Vancouver Food Strategy

About the strategy

• |

• 

  Why we created the strategy

  In the early 2000s, City Council began to take a proactive role in food policy by creating the Vancouver Food Policy Council, adopting the Vancouver Food Charter, and passing numerous individual food-related policies, programs, and grants. Some milestones included:

  • Guidelines for urban beekeeping (2005)
  • Vancouver Food Charter (2007)
  • Urban agriculture design guidelines for the private realm (2009)
  • Greenest City grants in support of urban agriculture (2009-2011)
  • Grants to support neighbourhood food networks (2009-2012)
  • 2010 Garden Plots by 2010 Initiative (2010)
  • Guidelines for keeping backyard hens (2010)
  • Food scraps collection program (2010)
  • Intermit Farmers Market policy (2010)
  • Street food program expansion (2010-2012)
  • Greenest City Action Plan Local Food Area (2011)
  • Grant to support urban farming (2011)

  In 2011, City Council adopted the Greenest City Action Plan which directed staff to develop a municipal food strategy that would help the City increase food assets (community gardens, urban farms, farmers markets, food processing infrastructure, community composting facilities, neighbourhood food networks) by 50% over 2010 levels. At that time, it was recognized that a coordinated strategy was needed to achieve our goal of becoming a global leader in urban food systems.

  From 2011-2013, staff worked worked with the Vancouver Food Policy Council to develop a draft strategy. Through a public engagement process under the slogan, "Talk food with us", we engaged over 2,200 people on the Strategy’s development. Feedback was gathered through roundtable discussions, storytelling-themed public events, health, and education fairs, targeted outreach to ethno-cultural communities, and social media.

  In 2013, the Vancouver Food Strategy was adopted by Council and implementation began.

  In 2016, the Vancouver Food Strategy was awarded a Special Mention at the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact awards External website, opens in new tab in the category “Governance”.

• 

  Progress reporting

  Monthly: Regular updates on the status of Food Strategy goals and actions are shared with the Vancouver Food Policy Council at public meetings. 

  Annually: From 2011 to 2021, we have reported annual reporting on the Vancouver Food Strategy goal to increase neighbourhood food assets by 50% over 2010 levels. View the progress in our Healthy City Dashboard.

  In 2017, Community Services staff provided a Vancouver Food Strategy (2013) progress report PDF file (319 KB) and outlines the next steps and priorities for 2017-2020 to Council.

Strategy goals

Our strategy goals express how we want the food system to take shape in the future.

• |

• 

  Support food-friendly neighbourhoods

  Food-friendly neighbouhoods provide all residents with easy access to fresh, healthy foods, and the means to sustainably dispose of food waste.

  Building and maintaining strong food systems across the city will require the facilities and organizational support for:

  • Community and collective gardens 
  • Farmers and community markets
  • Food storage facilities
  • Community composting facilities
  • Healthy corner stores 

  To ensure food-friendly neighbourhoods are supported throughout Vancouver, we will plan for the unique aspects of each area of the city when implementing the food strategy. 

• 

  Empower residents to take action

  The most effective community food systems are shaped by the people who live there.

  But before you take action, you need to know where your neighbourhood's food system stands: what food resources are available, and where gaps exist.

  Knowledge can come from accessing community-based programs, such as neighbourhood food networks, Vancouver Food Policy Council activities, and other food-focused organizations.

  Whether you are looking for a directory of local food initiatives and organizations, or details on City policies and regulations, information should be easy to access, and available in multiple languages and formats.

• 

  Improved food access

  Access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, and affordable food is fundamental to health and equality.

  To ensure food is accessible, we'll will help to create and support communities and neighbourhoods:

  • Where it is easy to access basic goods
  • That are socially inclusive
  • Designed to enhance physical and mental well-being
  • That protect Vancouver's natural ecology

  We're paying particular attention to increasing access to healthy, affordable, culturally diverse, and sustainably-grown food to vulnerable populations.

  This means increasing food retail options, to ensure food is available within a reasonable walking, transit, or cycling distance. Retailers may include community food markets, mobile healthy food vending, or healthy corner stores.

• 

  Green economy

  Creating food-related green jobs, and addressing challenges to growing, processing, warehousing, and distributing local and sustainable foods are essential to building a green economy.

  Better linking local food producers with Vancouverites reduces the distance our food travels, minimizing the impact on the environment. It also supports local economic development.

  The food strategy emphasizes skill-building and job creation opportunities that support green food sectors and technologies.

  Another key is supporting social enterprise models of food businesses such as food hubs, urban farms, and farmers markets, which contribute to a green economy while building the skills and resilience of participants.

• 

  Just, sustainable system

  The food system has many levels — household, neighbourhood, city, region, and beyond.

  We can advocate for food issues at the regional, provincial, and national levels by placing a food system lens on plans and policies at all levels of government, and with other key partners such as foundations and private institutions.

  Supporting policies that enhance the ability of regional and provincial government to protect BC farmers and farmland, and adapt to climate change is also important to achieving food sustainability.