Food Study Tours

“Be prepared for a life changing experience.” This is the most frequent advice offered by former food study tour participants to anyone who is considering participating. Words like “amazing”, “powerful” and “exhilarating” are also used to describe the study tour experience.

Participants will meet and be hosted by some of the most interesting and hospitable people on earth. Your hosts will be the local people who are working tirelessly to end hunger in their communities. You’ll spend time in their homes, on their farms, at their places of work and in their churches. You’ll learn about how the Foodgrains Bank is partnering with these amazing people in a collective effort to end hunger. We invite you to consider going on one of these tours. Apply early as space is limited.

Click here to see photos from a recent food study tour to Haiti.

About the Food Study Tour

Canadian Foodgrains Bank strongly requires participants to share their experiences and insights by speaking to local church and community groups upon their return. In particular, the Foodgrains Bank hopes participants use what they have learned to help others better understand the complexities of poverty, hunger and food production in the developing world.

Interested participants should be aware that a Food Study Tour is not a holiday, or mission trip. Considerable pre-tour background reading is required, as we as commitment to following CFGB guidelines for appropriate and meaningufl cross cultural interaction. Accommodations are basic. Food Study Tours are limited to a maximum of 8-10 participants.

Three Main Goals of the Food Study Tour Program

  1. To build awareness of and appreciation for member programming by introducing participants to Foodgrains Bank   members' and partners' programming and it's benefits in country.
  2. To facilitate learning about hunger and food-related issues by giving participants first-hand experience.
  3. To cultivate North-South relationships and solidarity by providing opportunities for tour participants, staff, and their hosts to connect in a meaningful way.

Some of the Activities Aimed at Achieving These Goals

  • Involvement of Member , Partner and CFGB staff in planning and development of the food study tour.
  • Required pre-trip reading materials for participants on various topics including: region specific information, root causes of hunger and poverty,
  • In country visits to CFGB and Member supported and/or affiliated projects
  • All participants attend region specific orientation, intercultural effectiveness training, multiple mid-tour reflection sessions and debriefings.
  • Participants are encouraged to approach the tour as learners, who are there to listen and explore.
  • Where possible and appropriate, tours will include several nights stay with local hosts' where meaningful relationship building can take place.
  • Participants will be required to deepen their learning by speaking and/or writing publicly about their experiences upon return to Canada.

Click Here for Upcoming Tours

A Participants Experience - 10 Years Later

Long time Foodgrains supporter Warren Crossman went on a Food Study Tour to Ethiopia 10 years ago and still finds himself sharing about the experience regularly. He and his wife Kathy have since moved on to a farm near Yorkton, Saskatchewan to do what they love to do best: grow plants!