Statistics

Collective Kitchen Statistics

Since 1995, the number of collective kitchens in the RCCQ network has grown from 500 to 1,400. This constitutes a 280% increase in the number of member groups.

Over 80% of collective kitchens were established from 1991 to 1995.

95% of the activities of collective kitchens stop during the summer period.
- 33% of the reasons for this are vacations and children’s school holidays.

Nearly 75% of the activities of collective kitchens take place during the day.

The frequency of activities is from once to twice a month for 65% of groups.

Nearly 48% of collective kitchens conduct their activities on the premises of a local organization.

Over 50% of collective kitchens collaborate with a community organization.

The goals of collective kitchens are nutritional, social, educational and financial.

Profile of Collective Kitchen Participants

Number and gender of persons involved (mouths to feed):
- 34% are women.
- 20% are men.
- 44% are children.

Profile of collective kitchen participants:
- 25% are low-income individuals.
- 24% are low-income families with children.
- 12% are persons suffering from isolation.

Composition of collective kitchen groups:
- 35% of groups are made up of women only.
- 39% of groups are mixed (men and women).
- 1.5% of groups are made up of men only.
- 0.5% of groups are made up of children only.
- 0.5% of groups are mixed and with children.

Age of participants:
- 24% are age 18 to 29.
- 43.5% are age 30 to 44.
- 19% are age 45 to 54.

Level of education of participants:
- 74% of participants have less than 11 years of school.
- Over 22% of participants have from 12 to 15 years of school.

Profile of RCCQ Collective Kitchen Member Groups

In 2006-2007, the RCCQ comprised over 1,400 collective kitchens in Quebec feeding some 37,000 persons (women, men and children).

In Quebec, over 6,780 collective kitchen participants cook healthy meals together:
- They cook 847,500 servings a month and 8,312,500 servings per year.

More than a Collective Kitchen....

Collective kitchens contribute to social and economic development, to increasing the buying power of the participants and, as a result, to greater physical, mental, social and spiritual well being.

Collective Kitchens...Contribute to Society

Collective kitchens are independent community resources that develop in a particular location in order to meet everyday needs. Such an initiative enables the participants to have a place where they feel a sense of belonging, and to contribute to the development of a popular education and collective action network.

A collective kitchen:

Provides an opportunity to get out of the house.
Offers a chance to socialize and make friends.
Builds self-confidence.
Encourages initiative.
Promotes autonomy and self-sufficiency.
Allows the participants to use and share their knowledge and to acquire new knowledge.
Gives the participants the chance to experience job situations.
Creates a mutual-assistance network, etc.

Collective Kitchen Values

Our values and principles, which cement the bond between the members of our collective kitchens, are dynamic and flexible, and their application has evolved over the years. When a collective kitchen joins the Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec, it agrees to uphold the Regroupement’s values and principles (Basis of Unity):

Respect for the Individual & Human Dignity
Autonomy & Self-sufficiency
Democracy
Solidarity
Equality and Social Justice

These principles and values are what make collective kitchens a truly winning recipe, along with the fact that participation is voluntary. The participants of collective kitchen groups decide together what their activities will be. They work together in a spirit of dignity by respecting the pace and choices of each participants.

Open to diversity, collective kitchens are accessible to everyone in the community. This unconditional access prevents exclusion, marginalization, and isolation on the part of individuals and groups, and helps eliminate prejudices. The collective kitchen movement reinforces human values, and one of those highest values is a welcoming, friendly atmosphere free of discrimination.

Food Autonomy....

The RCCQ Promotes Food Autonomy

The collective kitchen movement has chosen the term Food Autonomy rather than food security.

Definition of Food Autonomy

Food autonomy is defined as:

Access at all times and over the long term to an adequate daily supply of food at a reasonable cost.
The power to choose, with dignity and based on clear and reliable information, food that is healthy, sanitary and varied.
A condition achieved through collective action and social solidarity towards individual and collective self-sufficiency and empowerment, for the betterment of the community, and with a sustainable development perspective.
Protecting the environment, promoting fair trade and responsible consumption, and achieving a sustainable balance between meeting the needs of the present and future generations.