Stories that inspire
Récolte
Récolte (Harvest) is a social enterprise working to improve our local food systems and make them more sustainable. It supports agents of change with a variety of services. Among them: consultations on ecosystemic projects, accompaniment and guidance, and help for community mobilization.
It was in fact a consultation initiative that led Foundation of Greater Montréal to call on Récolte. Operating from 2018 to 2020, Zero Hunger in Montréal led to a better overall understanding of the food security ecosystem in Montréal, thanks to knowledge sharing among the various actors, cooperation on joint actions and development of strategic roadmaps.
What is the “Zero Hunger” initiative?
Zero Hunger in Montréal yielded some very clear findings. First, community organizations lack the infrastructure, and the means, to provide healthy and locally-sourced meals to the 11% of Montrealers who are suffering through food insecurity. To try to remove these obstacles, Récolte is pursuing a five-year experiment with its partners. They are developing a local and integrated Montréal food system (SALIM ─ Système alimentaire local et intégré à Montréal). It features a network of logistical food hubs: shared spaces, near farms and in the heart of neighbourhoods, which will allow for the storage, processing and distribution of healthy local foods, directing them to community organizations, and through them, to those in need.
SALIM, which was developed via Montréal en commun ─ the new name for the Smart Cities Challenge, won by the City of Montréal in 2019 ─ is a collaborative project with multiple stakeholders. It will leverage projects involving actors working to improve food security. It also represents a chance to undertake a collective effort to implement a sustainable and practical local supply system.
A word about Laura Howard
Laura Howard is Récolte’s cofounder and director, business development and partnerships. She is driven by her passions for strengthening local food systems, the circular economy and social innovation. Laura has over 15 years’ experience with non-profit organizations and social enterprises. Having built up large networks in local food activism, in social economy and in entrepreneurship in Quebec, Canada and the United States, she is also the cofounder of Talk With Your Mouth Full and EnRacine.