About Us
At the heart of our work is a simple idea
Food is a shared relationship, not just a resource.
The Food Action Network of Northwestern Ontario (FAN-NWO) is a non-profit network that brings people together to grow equitable, sustainable, and resilient food systems – right here in our region.
We connect communities, share knowledge, and support efforts that strengthen our food systems from the ground up. From building capacity for emergency food response to supporting local food production and harvesting, our work is rooted in care for people, the planet, and future generations.
Our Vision
Our vision is of resilient food systems that honour the land, celebrate community leadership, and ensure the right to healthy, culturally grounded food for all. We strive for a future where our food economies are regenerative, our ecosystems are flourishing, and all communities have the power to shape their food futures.
Our Mission
We work to build resilient, just, and thriving food systems across Northwestern Ontario. Guided by the leadership of communities and the interconnectedness of all life, we support food sovereignty, climate resilience, ecological stewardship, and strong local economies—shaping a future where healthy, culturally grounded food is a right for all.
FAN-NWO is a hub for collaboration, learning, and community-led food systems change.
We work across sectors and communities to:
Advance Food Sovereignty & Community Empowerment
We support communities to shape their food systems, centering Indigenous food sovereignty, local knowledge, and equitable access to land and food.
Support Regional Food Security & Circular Economies
We help build stronger regional food systems that keep food moving close to home, support fair livelihoods, and reduce dependency on long supply chains.
Enhance Emergency Preparedness
We work with communities to collaboratively prepare for and respond to food system disruptions, ensuring that everyone has access to the food they need, when they need it.
Strengthen Ecological Resilience
We promote regenerative, climate-smart practices that care for soil, water, and all living beings we share this place with.
How We Work
Our work moves like the cycle of a seed to compost: seasonal, relational, and circular. We believe in starting small, building on what works, and being rooted in place.
We bring together farmers, harvesters, educators, researchers, Indigenous knowledge holders, grassroots organizers, and policy advocates to share knowledge, build trust, and co-create solutions rooted in local realities.
Food system challenges are complex and interconnected. No one can do this work alone. Every part of the system matters, and every node in the network brings something to share. That’s why we believe in the power of networks and collective leadership to seed lasting change.
Our theory of change is network-based: we believe every person, community, and place holds unique gifts. Transformation happens when those gifts are woven together into something greater than the sum of its parts.
Why It Matters
Food touches everything. It connects us to culture, to each other, and to the lands and waters that sustain us.
But today’s dominant food systems prioritize profit over people and planet, and short-term gains over long-term care. Rising costs, climate disruptions, and systemic inequities are exposing just how fragile and unfair these systems can be.
At FAN-NWO, we believe in growing something different: food futures rooted in equity, ecological balance, and community well-being.
Everyone has a role to play in shaping that future, and the solutions are already alive in our region. Whether you’re growing tomatoes on a balcony, volunteering with a local food initiative, advocating for better food policies, or just curious to learn more – we’re here to support and connect the work already happening across our region.
7 Pillars of a Healthy, Sustainable Food System
Our work is organized around 7 pillars of a sustainable food system, which were selected by our community at a Food Summit held in March 2013. Our seven pillars are all underpinned by commitments to Indigenous food sovereignty, climate justice, and gender justice. For more details on each pillar, including the data we collect and track over time, see our Community Food System Report Card.
Food Access
Create a food system based on the principles that food is more than a commodity—that it is a human right—and in which all community members have regular access to adequate, affordable, nutritious, safe and culturally appropriate food in a way that maintains dignity.
Food Production
Protect and encourage growth in farm-scale production so that a greater proportion of food is grown, raised, prepared, processed, and purchased closer to home in ways that are ecologically reciprocal.
Food Infrastructure
Support the creation of local and regional food supply chains that links production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management in ways that sustain the local economy, minimize environmental impact and improve people’s access to healthy food.
Food Procurement
Forest & Freshwater Food
School Food Environments
Improve the eating habits, food skills and food literacy of children and youth in Northwestern Ontario through supportive healthy school food environments.
Urban Agriculture
Increase food production in the urban landscape and support the participation of citizens in urban agriculture activities.
About Us
Our History
Our story began in 1996 and has evolved through decades of community-driven work—starting with the original Food Action Network, which played a key role in developing the Thunder Bay and Area Food Charter in 2008. That Charter continues to guide our shared vision today. Building on this foundation, the network grew into the Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy (TBAFS), and now continues as the Food Action Network of Northwestern Ontario (FAN-NWO). Through each phase, our commitment has remained the same: to connect food and community, and to build a more just, resilient, and sustainable food system for all communities in Northwestern Ontario.
Milestones
1996: Food Action Network Founded
1996
Explore our past projects and publications
Our Team
The Food Action Network of Northwestern Ontario is powered by people who care deeply about building equitable and resilient food systems. Whether working behind the scenes or guiding our vision forward, our team brings diverse knowledge, lived experience, and a shared commitment to community-led change.
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors provides governance and strategic guidance to steward our mission and values. As a working board, members bring their time, energy, and networks to support food systems change across Northwestern Ontario. We’re committed to growing a diverse and representative board of up to 13 members. We seek voices from across the region and sectors, centering equity, lived experience, and local leadership.
Priority areas of representation include
- Indigenous food systems, governance, and leadership
- Land and water stewardship, climate action, and biodiversity conservation
- Public health and healthcare
- Youth engagement and education
- Farming, harvesting, and food production
- Non-profit, grassroots, and advocacy sectors
- Municipal or regional governance and policy
- Rural and remote community leadership
- Economic development, local business, and circular economies
- Research, planning, and systems-focused innovation
Context of our work
Curious about community food systems? You’re in the right place. Whether you’re new to these ideas or already deep into food systems work, we’re offering a bite-sized (but nourishing!) overview of the ideas that shape our collective efforts. Explore how food systems work, why they matter, and how communities are cultivating change from the ground up.
- Want to get involved in our food systems initiatives?
Food sovereignty is for all of us. Whether you’re a grower, a gatherer, a cook, a volunteer, a student, or an organizer—your voice matters in the global food sovereignty movement.