1. Starting Premise: Digital tech holds lots of potential to help transform food systems
Build diverse economies (peer to peer, crowdsourcing, reputational & exchange systems)
Build and strengthen networks (market & movement)
Raise profiles & awareness
Create & share information & data
Organize communities & campaigns
Influence policy
Shape public opinion
And of course - sell green & fair food

2. BUT - Digital tech remains underutilized
Primarily being used for ‘one to many’ communication
Website info sharing
s & e-Newsletters
Blogs
Some ‘peer to peer’ sharing (on-line communities)
Some e-commerce

3. We know there is a gap
1 in 3 community food initiatives in Canada, as well as in the US list ICT and digital tech as a leading challenge

4. OFN-Canada talked with 143 sustainable food initiatives/organizations in Ontario
We asked about their ‘dreams and fears’: How is/might the ‘internet revolution’ be shaping sustainable food?

5. Diverse Themes depending on the types of stakeholders
For profit-based firms – logistics & e-commerce solutions
Justice & Ecologically focused - want to connect for bigger impact
Small scale farms/firms – worry they’ll just be further marginalized or co-opted
Diverse/indigenous groups – worry it will worsen existing injustice
Consumers – tools for transparency and engagement

6. Things OFN-CAN could help with…
Knowledge Mobilization & Skill Building
Primarily peer-to-peer
Changing ‘consumer’ – ‘producer’ roles
New ‘prosumer’ roles – greater engagement
Joining Up for Greater Impact
Flatter networked relations in ‘market’ and ‘movement’
“Stay small & get connected” vs “Go big or get out”
Food Justice & Transformative Change
Equity & inclusion vs Worsen inequities & exclusion

7. Need to build a vision for OFN – ‘beyond the market’
Working in collaboration to use the ‘market’ and ‘movement’ for transformation
E-commerce
& Logistics
Platform
Portal to
Digital Activism
Because we can’t change
the world just by shopping.
Help ‘consumers’ join producers in food system transformation
Join together ‘the many and the small’
For efficient market access

8. OFN E-commerce/Logistics
Platform
Ecological producers
who want to sell sell in local markets (bulk or retail)
Ethical and ecologically aware eaters who want to create their own food systems
Platform is a set of diverse tools to connect these two groups in new kinds of ways.
In addition to its current tools, the OFN platform needs:
easier ways for small scale suppliers to sell on-line (set up wizard?)
tools that make shipping/delivery of goods easier – shares the burden of ‘delivery’ (crowd sourcing delivery?)
enhancements for ‘other than capitalist’ markets (ie non monetary exchange & barter)
Tools for promotion & communication – recruit new participants, help feeders & eaters find each other, map improvements

9. OFN Portal to Food Activism
Offers access to open source tools for OFN (and non-OFN) suppliers & eaters to create and/or participate in petitions, campaigns, protests etc. for food system transformation.
Offers producers and consumers opportunities for food citizenship.
Helps to ‘join up’ food justice and ecological justice movements in the global North and South
Imagine for food system transformation (maybe we partner with them ?)