Longueuil: Social Economy Food Summit

Bringing together forces to fight food insecurity: this is the mission reaffirmed by representatives of the government and the community sector during the Social Economy Food Summit of Montérégie.

Louis-Antoine Lemire, political advisor in the office of Minister Chantal Rouleau, reminded that this initiative fully aligns with the government’s vision. “A day like today is truly part of our mission in government. The word we heard most often is ‘mutualization.’ We want people to work together as much as possible to find structural and sustainable solutions so that everyone can eat,” he said. According to him, “it is inconceivable that in 2024, people still cannot eat their fill.”

For David Miljour, director of the Social Economy Hub of the Longueuil agglomeration, the summit was not only relevant but essential. “Many social economy enterprises, private businesses, and producers are currently facing difficulties within the food chain,” he explained, citing problems related to transportation, logistics, and the constant rise in food prices. These pressures, he noted, directly affect food banks, solidarity grocery stores, and regional processors, while also heightening challenges tied to reducing food waste.

The summit therefore brought together stakeholders from various backgrounds to identify collective solutions. Among the priorities emphasized: the need to strengthen the marketing of products from the social economy. Miljour also denounced a persistent prejudice toward these enterprises: “People wrongly believe that the quality of products or services from social economy enterprises is lower than that of the private sector, which is completely false.”

Among the innovative proposals, the creation of a “territorial food logistics hub” drew particular attention. This initiative would aim to pool the resources of social economy enterprises, agricultural producers, and private businesses in order to optimize the supply and distribution of food throughout the Montérégie region.

Another promising idea that emerged from the discussions is the establishment of a food capitalization fund. This financial tool would support the growth of collective enterprises by giving them access to capital that is riskier but more sustainable, unlike one-time, non-recurring grants that often limit their development.

“Financing capital to create sustainability is an exceptional idea,” concluded Miljour, convinced that this approach could bring lasting transformation to the regional food system.