Food as Medicine

April 26, 2023, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Canada 2020 Studio
Third Floor, 35 O'Connor Street, Ottawa, ON

Food is essential to health and wellbeing. Yet, 5.8 million Canadians are experiencing food insecurity, meaning they struggle to access the food they need due to financial constraints and other challenges. The escalating cost of living seen across Canada (and much of the world) will only escalate this issue. Food insecurity has serious implications on health and wellbeing, which leads to a large burden on the health care system.

Food insecurity is considered a social determinant of health – but can public policy “treat” the upstream causes rather than the symptoms? The concept of ‘food as medicine’ is emerging as an innovative framework through which policy could treat food as healthcare. Can it help reduce the burden food insecurity places on our health care system in Canada?

On Wednesday, April 26, join Canada 2020 in Ottawa for a timely conversation on ways that public policy can prioritize reducing food insecurity, improving access, and building a healthier future for all.

Food as Medicine:

Exploring the connections and opportunities across food and health care

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 | 12:00 pm EDT

Canada 2020 Studio

Third Floor, 35 O’Connor Street | Ottawa, Ontario

Light lunch provided

Individual: $35 | Table of 6: $195

Non-profit/educator/student: $25

Register here

Watch the livestream here

Announced Speakers

Dr. Andrew Boozary

Executive Director, Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine, University Health Network
Biography

Dr. Andrew Boozary
Dr. Andrew Boozary is a primary care physician, policy practitioner, researcher, and founding executive director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine at the University Health Network. He completed his medical training at the University of Toronto and health policy training at Princeton University and Harvard University. His work at the intersection of health policy, social justice and equitable health care delivery aims to improve health outcomes for marginalized populations. During the pandemic, Dr. Boozary served as co-lead of the Ontario Health Toronto Region COVID-19 Homelessness Response and holds the Dalla Lana Professorship in Policy Innovation at the University of Toronto. He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Public Health Review and served in senior advisory roles for policymakers at various levels of government both nationally and abroad on public policy issues ranging from primary care reform to the implementation of pharmacare. Dr. Boozary has published in high-impact academic journals, and his writing and analysis appear in print and broadcast media. He has been the recipient of a number of national and international awards, and is the youngest physician recipient of the Louise Lemieux-Charles Health System Leadership Award.
Dr. Kate Mulligan

Senior Director of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing
Biography

Dr. Kate Mulligan
Dr. Kate Mulligan is the Senior Director of the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing, a collective impact initiative advancing community-led action on the social and structural determinants of health. Kate is an Assistant Professor in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and an advisor on knowledge mobilization and determinants of health for the Canadian Red Cross. Her work focuses on supporting, measuring and scaling up the role of the community sector in systems of health and wellbeing.
Joshua Smee

CEO, Food First NL
Biography

Joshua Smee
Joshua Smee is the CEO of Food First NL, a provincial nonprofit organization that works with communities across Newfoundland & Labrador to advance the right to food and to further their vision of a province where everyone can eat with dignity and joy. Passionate about systems change and the power of collective action, Joshua has taken a lead role in many coalitions and campaigns. He co-chairs the provincial Food Security Working Group with the Government of NL, is a lead organizer of Basic Income NL, and sat on the province's Health Accord Task Force.
David Herle

MODERATOR - Host, Curse of Politics and the Herle Burly; and Owner of the Gandalf Group
Biography

David Herle
David Herle has been around Liberal politics for a long time, starting as a kid in Saskatchewan organizing ridings for provincial leader Ralph Goodale in the early 80’s to working on campaigns with Paul Martin and Kathleen Wynne among others. He commented on politics for ten years on CBC’s The National. He is known for strategic thinking, blunt talk, lifelong passions (Liberal Party, Riders, Habs, Hawkins Cheezies, Lemon Hart rum, and black licorice), and occasionally saying something he wished he could take back.
Kathryn Scharf

Chief Program Officer, Community Food Centres Canada
Biography

Kathryn Scharf
Kathryn Scharf is the Chief Program Officer of Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC). Kathryn has worked for over 20 years in the community food security sector in Toronto from many vantage points: from grassroots work in with community kitchens and alternative food distribution through to program development and initiatives aimed at changing systems through food policy and action. Kathryn spent 6 years as Program Director at The Stop Community Food Centre, where she helped to develop the community food centre program model and the strategy to take the model to a national scale. In 2012, she helped to launch CFCC which has grown to a staff of more than 40 funding and supporting the capacity of 400 partner organizations across Canada.
Adam van Koeverden

Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of Health, and Member of Parliament for Milton
Biography

Adam van Koeverden
Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of Health, and Member of Parliament for Milton