Hunger can be hard to see, and is often misunderstood. For most people, hunger is not eating enough food. For others, however, it can mean eating the wrong type of food.

“The modern move to processed food brings hunger in the form of malnutrition,” said Liette Vasseur, Brock University’s United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global, who is moderating an upcoming panel to increase awareness about hunger in Canada. “For many Indigenous communities, for example, eating less of the traditional foods they are accustomed to is challenging their identity and culture, and affecting their health and nutrition.”

Food systems within Indigenous communities is one of several topics being discussed at a Zero Hunger discussion on Monday, Feb. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at GLN-B 118 in the International Centre. The brown bag lunch is a new forum series dedicated to finding solutions for UNESCO’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.  

“Some people think hunger is an international problem — that Canada doesn’t have any hungry people,” said Vasseur. “We know this is false. The increasing demand on food banks alone is proof that Canadians are going hungry. The Zero Hunger discussion will address food insecurity in Canada and offer some solutions.”  

The talk will feature four panelists who each bring a different perspective: 

• Leela MadhavaRau, Director, Human Rights and Equity, will speak about human rights and social justice as it relates to hunger
• Ana Sanchez, Professor, Health Sciences, will discuss the importance of public health and food banks
• Charlotte Henay, Lecturer, Women’s and Gender Studies, will share examples of how Hurricane Dorian has affected the Bahamas’ food supply
• Adrianne Lickers Xavier, PhD candidate at Royal Roads University and Indigenous Studies Instructor at McMaster University, will discuss her involvement as a driving force behind the Six Nations food security initiative, Our Sustenance

No RSVP is required to attend the event. Questions can be directed to Jocelyn Baker at bakerjoc@gmail.com