Vancouver Food Strategy – Vancouver, Canada

Key Insights

  • Policy framework for food
  • Aligning food goals with city policies
  • Participatory process

Summary

The Vancouver Food Strategy was developed via a participatory process and adopted in 2011. It constitutes a single, systemic policy framework to align food goals with city policies and programmes that are not ostensibly food-related, and to promote a cultural shift for the integration of food into the work of all city departments. Implementation is led by the Food Strategy Implementation Steering Committee made up of departmental senior managers, with contributions from other City of Vancouver entities. By 2017, 80% of actions had been implemented.

Citation

This case study version is from the Menu of Actions (2019). Suggested citation: Halliday, J., Platenkamp, L., Nicolarea, Y. (2019) A menu of actions to shape urban food systems for improved nutrition, GAIN, MUFPP and RUAF.

Fresh fruit in Vancouver (Canada), Shutterstock/I viewfinder

The action and its aims

Vancouver Food Strategy is a single, systemic policy framework that aims to align food goals with other non-food city policies and priorities, and to promote a cultural shift among staff so that food systems work is integrated into the work of departments right across city government.

Why it was needed

Vancouver had a significant history of food policy; its Food Policy Council was formed in 2004. The Greenest City 2020 Action Plan identified the need for more coordination and action planning between city departments, the Vancouver Food Policy Council, and various other policies and programmes, in order to increase the city’s food assets and become an urban food systems leader.

Who initiated it, who is involved

The food strategy was developed via a participatory process led by Vancouver City Council and the Vancouver Food Policy Council. It was adopted by Vancouver City Council in 2011. Implementation is spearheaded by the Food Strategy Implementation Steering Committee made up of departmental senior managers, with contributions from other City of Vancouver entities (the Greenest City Action Plan Committee; the Food Systems Steering Committee; Inter-departmental Technical Teams) and non-city entities (Vancouver School Board, Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University).

Outcome/how it strengthened coordination

The latest update in 2017 reported that the City has adopted community food market guidelines, by-laws to permit urban farming, and implemented a green bin program to divert organic waste from landfill. Food assets significantly increased, and a new policy requires food assets as part of major re-zonings. 80% of the 71 actions were completed or on-going.

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Food System

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a significant number of interconnected objectives related to agriculture and food.

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