Vancouver Food Policy Council

Mandate and scope

• Supports the development of just and sustainable food systems in alignment with the Vancouver Food Charter
• Advises Council and staff on policies and plans affecting the food system (including the Vancouver Food Strategy and others) as they are developed, implemented, and updated
• Works collaboratively with counterparts from other civic agencies to identify opportunities for joint action on issues of mutual interest
• Works co-operatively with external agencies and groups whose activities affect constituent communities
• Engages in outreach to disseminate information and encourage participation from constituent communities

Meeting and administrative procedures

• The Vancouver Food Policy Council holds six regular meetings per year, in addition to working sessions generally scheduled during intervening months throughout the year.
• Type A Advisory Committees may, at their discretion, establish sub-committees focused on relevant topics of interest, non-members may participate in sub-committees and attend regular meetings if invited.
• A member who is absent from more than two consecutive regular meetings without a leave of absence is deemed to have resigned.

Remuneration

• Type A Advisory Committee members and alternate members are eligible to receive reimbursement for certain meeting-related expenses.
• Non-member subcommittee participants are not eligible to receive reimbursement.
• A light meal will be provided to Type A Advisory Committee members attending in-person regular meetings held over lunch or dinner hours.

Eligibility

Persons appointed to a Type A Advisory Committee shall meet the following essential criteria:

• Not be employed by the City of Vancouver
• Live or work in Vancouver, or have a significant body of experience with issues related to the mandate of the advisory body in Vancouver
• Have connections to relevant communities, groups, and/or organizations in Vancouver
• Be able to demonstrate relevant experience or knowledge, abilities, and skills related to the mandate of the advisory body
• Be able to work in a team environment with intercultural sensitivity

Term limit

Beginning in 2019, no member of the public shall serve for more than eight consecutive years on the same Type A Advisory Committee. A former member is eligible for reappointment after one year of non-membership.

Full guidelines 

• Vancouver Food Policy Council Full Terms of Reference PDF file (160 KB)

Membership

The Vancouver Food Policy Council is temporarily inactive, pending City Council approval of terms of reference in early 2023.

Liaisons​

• Council Liaison:
• School Board Liaison:
• City of Vancouver Staff Liaison:
• Park Board Staff Liaison:

Terms and Membership Composition

Persons appointed to a Type A Advisory Committee shall meet the following essential criteria:

• Not be employed by the City of Vancouver;
• Live or work in Vancouver, or have a significant body of experience with issues related to the mandate of the advisory body in Vancouver;
• Have connections to relevant communities, groups, and/or organizations in Vancouver;
• Be able to demonstrate relevant experience or knowledge, abilities and skills related to the mandate of the advisory body;
• Be able to work in a team environment with intercultural sensitivity.

Composition:

• 21 members of the public (quorum is a majority of appointed members);
• The composition of members should demonstrate a balance of the following areas of expertise (including professional, volunteer, education, research, and/or lived experience):
  • Production;
  • Processing and Distribution;
  • Retail;
  • Food Security, including Financial Accessibility and Availability;
  • Food Waste;
  • Indigenous Food Sovereignty;
  • Resilience;
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion;
• The composition of members shall include a minimum of 12 members who self-identify with the following lived experiences (at least two members within each category). If these criteria are not able to be met, vacancies will be held until recruitment achieves this composition:
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • 2SLGBTQ+
  • Persons of Colour/Racialized Communities
  • Persons with Disabilities
  • Older Persons and Elders (age 65+)
  • Young Adults (age 19 – 25 at time of appointment);
• Up to 2 non-voting Council liaisons (appointed by Mayor);
• Up to 2 non-voting staff liaisons (appointed by City Manager);
• 1 non-voting Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioner liaison and/or staff liaison (optional);
• 1 non-voting Vancouver School Board Trustee liaison (optional);
• 1 non-voting Vancouver Public Library staff liaison (optional);
• 1 non-voting Vancouver Police Department staff liaison (optional).

Length of term:

• Term ends immediately before the first Monday after November 1 in the year of a general local election. However, no regular meeting shall be held between the last day of the nomination period and general voting day.
• Members are appointed until December 31, 2024, at which point appointments are automatically renewable to the end of the term, and recruitment shall be conducted to fill any vacancies arising.
• Beginning in 2019, no member of the public shall serve in more than eight consecutive years on the same Type A Advisory Committee. A former member is eligible for reappointment after one year of non-membership.

Meetings typically take place from 6pm to 8:30pm on the dates indicated below. Meetings are held at City Hall unless otherwise indicated. All members of the public are welcome to attend. 

The Committee will also hold working sessions which are open to the public. The link to the working sessions will appear 24 hours in advance.

2022 meetings, agendas, and minutes

2021 meetings, agendas, and minutes

2020 meetings, agendas, and minutes

2019 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Visit the council's blog to learn about their latest work External website, opens in new tab

Report of Activities, 2021–2022

An overview of the committee's 2022 accomplishments.
View the Committee's report (pdf)

2021-2022 Work Plan

The 2021-2022 Work Plan summarizes the high priority objectives for the committee term and establishes an action plan to achieve those objectives.

• View the Work Plan

2019-2020 in review

An overview of the committee's accomplishments in 2019-2020, along with future goals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no Council of Councils event was held.

• View the poster

2017 in review

An overview of the committee's 2017 accomplishments and future goals as presented at the Council of Council's on October 12, 2017.

• View the poster PDF file (48 KB)

2016 in review

An overview of the committee's 2016 accomplishments and future goals as presented at the Council of Council's on November 9, 2016.

• View the poster PDF file (311 KB)

2012-2014 term in review

An overview of the committee's closing term accomplishments and recommendations for continuation of the work was presented at the Council of Council's December 2014.

• View the committee's presentation PDF file (256 KB)

Summer 2011 to Spring 2012

The Vancouver Food Policy Council worked closely with staff on a public engagement process under the slogan, "Talk food with us". More than 2,200 people took part. Feedback was gathered through roundtable discussions, storytelling-themed public events, health and education fairs, targeted outreach to ethno-cultural communities, and social media.

• View the resulting Vancouver Food Strategy