Download the Nipissing and Area Food Charter Toolkit PDF

Health & Wellness

  • Provide healthy, affordable food and beverage choices to customers/employees.
  • Speak to a dietitian at the health unit about healthy food resources.
  • Support workplace wellness programs.
  • Encourage customers/employees to join a Community Supported Agriculture initiative.
  • Support workplace vegetable gardens.
  • Establish healthy food purchasing guidelines with caterers and food service vendors to increase the number of healthy, regionally grown food options in cafeterias, vending machines and at special events and meetings.

Sustainable Economic Development

  • Adjust procurement policies and practices to enhance consumption of local foods, such as adopting menu plans and recipes which coincide with the local harvest season.
  • Think creatively about promoting the sale of local foods through your organization.

Social Equity

  • Make fair trade products available when possible.
  • Foster fair wages.
  • Participate in gleaning programs that distribute excess produce from local farmers or gardeners to emergency food programs.

The Environment

  • Stock organic products when possible.
  • Reduce food miles by sourcing local products.
  • Establish a composting program.
  • Invest in reusable dishes to avoid use of disposable plates and cutlery.

Food Literacy

  • Make healthy and local food information available to customers.
  • Provide training and development opportunities for food service staff to strengthen healthy food planning, procurement, and preparation skills.

Culture

  • Participate in or sponsor local events and celebrations around food.
  • Offer a diversity of food products and flavours.
  • Celebrate food within your organization (e.g., organize a potluck lunch, share seasonal produce, etc.)

We would like to acknowledge the Guelph Wellington Food Roundtable’s wonderful work creating the Food Charter Toolkit that this document is based on.