Community Food Centres Canada

With more than 350 partners across the country, we build inclusive, culturally responsive Community Food Centres, share knowledge, create health-focused programs, and advocate for equitable policy change.

Vision

We believe in a country where the right to food is realized for all and where every community has a place for food that nurtures health and well-being, belonging, and social justice.

Mission

We resource and strengthen the community food sector and mobilize with our partners for progressive policy change.

Land acknowledgement

Community Food Centres Canada operates and partners with food organizations from coast to coast to coast. We do this on the lands of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, who have been and continue to be in a reciprocal relationship with the lands, waters, and all beings. This relationship has been embedded in gratitude and respect since time immemorial.

The national office of Community Food Centres Canada is in Toronto and is on the territory of the Wendat, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is now also home to many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

Our values

Equity

Equity is the heartbeat of our work, guiding all we do.
We speak up for systemic change, knowing that food is a basic human right and equity makes food accessible to all. By practicing reconciliation, anti-racism, and anti-oppression, we foster justice and belonging—in our community of staff and the community at large.

Courage

We commit to brave ideas and actions.
Emboldened to explore new ways of working, we find collective courage in collaborating with partners, communities, and each other. Together, we reimagine food and social systems that are equitable.

Relationship-focused

We work in common cause with others.
We collaborate with respect and reciprocity. Working relationally moves us to reflect, learn from, and support each other. Reaching across power divides, we lead with care and act in solidarity.

Integrity

Integrity is a practice we live by.
We honour our commitments, with openness and generosity. We learn from our mistakes—and unlearn our biases. And in all we do, we commit to staying humble and accountable.

We thank our partners, whose values inspired our own. We invite anyone to identify with our values.

Our Good Food Principles

Take action from the individual to the systemic level.
We work to create many entry points for community members: from meeting basic needs to empowering people to choose, grow, and cook good food, to creating opportunities to get involved with the big-picture issues that affect our community.
Invest in the power of good food.
We strive to make good food a priority and to provide food through our programs that is delicious, healthy, sustainably produced, and pleasurable to eat.
Create an environment of respect and community leadership.
We provide opportunities for community members to use their strengths and contribute as volunteers and leaders.
Meet people where they’re at.
We avoid making assumptions about community members’ skills and goals. And we work with them toward the changes that they want to make, focusing on celebrating achievements big and small along the way.
Aim high for our organization and our community.
Our programs are designed based on current research and the growing body of knowledge from the community food sector. And we make sure that our partners have enough resources to create a positive impact. To stay accountable to our community, we are committed to measuring and communicating the impact of our work.