Food Policy

Publications, Links and Other Resources

This page has been divided into the following sections:

» Council Reports
» City Motions, By-Laws and Other Resources related to Municipal Food Policy
» Reports and Resources on Vancouver’s Food System - City and Vancouver Food Policy Council
» Reports and Resources on Vancouver’s Food System - General
» Reports and Resources on Edible Landscaping in Vancouver
» Food Policy and Food System Resources - British Columbia
» Food Policy and Food System Resources - Canada
» Food Policy and Food System Resources - International
» Food Policy and Food System Resources - General
» Food - Ethical, Organic & Fair Trade Food Choices - NEW
» Selected External Links to Various Food Security Websites
» Free and Low Cost Meals and Groceries in Vancouver

Council Reports

• Urban Agriculture Design Guidelines for the Private Realm, January 20, 2009 (PDF, 112KB)
• Third Annual Food Policy Progress Report, May 11, 2008 (PDF, 58KB)
• Second Annual Food Policy Progress Report, February 15, 2007 (PDF, 1.35MB)
• Community Garden Pilot Project, May 16, 2006 (PDF, 56KB)
• Food Policy Progress Report, October 20, 2005 (PDF, 122KB)
• Hobby Beekeeping (Urban Apiculture) in Vancouver, July 21, 2005 (PDF, 108KB)
• Vancouver Food Policy Council Liaisons, September 14, 2004
• Action Plan for Creating a Just and Sustainable Food System for the City of Vancouver, December 9, 2003

City Motions, By-Laws and Other Resources related to Municipal Food Policy

• 2,010 Garden Plots by 2010, May 30, 2006 (PDF, 12KB)
• Motion Re: Sewer Service Charges for Community Gardens, September 13, 2005 (PDF, 11KB)
• Motion to Preserve Farmland for Food Production in the Agricultural Land Reserve, November 16, 2004
• City of Vancouver By-laws, Policies, Guidelines and Decisions Related to the Food System (PDF, 40KB) A draft summary of City of Vancouver by-laws, policies, guidelines, and decisions related to various elements of the food system.
• Vancouver Food Policy Council Terms of Reference (PDF, 38KB) outlines the vision and mandate; roles and responsibilities; principles and protocols; and the structure that will guide the first Food Policy Council.
• The Council Motion (PDF, 6KB) supporting the development of a just and sustainable food system for the City of Vancouver.
• An inventory (PDF, 22KB) of food-related programs, projects or services currently provided and/or supported by the City of Vancouver including the Parks Board and School Board.
• OneDay Vancouver website - produced by the City’s Office of Sustainability.

Reports and Resources on Vancouver’s Food System - City and Vancouver Food Policy Council

• Mandate and Terms of Reference for Vancouver Food Policy Council, Revised November 2007 (PDF, 42KB)
• Terms of Reference - Vancouver Food Policy Council, July 2004 (PDF, 38KB)
• Vancouver Food Charter, January 2007 (PDF, 42KB)
• Backgrounder on the Food Charter, January 2007 (PDF, 64KB)
• Food Secure Vancouver: Baseline Report (PDF, 1.51MB) A study that attempts to answer key questions around food security. How sustainable is the global food system in the face of global stresses caused by, among other factors, increasing population, climate change, higher energy costs, health concerns, and changing consumer preferences? What role does the local food system play in this? And, what are the implications for food security in Vancouver?
• The Vancouver Food Assessment Report - Final (PDF, 888KB) Produced by a consortium of Vancouver food researchers in collaboration with the City of Vancouver, this study explores how that system might be transformed to enhance food security for all residents through community-led economic development and promotion of policies that build food system sustainability. The purpose of the research summarized in this report is threefold: (1) to develop an assessment of food security in Vancouver; (2) to explore how the food system in Vancouver might be transformed; and, (3) to provide information and recommendations to support the Vancouver Food Policy Council and other agencies.
• The Vancouver Food Assessment Report - Summary (PDF, 2.29MB) presents a condensed version of the assessment of the current state of Vancouver’s food system.
  • Appendix A - Inventory of Food Security Resources in Vancouver (PDF, 491KB)
  • Appendix B - Health Canada’s Healthy Food Basket (PDF, 27KB)
  • Appendix C - Community Garden Research (PDF, 86KB)
  • Appendix D - Agriculture Education Programs (PDF, 32KB)
  • Appendix E - Rooftop Gardens with Food Production (PDF, 41KB)
  • Appendix F - Food Security Organizations in Vancouver (PDF, 31KB)
  • Appendix G - Focus Group Methods (PDF,10KB)
  • Appendix H - Food Related Social Enterprises (PDF, 112KB)
  • Appendix I - Models and Cases Summary (PDF, 125KB)
  • Appendix J - Food Related Social Economy Programs (PDF, 15KB)
  • Appendix K - Social Enterprise Strategies (PDF, 33KB)
  • Appendix L - Labour Force Needs in the Food Service Sector (PDF, 34KB)
  • Appendix M - Vancouver’s Food Security Indicators (PDF, 36KB)
• Vancouver Food Policy Council. Vancouver Recovered Food Assessment, May 13, 2006 (PDF, 1.04MB)

