No. 1 cause of
Many environmental problems are blamed on
greenhouse gas emission,” says Helen Goreski, a
transportation, industrial manufacturing and the vegan advocate and graduate student in Environconsumption of fossil fuels, whereas the reality is a lot of damage is caused due to the food we eat. “The worldwide demand for meat is a big factor in terms of how much land is cleared to feed livestock,” says David Alexander, executive director at the Toronto Vegetarian Association.
mental Sciences at the University of Toronto. “Even trying to build more eco-friendly cars that does not address the primary causes of carbon emissions.” The livestock industry also consumes an enormous number of natural resources, including agri-
“It doesn’t matter if you are getting a burger here cultural land, water and grain crops, which could or getting a burger in South America.”
otherwise be distributed to people who are in des-
A 2013 report by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) found the
perate need. In August, 2014, the Washington D.C.-based
UNFORKED | ACTION
27
Worldwatch Institute determined that almost 70
“We are projected to not have enough food for
per cent of the world’s cultivated land is used
the whole world not far into the future. I think
for animal pasture; nearly 40 per cent of grain
it’s really important to take a stand on issues like
products are used to feed animals, along with 250
this.”
million tons of soybeans and other oilseeds.
Having been practicing and advocating for
“If you look at meat consumption in Cana- veganism for more than seven years, Goreski da and compare (it) to the US and other western
believes adjusting your dietary choices is by far
countries, like Britain, we are pretty close,” Alex- the single greatest thing you can do to protect the ander says. “About 75 per cent of the grain crops growing in Canada are fed to animals.”
environment. In fact, a 2014 Oxford University study point-
While global meat production has increased ed out that going vegan could reduce one person’s more than fourfold over the past five decades and carbon footprint by nearly 60 per cent compared reached a new peak of 308.5 million tons in 2013, a growing population in Toronto have showed their
to the carbon footprint of an average meat-eater. “There are definitely more people choosing to
willingness to adopt vegetarian or vegan diets in eat vegetarian or vegan,” Alexander says. “That’s a order to make their own contributions to benefit
very good sign. If you get a lot of people commit-
the world’s environment.
ting to even a small action, it can have a big impact
Julia Mroczek is a student from the University on the environment.”
28
of Toronto who became a vegan about a year ago
For those who don’t have much vegetarian or
for health reasons. But after reading some vegan
vegan experience, Alexander suggests pro-veg-
literature, Mroczek soon realized how her dietary
etarian movements, such as Meatless Monday,
habit could affect not only herself, but also the sur-
which encourages participants to skip meat on the
rounding world.
first weekdays, as a good place to start.
“I think environmental veganism is the most
“We are very supportive of those steps and we
important and most tangible reason (for me) to go
encourage people to do whatever they can to re-
vegan.” Mroczek says.
duce their environmental footprint,” he says.
UNFORKED | ACTION
Photography by Erica Rae Chong
PEOPLE
30
FARMING FOR THE FUTURE When Amy Cheng couldn’t find local and organic varieties of the vegetables she ate growing up, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
PEOPLE
30
UNFORKED | PEOPLE
FARMING FOR THE FUTURE When Toronto artist Amy Cheng couldn’t find local and organic varieties of the vegetables she ate growing up, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
Story & Photography by Erica Rae Chong
Amy Cheng was an artist. As a young girl her parents often found her, pencil in hand, working on her next masterpiece. Her passion eventually landed her a job at a museum building art exhibits, but that was seven years ago. Cheng hasn’t stepped into a museum since 2011. Cheng quit her job of four years at the Western Development Museum in Saskatchewan to become a farmer, opening Red Pocket Farm in Toronto’s Downsview Park and growing organic vegetables, most of which were Asian varieties.
