The most important priorities for nutritional health are infants, children and pregnant women. Toronto Public Health offers perinatal programs that aim to give children a good nutritional start in life, and public awareness programs to encourage better eating habits. Several non-profit organizations, such as FoodShare and the Red Cross, offer programs to provide families, elderly persons and disabled people with nutritious food, through initiatives such as the Good Food Box and Meals on Wheels. Community gardens, cooking programs and congregate dining programs bring people together to grow, prepare or enjoy food. Through these programs, people learn new skills and get to know other people in their communities.
Community gardens help green the environment and make families more self-sufficient.
Food as Part of the Local Economy and Environment Food is also an essential part of Toronto's economy. One in 10 people in our city works in the food sector, which includes restaurants, food stores and large food manufacturing plants. The City of Toronto supports the Toronto Kitchen Incubator, which provides facilities for start-up food businesses. However, Toronto is behind many other North American cities in capitalizing on the benefits of urban agriculture. In addition, people living in certain areas of Toronto do not have good access to large food stores, either because there are few stores in the vicinity, the neighbourhood is poorly served by transit, or because the only available shops are expensive convenience stores.