Food systems in other plans and strategies

Plans and strategies

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  The Vancouver Plan

  The Vancouver Plan, adopted by Council in 2022 is a visionary long-range plan to guide growth and change to 2050 and beyond. It establishes a unified vision for Vancouver’s future land use and supportive policies that will help this become a more livable, affordable, and sustainable city with a strong economy where people and nature thrive. 

  The plan includes a Food Systems chapter that outlines a vision of a resilient food system supporting people, environment, and economy, in which residents have equitable access to food and food-related spaces and infrastructure. This chapter includes five policies to guide action encompassing food production to waste management. Additional food-related policies are included in several other policy chapters to ensure a comprehensive approach to elevating food’s role in shaping the economy, public space, and ecology. Three infographics in a supporting appendix present data on key indicators of food insecurity, access, and resilience.  

  Beneficiaries will include supply chain businesses (examples: urban farms, wholesale, retail, manufacturing) and those who lead, participate in, and rely on community food initiatives (examples: urban agriculture, community kitchens, food sharing). Being grounded in the Vancouver Plan’s overarching equity, reconciliation, and resilience commitments, outcomes are intended first and foremost to benefit equity-denied communities including Indigenous, Black, and people of colour, residents experiencing poverty, and others who are marginalized.

  This plan is led by Planning and Development Services in partnership with other departments. Arts, Culture, and Community Services’ Social Policy Division leads work on the Food Systems chapter.

  In 2022, the Food Systems chapter of the Vancouver Plan was awarded a Special Mention at the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact Awards External website, opens in new tab in the category “Governance”.

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  Spaces to Thrive: The Vancouver Social Infrastructure Strategy

  Spaces to Thrive, adopted by Council in 2021, is Vancouver’s first strategic 10-year policy and partnership framework for City-owned and City-supported social infrastructure. 

  Spaces to Thrive uses a human rights-based approach, which focuses on those facing vulnerabilities, to ensure fundamental human rights are protected without discrimination to achieve its vision, principles, and directions. This approach strives for better outcomes for all our residents by helping meet the space and facility needs of social and community-serving non-profits.

  Included are actions to strengthen the supply and network of non-profit food infrastructure, including spaces for growing, preparation, and distribution of food in day-to-day programming by community organizations and during disaster response recovery.

  This strategy is led by the Social Policy division within Arts, Culture, and Community Services. 

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  Zero Waste 2040 Strategic Plan

  Our vision for Vancouver to be a Zero Waste community by 2040 includes a framework for the prevention and reduction of wasted food by Vancouver residents and businesses with the goal to keep food from being disposed of in landfill or incinerators.

  The food waste prevention and reduction strategy is led by the Engineering Department.

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  Neighbourhood and Major Project Planning 

  Many of our neighbourhood plans, area plans, and policy statements include food system policies. Typically, these are land-use focused and support the expansion of food assets in the food supply chain (examples: urban farms, food wholesale, retail, markets, manufacturing) and in community settings (examples: food growing and harvesting spaces, community kitchens, locations for food sharing and celebration), and may identify priority food assets within the plan area. 

  These planning processes are led by Planning and Development Services in partnership with other departments. Arts, Culture, and Community Services’ Social Policy Division is a key partner on the development and implementation of food policies within the plans. 

  • Major planning projects
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  Zoning and land use documents

  Many aspects of the food system are regulated by zoning, licensing, or other bylaws and guidelines. Review other food systems webpages to learn about regulations that apply to specific uses such as urban farms or farmer's markets.

  • City’s complete library of zoning and land use policy documents