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31
The name Red Pocket Farm been incubating for over a decade. isn’t just a reflection of Cheng’s
“I guess it just started with me
taught art, painted theatre sets and built museum exhibits, but by night
Asian crops but a nod towards her being surprised at what an avocado she read about food and farming. Chinese roots. Red Pockets, small tree or what a banana tree looked
“My interest grew more and
red envelopes containing money,
like and it just made me realize how more serious and it just evolved
are traditional gifts during the Chi-
ignorant I was about food,” Cheng over a long time until it got to a
nese New Year as a symbol of health, says. “I realize I didn’t know where
point where I was spending so
happiness, prosperity, and good
my food came from. I didn’t know much time on it that I felt like
luck. All of which are required for
anything about the different crops maybe I could try to make a part of
successful farming, she says.
I ate so often. It made me question
Cheng says her decision to ditch a steady paycheck and leap into farm-
why I didn’t know these things.”
my living from it,” she says. In 2011, Cheng decided to put
Her realization sparked a hun- her paintbrush down and get her
ing was the result of an idea that had ger to find out more. By day, Cheng hands dirty. 32
UNFORKED | PEOPLE
She left her job and took on an
STARTING A FARM
internship at Everdale, an Ontar-
Cheng launched Red Pocket
io farming organization, where she
Farm in 2012 to the surprise of her
spent the next eight months living
family and friends.
on a farm and farming full time.
“Working as a farmer, the in-
“I just knew I had to do it, I come may not be stable,” says Sylvia couldn’t put it off any more. It was
Cheng, Amy’s mother. “It depends
Black Creek Community Farm (above), which launched in 2013, is Toronto’s largest urban farm. It’s located on Jane Street just south of Steeles Avenue West. Visit unforkedmag.wordpress.com for a photo gallery of Black Creek Community Farm and Amy Cheng’s produce.
something I had been thinking on the weather and the harvest of about for six years… and I was tired
the produce so financially, we were
of always thinking about it,” Amy
a little bit worried because we want
says. “I thought if I was still curious her to have a good life, a future.” about this experience after six years then I really needed to try it.”
Sylvia also worried Amy wouldn’t be able to cope with the physical UNFORKED | PEOPLE
33
Above : Amy Cheng removes the tarp over her cabbages.It’s used to protect them from the colder night temperatures, she says. “Plants are just like people, every plant is differnt, they have their own personalities.” Left : Amy harvests and shows off one variety of cabbage she’s growing as part of a variety trial.
34
UNFORKED | PEOPLE
demands of the job. A soft-spoken woman with an
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
works out the kinks in her plan
Her leap of faith took not only
Despite this, her focus hasn’t
average build, Amy doesn’t look courage but also a small fortune.
shifted and she continues to grow
like a typical farmer but a few small Amy spent about $10,000 in savings
organic Asian vegetables out of a
details give her away: Her soil- on seeds, farming equipment and a small plot of land in Black Creek stained jeans and heavy-duty boots, car as she lived in Scarborough and her hair swept up in a no-non-
had to commute to Downsview be- series of Chinese cabbages for a seed
sense ponytail and her cheeks dap- fore daybreak each morning. pled with freckles from long hours under the sun.
Community Farms. One is a
variety trial in connection with the
“I was shocked that that’s what Bauta Family Initiative for Canadiit came to and I remember double an Seed Security (BFICSS).
“Working as a farmer, it’s a very checking and triple checking my
“We want to help farmers in
hard job… so we worry it’s too hard book keeping at the end of they Ontario grow more regionally adapfor a lady. For a man, it’s okay. But year!” Amy says. for a lady… I wasn’t sure Amy could handle it physically,” Sylvia says. But Amy put those worries to rest
After two successful farming ganic production,” says Aabir Dey, seasons, Amy is ready to take the Ontario’s regional coordinator for next step. She’s looking for more the BFICSS.
as she single-handedly cultivated 30 land to expand her production but types of organically grown vegetables on her 8,000 sq. ft. plot.
tive seeds that are suitable for or-
it’s not without challenges. “Your biggest investment as an
“I’m trying to really develop my organic farmer is your soil and it
Aabir has known Amy since working with her at Everdale Farm and invited her on board the project this year.
knowledge of Asian greens because takes multiple seasons to build. It’s
“She is very skilled in organ-
that’s a staple in every Chinese not something you can just pick up
ic agriculture and has an excel-
household. I noticed that for most of
lent knowledge of how to grow
and take with you,” she says.
the vegetables that I grew up eating and that my parents still eat, there are no organic and local versions anywhere,” she says.
