Tag: policy

New Advocacy Efforts at VegOttawa!

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By Alan Wong

We are excited to announce a new development at VegOttawa: the initiation of our expanded advocacy efforts for plant-based policies. With the addition of our new board member, Dan, we are taking steps to make a meaningful impact on policy change both locally and beyond. Dan brings a wealth of experience and passion to this role, and we are confident in his ability to lead our advocacy initiatives.

As part of our commitment to creating a more sustainable and compassionate world, VegOttawa will focus on driving policy changes at the municipal level and within local organizations. We recognize the importance of grassroots efforts in fostering change, and we aim to be a catalyst for progress in our community. Additionally, we are eager to engage in broader efforts, contributing to nationwide and global movements that align with our mission.

Collaboration is key to achieving our goals, and we are excited to work alongside numerous organizations that share our vision. Among these are the Plant Based Cities Movement, the Sustainable Food Transition Coalition, Climate Save, Plant Based Treaty, VegTO, the Veg Climate Network, the Canadian Universities Initiative, and more. The existence of all these groups underscores the growing importance of advocating for plant-based policies. We will be looking to engage directly with some of the above organizations, and together, we can make a significant difference for animals, the environment, and public health.

We invite all passionate individuals to join us in this crucial work. Whether you are dedicated to animal welfare, combating climate change, improving public health, or all of the above, your contributions are invaluable. There are many ways to get involved, from sharing innovative ideas and providing administrative support to helping us expand our network of advocates and partners.

If you are interested in contributing to our advocacy efforts, please reach out to us. You can contact me directly at info@vegottawa.org, or get in touch with our Outreach Director at outreach@vegottawa.org. Together, we can create a more compassionate, healthier, and more sustainable future.

Moving Towards a Vegan Option in Canada

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By Carolyn Harris

Hello everyone!

I wanted to give you all a quick update. You may remember two of my previous blog posts, letting you know about a petition calling on the Canadian government “to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.” In practice, this means that a vegan option would be required to be served in all public schools, hospitals, prisons, and other public institutions. This is an important step that our country can take towards animal rights and vegan rights. A similar law is already in place in Portugal.

I didn’t start the petition, but I signed it and mentioned it on my blogs because this issue matters a lot to me.

In total, the petition received 3106 signatures from the public, and it was presented to the House of Commons on February 7, 2018. The government’s response was disappointing—basically, they implied that they don’t plan on taking action on this issue.

Fortunately, however, the dedicated vegan advocates who are working on this issue are not giving up! A new organization, Vegan Option Canada, has been founded to advocate for this new law. Vegan Option Canada is currently running two versions of their petition: an official paper petition and an unofficial, supplementary online petition. You can sign both, as the signatures for each petition are counted separately. You can access the online petition directly by clicking here. Check out Vegan Option Canada’s website to learn more about this issue and to find a paper petition near you. Alternatively, you can order sheets of the paper petition so that you can collect signatures yourself!

I feel quite confident that this initiative can succeed. Let’s work together and make it happen!

Petition to the Government of Canada Regarding Food Policy

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Recently I found out about a new petition that was posted on the Parliament of Canada’s E-petitions website. The petition, which is being sponsored by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, is calling for all public canteens under federal jurisdiction to serve a vegan option (and for the federal government to work with the provinces and territories to implement this law at their levels, as well).

The main part of the petition reads, “We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.”

Judging by the way that the petition is worded, it sounds like, if the petition becomes law, this could lead to hospitals, schools, universities, colleges, prisons, and other public institutions to be required to serve a vegan option. This would be a win for people who live a vegan lifestyle, for, as a matter of human rights, it is essential that vegans have access to vegan food.

Furthermore, this would help encourage more people to eat a vegan diet, and it could help to indirectly raise awareness about veganism and to help people realize what vegan food actually is.

In March 2017, Portugal passed a law requiring all public canteens (at hospitals, schools, prisons, etc.) to serve a vegan option. Canada needs a law like this, too!

Canadian citizens are able to sign the petition and read more about it here. The petition is open until November 29, 2017, at 2:32 p.m. EDT.

Front-of-Package Nutrition Labelling: Stakeholder Meeting

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The Canadian government is developing new regulations that would require front-of-package labelling for foods high in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium.

This image, from the consultation document (by the Food Directorate) found on the Government of Canada’s website, is titled “Figure 1: Examples of FOP “high in” symbol under consideration by Health Canada“.

Canada Front-of-Package Labelling

 

Front-of-package labelling is an issue that may be of interest to many health-concerned people. It is specifically relevant to vegans because most of the foods that are high in saturated fats are animal-derived; however, foods that are high in sugars may or may not be vegan, so more research would need to be done to determine if these new labelling requirements would actually benefit animals.

The consultation is now closed, but if this is a topic that interests you, you might want to check out the live-streaming of an upcoming meeting with stakeholders on the subject. You can get your free tickets on Eventbrite.

Have a nice day!