Immigrant Communities in Canada and the Right to Culturally Appropriate Food

Abstract

The significance of culturally appropriate food has been largely missing from recent conversations around the human right to food. Although loosely recognized as an element of the right to food, culturally appropriate food is not clearly defined in law; it is therefore largely treated as a negative obligation, where any food that does not directly violate cultural values is seen as sufficient to fulfil this element. As a country that positions itself as welcoming to immigrants and refugees, Canada has both an interest and an obligation in fulfilling the right to culturally appropriate food for these communities. Despite this, culturally appropriate food is neither clearly nor adequately addressed by existing legal mechanisms, either in Canada or internationally. However, I propose that a clear definition in law is neither entirely possible nor strictly necessary in the pursuit of the positive achievement of the right to culturally appropriate food for immigrant communities. In support of my argument, this paper explores different conceptualizations of cultural foods, influenced by the inherently and eternally shifting nature of culture itself, and proposes a shift in focus from food security to food sovereignty to adequately address the cultural food needs of immigrants and refugees in Canada. After an introductory section, section II will outline several definitions essential to this discussion: the human right to food, food security, and food sovereignty. Section III will explore different ways that culturally appropriate food has been conceptualized, particularly within discussions of food security and food sovereignty. Section IV discusses cultural food security and some of the barriers faced for its achievement by immigrants and refugees in Canada. Finally, section V discusses further opportunities for research on the impact of local food production and food sovereignty toward the achievement of the right to culturally appropriate food.