Asian crop,” he says. “It seemed ORGANIC FARMING Today, Red Pocket Farm is taking
like a no-brainer to give this good opportunity to such a good farmer
a break from production as Amy and a friend.”
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35
Black Creek Community Farm grows a variety of organic vegetables such as red cabbage (pictured), Swiss chard and fennel.
Amy says organic farming is important for a variety of reasons, but the most important is ecological. “Dousing the soil with chemicals
cabbage before. This is very strange.” vegetables and less meat,” Sylvia The cabbages will be harvested and sold at farmer’s markets.
says. Lowering her voice, she adds, “But sometimes I’ll still eat some
Although she has many loyal potato chips.”
kills off a lot of natural biodiversity customers, Amy admits at times it
Between selling the idea of
and it’s not really sustainable,” she can be a challenge convincing peo- organic vegetables and dealing with says as she gently tucks a measuring tape around one of her cabbages to
ple to see the value of organic food.
unpredictable weather, Amy looks
“Food is undervalued and taken forward to returning to Red Pocket
measure its diameter, a requirement
for granted. People don’t blink an Farm once she obtains more land.
of the variety trial she’s conducting.
eye at buying a $4 coffee every day
“Farming is very demanding,
She is growing 90 cabbages, evenly from Starbucks but look surprised there are a lot of factors you can’t spaced out in three neat rows.
when a bunch of carrots are $3.”
control which affect your livelihood.
“There’s a common saying — if
But organic food is quickly
It’s also very all-consuming. Most
you feed the soil, the soil feeds your
becoming a staple in the Cheng
farmers work 50 to 70-hour weeks
plants and the plants feed you.” She household.
earning less than minimum wage,”
falls silent for a moment, looking
she says. “But it’s also incredibly
“Because of Amy we’re trying
at her cabbages, before letting out a to change our diet and our life- satisfying and rewarding like no small laugh. “I’ve never measured a 36
style, trying to eat more organic other job.” UNFORKED | PEOPLE
Photography by Ollivier Girard
CULTURE
38
THE MARKETS A visual collection of marketplaces around the world.
46
BREAKING BREAD AND BORDERS Should food be politicized?
50
YUM CHA China’s slow paced, traditional dining culture finds its place in Toronto’s bustling food scene.
THE MARKETS AND THE WORLD AROUND
38
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Fruit market in Pondicherry, India Photography by Meena Kadri
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39
Floating market in Bankok, Thailand Photography by Trent McBride
40
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Fish market in the 1960’s in Tokyo, Japan Photography by Jay Bergesen’s grandparents
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41
Spice market in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel Photography by Neil Howard
42
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Food market in Uganda Photography by Trust for Africa’s Orphans
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43
Market Hall in Rotterdam, the Netherlands Photography by Paul Arps
44
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Borough Market in London, England Photography by Garry Knight
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45
A Druze woman making a pita bread.
BREAKING BREAD AND BORDERS Story by Samira Mohyeddin Photography by Itamar Grinberg
46
UNFORKED | CULTURE
Crumbs of toasted Challah dot my chopped liv-
Middle-terranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Ana-
er stained notepad; I am breaking bread with Zane tolian, and Israeli, have all been used to identify Caplansky, the owner of Caplansky’s Jewish Deli the cuisine served. On College Street in Toronto.
A region fraught with war, colonialism and
We’re sitting at Fat Pasha, a newly opened To-
sectarian fighting for hundreds of years, any ap-
ronto restaurant, selling Israeli street food in a
prehension on the part of restaurateurs to label
space named after a Turkish prince.
their establishments as Middle Eastern is under-
“This place is emblematic of Toronto,” says Ca- standable. plansky — speaking to Toronto’s title as the multicultural capital of the world.