Reports and Resources on Vancouver’s Food System - General

• Vancouver Coastal Health. Community Food Action Initiative: Three Year Action Plan. Part of the Healthy Eating component of ActNow BC. The purpose of this Initiative is to increase food security in BC for all members of the community while specifically working to improve access to healthy foods for people with low income. In Vancouver an Action Plan was developed in consultation with the community.
  • Action Plan Final Report (PDF, 797KB)
  • Action Plan - Appendices A to J (PDF, 267KB)
• Community Food Security and the Landscape of the Cities (PDF, 3.69MB) Masters Thesis on the Collingwood neighbourhood of Vancouver.
• Creating a Just and Sustainable Food System in Vancouver: The Role of Governance, Partnerships and Policy-Making. (PDF, 4.62MB). PhD Thesis by Wendy Mendes. 2006.
• Growing Gardens: A Resource Package on How to Start Your Own Community Garden. Undergraduate report prepared by the Urban Agriculture Site Development Group - Gehron Burkholder, Polly Ng, Jing Niu, Anjuli Solanki (UBC/SPEC).
  • Growing Gardens: A Resource Package on How to Start Your Own Community Garden. (PDF, 802KB)
  • Appendix A - Contact List of Helpful People (PDF, 40KB)
    
  • Appendix B: Urban Agriculture Site Analysis Template (PDF, 62KB)
    
  • Appendix C: Inventory of Community Meeting Spaces (PDF, 301KB)
    
  • Appendix D: City of Vancouver Community Garden Pilot Project (PDF, 55KB)
    
  • Appendix E: BC Agricultural Testing Labratories (PDF, 112KB)
    
  • Appendix F: Other Soil Testing Labratories (PDF, 30KB)
    
  • Appendix G: Soil Sampling Factsheet (PDF, 419KB)
    
  • Appendix H: Compost Information (PDF, 39KB)
    
  • Appendix I: Template Donation Letter (PDF, 28KB)
  • Appendix J: Grant Information (PDF, 71KB)
    
  • Appendix K: Resource Information (PDF, 45KB)
    
  • Appendix L: Template Community Garden Meeting Minutes (PDF, 1.18MB)
  • Appendix M: Template Community Garden Contract (PDF, 367KB)
• Growing Space: The Potential for Urban Agriculture in the City of Vancouver (PDF, 2.11MB) UBC Masters Thesis by Terra Murphy Kaethler.
• Planning for Farmers Markets and Sustainable Food Systems (PDF, 524KB) Masters Thesis on the city’s markets by Catherine Jacobson.
• South East False Creek Urban Agriculture Strategy (PDF, 2.66MB). A report prepared in November 2002 by the Holland Bars Planning Group.
• Exploring Food Security in Vancouver’s Westside (PDF, 49KB). A report by Heather Pottery and Adrienne Jinkerson. June 2007.

