Community Voices Matter: Help Shape Food and Health Equity for Black Communities in British Columbia

At Afro Van Connect Society, we believe that building healthy, sustainable Black communities requires understanding the systems and experiences that shape our everyday lives. From access to culturally relevant foods to broader questions of health and equity, our communities deserve to have their perspectives represented in research and the development of programs that affect them.

We are pleased to share the BAC Community Voices: Food Survey, a research initiative seeking to better understand the food- and health-related experiences of Black, African, and Caribbean communities living in British Columbia.

This survey offers an opportunity for community members to contribute their experiences and perspectives toward research that may help inform more equitable, community-responsive health programs.

Understanding Food, Health, and Community Experiences

Food plays a significant role in how we connect with our cultures, families, histories, and communities.

For many people of African and Caribbean descent, food traditions carry generations of knowledge, cultural practices, and connections to ancestral identities.

At the same time, the systems surrounding food and health can influence how communities experience well-being and access resources.

The BAC Community Voices: Food Survey aims to better understand the factors, structures, and lived experiences influencing food- and health-related issues among Black, African, and Caribbean communities.

The knowledge gathered may contribute to a deeper understanding of how equity-informed programs can be developed to improve health outcomes for these communities.

Why Community Participation Matters

Research and public health initiatives are most meaningful when they reflect the experiences of the people they are intended to support.

Historically, the experiences of Black communities have not always been adequately represented in research, policy development, and institutional decision-making.

Creating opportunities for Black, African, and Caribbean residents to share their perspectives is an important part of addressing these gaps.

By participating in this survey, community members can help researchers better understand the diverse circumstances, challenges, and experiences that influence food and health.

Our communities should have a voice in shaping the knowledge and programs that inform our collective well-being.

Who Can Participate?

The BAC Community Voices: Food Survey is open to individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Are 18 years of age or older.
• Self-identify as Black, African, or of Caribbean descent.
• Currently reside in British Columbia.
• Are able to communicate in English.
• Are the only adult in their household participating in this survey.

Survey Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

Participation: Voluntary

Participants may withdraw at any time by closing their browser. Responses will be used for the purposes of the research and/or to inform future research directions.

Food Equity Is Community Well-Being

At Afro Van Connect, our work is rooted in the belief that sustainable communities are built through cultural preservation, collective care, creative empowerment, and equitable access to resources.

Through initiatives such as our community gardens, food sovereignty programming, and the Black Spaces Initiative, we recognize the important relationships between food, land, cultural identity, and community health.

Food equity is not simply about what is available on our plates. It is also about understanding the social and structural conditions that influence access, health, dignity, and belonging.

Supporting community-informed research is one way to contribute to a broader conversation about how institutions, services, and programs can better respond to the needs of Black communities across British Columbia.

Take the BAC Community Voices: Food Survey

If you identify as Black, African, or of Caribbean descent and meet the eligibility requirements, we encourage you to consider participating.

Your experiences and perspectives can contribute to a growing body of knowledge about food and health equity in British Columbia.

TAKE THE BAC COMMUNITY VOICES: FOOD SURVEY

The survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, and participation is entirely voluntary.

Help Us Amplify Community Voices

We encourage community members, families, cultural organizations, and networks across British Columbia to share this opportunity with eligible participants.

The more our communities are meaningfully represented in research, the greater the opportunity to develop knowledge that reflects our diverse experiences and priorities.

Our food carries our histories. Our health shapes our futures. Our voices deserve to be heard.

Together, we can support a future where Black communities are represented in conversations and research about food, health, and collective well-being.

This research opportunity is shared by Afro Van Connect Society in support of community-informed research, food equity, and Black community well-being.

Afro Van Connect Society

Creating Space. Building Community. Sustaining Black Futures.

www.afrovanconnect.ca