“Abraham had another wife and she had a son and we are genetically related and we are all semit-
This meshing of cultures is not new for Toron-
ic. For some reason, people find it convenient to
to diners. With more than 140 languages spoken forget that,” says Caplansky, who made headlines in the GTA and more than 10,000 restaurants,
around the world this summer by donating to the
Toronto’s diversity is a reflection of its cultural Palestinian Film Festival in Toronto. and culinary mosaic. At any given time, one can
Caplansky received a lot of condemnation from
choose between Eritrean, Hungarian, Italian or
the Jewish community for his decision to support
Peruvian food.
the Palestinian event.
Fat Pasha has all the usual markers of a Mid-
“I am someone who seeks to unite and not
dle Eastern restaurant: a drawing of a man smok- divide. These lines are artificial and irrelevant to ing a water pipe and a menu featuring hummus, pomegranate molasses, eggplant, tahini and
me,” says Caplansky. “I want to contribute to my society, it’s more
tabule — but there is no mention of the Middle than just selling smoked meat sandwiches and East anywhere.
matzo ball soup.”
In the last six months, more than a dozen Arab
Sara Matthews, a professor of sociology at
or Middle Eastern restaurants have opened up in
Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, teach-
the downtown core and yet not one of them re-
es a class on War, Memory, and Popular Culture.
fers to themselves as a Middle Eastern restaurant.
A segment of the class is based around food and
UNFORKED | CULTURE
47
belonging and the process of nation building.
Lebanon and Israel have also been engaged in
“Food is fundamentally social, it is also con-
their own version of food war since the late nine-
nected to our memories of belonging - of who we
ties when Israel began a marketing campaign of
think we are, in relation to our families, our peo-
using falafel and hummus as its national food.
ple and the land,” says Matthews.
Lebanese industrialists and chefs tried to make a
Like Caplansky, Matthews believes that the act
historical argument of the fact that Israel has only
of eating is not just about filling one’s belly; it is existed since 1947 and is appropriating Arab foods part of a much larger project.
as its own.
“For me, food is more than what we eat. It is
The food wars between the two countries cul-
also what we grow and how we grow it, how we minated not in court but in the pages of the Guinaccess it, how we learn to think about preparing and serving and eating it — the particular reci-
ness Book of World Records. The Israelis broke the record of the largest plate
pes and contexts of eating, as both individual and of hummus in January 2010 by making 4,082 kilos collective activities. Food is therefore more than a
of it. Lebanon responded in May of that same year
thing — it is a social, cultural and political prac-
by making a whopping hummus dish of 10,450 ki-
tice,” says Matthews.
lograms; effectively breaking Israel’s record. It is amazing to think that a little chick pea, gar-
GASTRONATIONALISM
lic and olive oil can evoke such cultural, emotion-
Can nations trademark certain food items?
al, and litigious behaviour. However, hummus re-
The connections between food and nation
mains a billion dollar industry in North America
building have been playing themselves out in in- alone and so the stakes are quite high. ternational courts.
For diners such as Roland Gonzales, a Filipi-
In 2002, the European Union allowed Greece to no-Canadian eating a chopped liver sandwich behave exclusive rights over the production of feta side our table, the political and cultural associacheese; Greece had been arguing that it is a part
48
tions made with food do not affect him.
of their national heritage and identity. Denmark, a
“All I care about is whether or not the food
major producer of what it can no longer call Feta
tastes good, I could care less who thinks what or
cheese is still appealing the decision.
where it comes from,” says Gonzales. UNFORKED | CULTURE
YUM CHA Story by Xueting Zhao Photography by Ross Pollack
It has only been two months since Peter moved of appreciating the traditional Chinese tea culture to Toronto from Montreal, yet he has already become a regular customer at Sky Dragon, a yum
with the tasting of various dim sum dishes. This traditional way of eating has been an in-
cha restaurant in Chinatown. As long as there is dispensable part of people’s daily lives in southern free time in the morning, Peter comes in, orders a part of China, such as Guangdong province (also pot of tea with several dim sum dishes and enjoys the relaxing time that reminds him of the old days back in China.
