Food Policy

FOOD POLICY IN VANCOUVER: A SHORT HISTORY

The following overview has been adapted from a workshop paper originally produced with the kind support of the Cities Feeding People program of the International Development Research Centre. The paper was entitled, "Creating a Just and Sustainable Food System for the City of Vancouver." The original paper was written for a Cities Feeding People Workshop held from August 29 - September 2, 2004, in Toronto. The revised version also appears in Recipes for Success: A Celebration of Food Security Work in Canada (forthcoming), produced by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg.

On July 8, 2003, Vancouver City Council approved a motion supporting the development of a just and sustainable food system for the City of Vancouver. A just and sustainable food system is defined as one in which food production, processing, distribution and consumption are integrated to enhance the environmental, economic, social and nutritional health of a particular place. To provide leadership in achieving this goal, and to build on the work of the Vancouver Agreement Food Task Group, the Lower Mainland Food Coalition and other community groups, a Food Policy Task Force was initiated. The Food Policy Task Force was made up of Councillors Tim Louis, Fred Bass, and Ellen Woodsworth; Vancouver School Board Trustee, Andrea Reimer; Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Eva Riccius; representatives from Vancouver Coastal Health; the GVRD; and representatives from approximately 70 community groups, many of which had been developing and delivering food-related programs and services in Vancouver for over a decade. In striking the Food Policy Task Force, the goal of City Council was to recognize and build upon existing community experience and expertise. In order to better understand the history of the community’s involvement with food policy, a short overview is provided below.

Discussions about the desirability of a coordinated food policy for the City of Vancouver have been taking place for over ten years. In 1990, nutritionists in the Vancouver Health Department initiated internal discussions about the need for a food policy. Issues discussed included local food security, the production and supply of adequate quality foods and people’s ability to acquire them. Through local networking with other agencies, the nutritionists expanded their discussions to include agricultural land sustainability, the Buy BC First program, food support programs and nutrition education programs.

By 1993, these meetings became formalised and the Vancouver Food Policy Coalition (VFPC) was created. Members included FarmFolk/CityFolk, Vancouver Health Department, City of Vancouver Social Planning Department, BC Ministry of Agriculture, Reach Community Health Centre, Chinese Cultural Centre, BC Dieticians and Nutritionists Association, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society and the Council of Marketing Boards for BC.

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In August 1995, Vancouver’s Medical Health Officer reported to City Council on the food policy discussions that had been taking place in the community, and plans for the future. In October of the same year, the Medical Health Officer informed City Council of the existence of the Vancouver Food Policy Coalition and their discussions about generating a food policy for the City of Vancouver. City Council received the report for information but no further City action was taken at the time.

In 1996, the functions of the Vancouver Health Department (health promotion, prevention, seniors’ health, continuing care and wellness) became a provincial responsibility. Even in the absence of a City-administered Health Department, discussions about community-based food policy initiatives continued. Much of the work took place under the auspices of the Vancouver Food Policy Coalition. At the same time, a number of City-supported initiatives including community gardens, farmers markets and emergency food programs were on-going.

Between 1996 and 2003, a wide range of community organizations continued to develop and deliver food-related programs and services in Vancouver. Some of these groups were members of the Lower Mainland Food Coalition (formerly the Vancouver Food Policy Coalition and Lower Mainland Food Council). The Lower Mainland Food Coalition (LMFC) emerged from an initial meeting held December 9, 2002 to which groups and organizations concerned about food policy were invited. From this meeting, a core group came forward and met regularly during the spring. The group created a mandate for what they wanted to achieve, plans and goals for action, and a background/briefing document, Closer to Home: A Recipe for a Community-Based Food Organization. The LMFC’s core group of members included farmers, nutritionists, media, researchers, and citizens working on food issues in the community. Some of these people were previous VFPC Directors and most had worked in the food community for years. The LMFC received support and funding from Health Canada, the Vancouver Agreement Food Task Team, and Growing Green. There were a number of triggering events led to the City Council motion to create a just and sustainable food system for Vancouver and the subsequent creation of the Food Policy Task Force in July 2003. These included a critical mass of community expertise, key governmental partnerships with bodies including the Vancouver Agreement Food Task Group, a number of community-based workshops and speakers and growing public awareness about food issues and sustainability.

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The Vancouver Food Policy Task Force and Food Action Plan

Once the Council motion was passed in July 2003 and the Food Policy Task Force formed, the first of two consultation processes was initiated. The outcome of the first round of consultation was the formulation a Food Action Plan that was presented to Vancouver City Council for approval on December 9, 2003. The Action Plan focused on areas where City of Vancouver has the jurisdictional power to act in support of goals identified. In recognition of the fact that many food system issues must be addressed on a regional basis (and in many cases beyond), opportunities for collaboration with other municipalities, levels of government, and stakeholders were identified. The Action Plan was made up of three components:

1. A recommendation to create a Vancouver Food Policy Council (VFPC)

2. An interim work plan including five action items:

• City-wide food system assessment
• Rooftop gardens
• Community gardens
• Farmers’ markets
• Coordinated food processing and distribution facility for low income citizens.

3. An implementation Support System (a recommendation to create two full-time dedicated City staff positions to facilitate food system goals). The two positions are a permanent full-time Food Policy Coordinator and temporary two-year Food System Planner.

Outcomes

On December 11, 2003 , Vancouver City Council approved the proposed Food Action Plan pending 2004 budget decisions. On March 11, 2004 at the Standing Committee Meeting on City Services and Budgets, City Council voted to approve the expenditures associated with the Action Plan. Finally, on July 14, 2004 , the Food Policy Task Force, as its final act, elected members of Vancouver’s first municipally-affiliated Food Policy Council. The Vancouver Food Policy Council met for the first time in September 2004 to develop a detailed work plan that integrates and builds upon the projects and goals identified in the Food Action Plan. By early in 2005, the VPFC had identified a number of priority work areas including:

a) Creation of a Food Charter for the City of Vancouver,
b) Increased Access to Groceries for residents of Vancouver ;
c) Creating an Institutional Food Purchasing Policy, and
d) Developing a Coordinated Effort towards Food Recovery.

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