Dumpster Divers for Northern Food Security

In Brief: In order to raise awareness and money for the food crisis in Northern Canada as well as the massive amount of food waste in the rest of the country, we are pledging to only eat food that has been thrown out for 10 days (Jan 8-18th). Afterwards we will be donating money we would've spent on groceries to "Feeding Canada". We hope that you will consider donating  and sharing to help this Indigenous run initiative continue to ship food necessities to families and support food banks in Northern Canada. 
If you're interested in watching us eat trash for 10 days follow @dumpstermealz on instagram

Not in Brief:

Hello! Our names are Elora and Riley and we are environmental studies students at the University of Victoria. We are both involved with food waste initiatives on campus and in Victoria and are frequent dumpster divers. Did you know 1/3-1/2 of all food produced in Canada ends up being thrown out? A large amount of this waste is due to extremely high cosmetic standards, hypersensitivity to best-before dates and carelessness. Every year we collectively waste tens of billions of dollars worth of food in Canada.

sources worth reading:

https://globalnews.ca/news/2952243/food-waste-5-graphics-that-show-just-how-much-food-we-throw-away/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grocers-innovators-work-to-save-31b-in-food-from-being-trashed-in-canada-each-year-1.4898285?cmp=FB_Post_News

At the same time, food in northern Canada is incredibly inaccessible.  Prices are often 3x, and up to 10x higher than the national average, leading to high amounts of food insecurity. 60% of children in Nunavut come from food insecure houses. Further, food insecurity in Northern Canada increased by 46.8% from 2005 to 2014. 

sources worth reading:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nunavut-food-prices-1.4666385
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nunavut-food-price-survey-2016-1.3650637
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/3kw459/food-prices-are-out-of-control-in-northern-canada
https://www.businessinsider.com/food-prices-high-northern-canada-2017-9#feeding-my-familys-goal-is-to-work-with-policymakers-ngos-food-banks-and-food-retailers-to-figure-out-ways-to-lower-grocery-prices-in-sub-arctic-regions-of-north-america-11

In order to raise awareness and money for the food crisis in Northern Canada and simultaneously the massive amount of food waste in the rest of the country, we are pledging to only eat food that has been thrown out for 10 days (Jan 8-18th). At the end of this period we will be donating money we would've spent on groceries to "Feeding Canada". We hope that you will consider donating to help this Indigenous run initiative continue to ship food necessities and support food banks in Northern Canada. 

All donations from this fundraiser will go to an organization called "Feeding Canada", an Indigenous led initiative based in Toronto who are well positioned to take action on this food crisis. 

Their group description is as followed

"We are a team of Indigenous people living in urban cities using  our privilege of access to affordable goods and resources to help our relations in Northern remote communities.

Our goal is to feed as many Northern Canadians as possible. We are sending care packages to families with children, food banks, hunters and elders. 
In Nunavut the food costs are up to 10x higher then anywhere else in Canada. The government at the moment is looking into a long term solution, we are here to help the people who need it now. 

Donations will help fund programs that connect food and other basic necessities to Indigenous people who face the continuing financial, physical, and emotional effects of colonialism."

 Please support our goal and share!