Romanized as Canton) and Hong Kong. It boarded the same ship that carried the older generations of Chinese immigrants to other
“I used to go to yum cha every morning when
countries starting in the 19th century. As the early
I was in China,” Peter says. “Although I’ve been
immigrants settled in the new world, the yum cha
in Canada for more than 20 years, I am still not
culture thrived.
quite used to drink coffee. So whenever there is a chance, I would come for tea.
Tony Dong has worked at Sky Dragon in Toronto for more than 17 years. As manager of the
Translated as “drink tea” (“yum” means “drink,” restaurant, he has witnessed yum cha being handand “cha” means “tea”), yum cha is a combination ed down from generation to generation within the
UNFORKED | CULTURE
51
community and eventually beyond the ethnic the egg tart or jin deui (a fried chewy dough filled boundaries.
with red bean paste), oolong might be an ideal
In the past summer, Frank Kocis and Suresh choice as it brings out the flavour the most. Doss together organized the first Yum Cha! Dim
All the dishes are usually served by staff with
Sum Fest in Toronto, which welcomed more than
trolleys. As customers enjoy the food, servers
2,000 visitors in only two days.
wheel around the restaurant and bring out the
In the past summer, Frank Kocis and Suresh most recently cooked dishes. Doss together organized the first Yum Cha! Dim
For many people, yum cha is no longer con-
Sum Fest in Toronto, which welcomed more than
fined only as a dietary choice, but more of a cul-
2,000 visitors in only two days.
tural symbol.
“I was first introduced to dim sum by a Canton-
“During all these years, I have met customers
ese friend of mine in university and I just thought who are older generations of immigrants, as well it was the greatest thing ever,” Kocis says. “I love the as their children who grew up in Canada,” Dong combination of the flavours, the texture and enjoy says. the leisurely way of talking with friends. We decided to try to capture that (through the festival).” While leading you to your table, the deft staff
“And these younger generations would then introduce yum cha to their friends from different cultural backgrounds.
offer the options of various types of tea you can
While Toronto opens its arm to immigrants
order: Pu’er, a fermented dark tea, is the best com-
from different backgrounds, these individuals also
panion for deep-fried dim sum like fried taro
enrich the city’s culture one dish at a time.
dumplings filled with taro paste, pork and lo-
“I think dim sum is one of those things, like Pho,
tus root. Steamed dim sum, such as cha siu bao
that has become such an engrained part of Toron-
(a fluffy, barbeque-pork-filled bun) and har gow to’s culture that you almost don’t think of it as ‘Chi(crystal shrimp dumpling) go well with green tea; nese,’” Kocis says. “You just think of it as something and if you’re a fan of sweet and spicy dim sum, like
52
that people from Toronto would like to eat.”
UNFORKED | CULTURE
Photography by Anita Krajnc
PERSPECTIVE
54
SLAUGHTERHOUSE 86’D The trucks were non-stop from 4am to 12am daily
58
TORONTO IS HUNGRY Canada is the only G8 country that has no national food program
Inside the Quality Meat Packers slaughterhouse in Toronto
54
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SLAUGHTERHOUSE 86’D Story by Samira Mohyeddin
Photography by Anita Krajnc UNFORKED | PERSPECTIVE
55
More than 600 pigs were being slaughtered daily in the complex. There will be no more piggies going to market as one of Toronto’s last remaining slaughterhous-
selling my unit if there was a pig slaughterhouse
es, Quality Meat Packers (QMP), has shut its
in the neighbourhood. Who would think to ask
doors for good. In operation for more than 100
that in downtown Toronto,” asks Fraser. “You
years, QMP, was a constant reminder for both
bet I am glad it shut down. Would you like being
local residents and business owners that more
woken up every morning by squealing pigs being
than 600 pigs were being slaughtered daily in the
taken to slaughter,” adds Fraser.
complex that sat at the foot of Tecumseth street in Toronto’s west end neighbourhood.