Reports and Resources on Edible Landscaping in Vancouver

• City of Vancouver Edible Landscaping Brochure (PDF, 508KB) - March 2006
• City of Vancouver Edible Landscaping Information Sheet (PDF, 72KB) - March 2006
• Edible Landscaping Project by Niki Strutynski (City of Vancouver Food Policy Internship Study). Final Report (PDF, 1.53MB); Appendix A - Local Plant List (PDF, 48KB); Appendix B - City Hall East Wing (PDF, 138KB); References and Resources (PDF, 35KB)

Food Policy and Food System Resources - British Columbia

• Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. B.C.’s Food Self Reliance: Can B.C.’s Farmer’s Feed Our Growing Population? (PDF, 730KB) - Undated.
• Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. A Strategy For Combatting Childhood Obesity and Physical Inactivity in British Columbia (PDF, 1.04MB) - November 2006
• Interior Health - Community Food Action Initiative. Project Overview and Kamloops Food Action Plan (PDF, 276KB) - September 2006
• Agricultural Land Reserve Protection and Enhancement Committee. Case Study of Agricultural Land Commission Decisons: The Need for Inquiry and Reform (PDF, 394KB) - August 2006
• Steve Kerstetter and Michael Goldberg/PHSA. A Review of Policy Options for Increasing Food Security and Income Security in British Columbia (PDF, 306KB) - 2007
• Steve Kerstetter and Michael Goldberg. Food Security and Public Policy in British Columbia: Background Paper (PDF, 542KB) - November 2006

Food Policy and Food System Resources - Canada

• Dieticians of Canada. Community Food Security - Position Paper. April 2007. (PDF, 115KB)
• Evergreen Foundation. Growing Healthy Food on Canada’s School Grounds. March 2006. (PDF, 217KB)

Food Policy and Food System Resources - International

• London Development Agency. Healthy and Sustainable Food For London: The Mayor’s Food Strategy. May 2006. (PDF, 1.99MB) See also the London Food Strategy website which has additional reports: www.londonfoodstrategy.org.uk
• City of Portland, Oregon. Diggable Cities Inventory Report. February 2006. (PDF, 611KB)

Food Policy and Food System Resources - General

• ICMA. Community Health and Food Access: The Local Government Role, August 2006 (PDF, 332 KB)
• American Planning Association. Food System Planning - Why Is It a Planning Issue?, August 2005
• Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Food Security Assembly (Waterloo, 2005) (PDF, 4.16MB)
• Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: Improving Access and Opportunities Through Food Retailing. (Fall 2005) (PDF, 2.62MB)
• Table sur la Faim. Components for a Policy on Food Security, November 2004 (PDF, 308KB)
• A bibliography (PDF, 23KB) of reference material on food policy and food security issues.
• Internet links (PDF, 8KB) to food policy organizations

Food - Ethical, Organic and Fair Trade Food Choices

• CBC News. Fair Trade: An Alternative Economic Model.
• Picking the Good Egg: Behind the Labels of “Ethical” Animal Products. (PDF, 102KB)
• Guy Dauncey. Ten Reasons Why Organic Food Is Better. Undated. (PDF, 46KB)
• University of Saskatchewan. Reasons for the Consumption of Organic Food.

Selected External Links to Various Food Security Websites
(Note: The following external links are provided for information purposes only and will open in a new browser window. The City of Vancouver assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or nature of the content on these sites.)

• 100 Mile Diet - Local eating reduces food miles!
• Aunt Leah’s Independent Lifeskills Society - food programs for youth and community
• BC Market Directory - A listing of farmers markets throughout the province
• Canadian Cancer Society - Eat Well Be Active program
• Centre for Ecoliteracy - Rethinking School Lunch Guide
• City Farmer - Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture
• Collingwood Neighbourhood House - Food Security Institute
• Fresh Choice Kitchens: The Community Kitchen Program
• Dieticians of Canada - BC Region (Cost of Eating Report)
• Farm Folk City Folk
• Farm Fresh Products Guide - direct farm marketers in the Fraser Valley
• Fraser Health Authority - Food Security Info and Links
• BC Food Systems Network Society
• MOE - Healthy Schools Guidelines (School Food Guidelines)
• Public Health Association of BC (BCPHA)
• BCPHA - Making the Connection: Food Security and Public Health
• Slow Food Lions Gate
• Slow Food Vancouver
• Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC)
• Vancouver Fruit Tree Project
• West Coast Seeds - Gardening Information and Tips

Free and Low-Cost Meals and Groceries in Vancouver

• Low Cost and Free Meals in the Community in Vancouver - Vancouver Coastal Health, July 2008 (PDF, 331KB)
• Listing of LOW-COST Meal Programs
• Listing of Low-Cost Sources of Food

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