The closure of Toronto’s last abattoir downtown has meant that more than 750 people have lost
With busy King Street West to the north
their jobs and although a lot of animal rights ac-
and Lake Ontario to the south, residents of the
tivists worked to shut down the pig slaughtering
neighbourhood do not mince their words when
and processing plant, the loss of jobs was never
asked about the abattoir’s closure and think that
their intention.
it should have shut down a long time ago, before
56
“I did not ask the Condo Corporation that was
Anita Krajnc and her loose coalition of vegan
it was enclosed by condominiums and bars and
and vegetarian activists known as Toronto Pig
restaurants.
Save, have been tirelessly working to raise aware-
Sylvia Fraser bought her condo on Toronto’s
ness about the rights of animals and often posi-
King Street West 15 years ago. She had no idea
tion themselves right outside of the abattoir and
that 300 metres away was a non-descript, win-
along Lakeshore Boulevard where the more than
dowless building that paid homage to Toronto’s
100 trucks a day would travel with their cargo of
other name, Hog Town.
pigs from 4am to 12 am daily. UNFORKED | PERSPECTIVE
“Our goals since the start was to help people see Canadian plants, a decrease of 1.7% over 2012 the pigs and what is happening by making slaugh-
and pork exports decreased in 2013 to 1,183,645
terhouses have glass walls. If Quality Meat Pack-
tonnes, down 0.5% from 2012.
ers just shut down in Toronto and moved into the
To combat the financial burden being placed
country, we would see it as a bad move because
on meat farmers and processing plants, Ottawa
we want people to “meet their meat,” says Krajnc.
pledged 60 million dollars in funding for slaugh-
“But since they went bankrupt, it is a more posi-
terhouses in 2009.
tive sign, but not one to wholeheartedly rejoice in.”
The Slaughter Improvement Program was
Toronto Pig Save has been holding weekly vigils
a three year $60 million program designed to
in front of the slaughterhouse since 2011 and Kra-
“strengthen the competitiveness of the red meat
jnc credits the rise in vegan and vegetarian habits industry by providing interest-free, conditionally as having an effect on the meat packing industry.
repayable contributions to support investments
“A decade ago you’d be hard pressed to find al-
that improved and modernized slaughter opera-
mond or soy milk in most grocery stores. Today
tions”, according to the Agriculture and Agri-food
those sections are getting larger and larger and department of the federal government. there are an escalating number of vegan restaurants. It is no longer a fringe group,” says Krajnc. Although Krajnc does not take full credit for the plants closure, she does acknowledge the impact that Toronto Pig Save has had.
Although the funding expired on March 31, 2012, Krajnc charges that such initiatives by the federal government are putting industry ahead of other concerns. “That money should be going to support local,
“I think it is part of it. Already in the summer of
organic, vegan food options, it is also the green
2013, Quality Meat Packers was down to slaugh-
solution to climate change and water pollution,
tering four days a week--Monday to Thursday--
and it will help promote healthy living and public
not on Friday’s anymore, due to decreased market health,” says Krajnc. demand,” adds Krajnc.
There are currently more than 100 slaughter-
According to Agriculture and Agri-food Can-
houses in Ontario, with three remaining in the
ada, in 2013, 20.8 million pigs went to market in Greater Toronto Area. UNFORKED | PERSPECTIVE
57
58
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TORONTO IS HUNGRY Story by Samira Mohyeddin Photography by Samira Mohyeddin & Xueting Zhao
UNFORKED | PERSPECTIVE
59
“One singular moment shaped Catherine
“The hunger is real; it’s right before our eyes,”
Parsonage’s commitment to ending child hun- she says. “The federal government has 800 milger in Toronto’s schools and beyond – the ex- lion dollars to spend on advertising, but it can’t ecutive director of the Toronto Foundation for feed a child,” Parsonage says. Student Success (TFSS) will never forget those big brown eyes for as long as she lives. “I saw a six-year-old girl hiding behind a pole, peeking at the other children’s food,” Par-
In 1999, TFSS was providing 11,000 meals every day to children in need. Today, they support over 147,000 nutritious meals in over 600 schools.
sonage says. “I asked if she wanted something
The relationship between education, hunger,
to eat and she lowered her eyes and nodded at
and poverty, is highlighted by both educators
me; she ate that food so fast and would not take and food agencies. her eyes off of it.”
Second Harvest, a Toronto-based food deliv-
At the time, Parsonage was responsible for
ery service that began in 1985, delivers food to
the nutrition program at the Toronto District
more than 200 social service agencies in Toron-
School Board (TDSB). Prior to her interaction to. Unlike food banks, Second Harvest delivers with the little girl in 1995, she says she was na- perishable grocery items and works with local ive about the number of children in Toronto’s restaurants, food depots and grocers to rescue schools who do not have enough to eat. The statistics are alarming. One in three children live in poverty in Toronto and nearly half of all Toronto school children go to school hun-
food that would otherwise be thrown away; Second Harvest also delivers to many breakfast programs in Toronto schools. Arie Opps, Second Harvest’s marketing man-
gry. Children under the age of 18 now represent ager, has been with the agency for a year now more than 40 percent of food bank clients in and relishes the impact the agency has had on the Greater Toronto Area. Considering the ar-
his life and on the lives of those he has helped.
resting numbers, Parsonage cannot understand
Opps describes the organization as a tactical
why Canada is the only G8 country that doesn’t
one; born out of necessity.
have a national food program for school children. 60
Second Harvest reaches 100,000 people every month and supplies food to 20,000 people a
UNFORKED | PERSPECTIVE
day. “We delivered over seven million pounds
ic malnutrition affects children’s social, emo-
of food last year,” Opps adds. Just less than
tional and cognitive performance. Children
forty percent of their food goes to children and
who are under-nourished tend to be less active,
youth. “If it wasn’t for the food that we supply,
more anxious, and interact less with their peers
many food programs could not even function,”
than children who are well-nourished.”
says Opps.
The connection between hunger and low
It is Toronto’s priority communities that see
scholastic performance is universally voiced by
the highest rates of hunger; up to 68 percent
all those involved in trying to alleviate hunger;
of children go to school hungry. It is also these
positioning the absence of a national children’s
same communities that have the highest rate of
food program as a cost that will later be paid
school dropouts and lowest test scores.
by society.
Educators stress the importance between hunger and cognitive ability in school children. Emis Akbari, a senior researcher in the department of Early Childhood Development at
“For a buck and a quarter we can feed every vulnerable child in Canada,” Parsonage says. That’s less than a coffee a day. “We spend money on remedies but not prevention.”
the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
It was the work of educators and advocates
(OISE) is busily readying a report on the cur-
that made Canada promise to get rid of child-
rent state of childhood development in Cana-
hood hunger in 1985. Although some initiatives
da. It will be her first press conference and she
have been taken, the numbers of children who
is anxious because she hopes that the report
go hungry continues to rise. “Even developing
will lead to more government action.
countries like China and Brazil have a national
A mother of two, she recently returned from
children’s food program,” Parsonage says.
the Yukon Territories and speaks at length
The steady climb in the number of children
about the impact of breakfast programs in
using breakfast programs and the government
schools there.
inaction regarding the issue is a point of conten-
“Research has long shown the negative
tion for Catherine Parsonage, who cannot shake
effects of malnutrition on early childhood de-
the memory of the hungry little girl hiding
velopment and functioning,” she says. “Chron-
behind the pole.
UNFORKED | PERSPECTIVE
61
@UNFORKEDmag