The Need for a Food Policy

As someone who is passionate about food security and lives in the CRD I was interested to find out about their policy. I came across the Regional Sustainability Strategy Policy Options Series on Food Security. The CRD is currently examining the links currently investigating the links between: Food, health and well being, local agriculture protection and reducing the impacts of food production on climate change. Below is the food charter that guides their approach to food policy.


The paper provides suggestions for moderate and significant policy change approaches

Moderate changes:
• Strengthen land protection policy
• Set targets to increase local food purchasing
• Encourage consumers to buy local
• Promote urban agriculture with increase use of community gardens for food production
• Promote partnerships to support local food access and education



The first policy suggestion is important, since if we lose farmland infrastructure now it will pose a huge problem down the road. If we lose farmland, we sacrifice our ability to produce local, sustainable food. Food security would be harder to achieve then ever.

The second suggestion is already being taken up with large purchasing powers like UVic.

The third is the most common form found in mass media, it uses the individuals purchasing power as a mechanism of change. However, it only recognizes those who can afford to buy local and discounts the power of others. It also remains within the market system and doesn’t try to challenge Western Dominant thought of individualism.

The last points are easy for the CRD to recognize since they promote already existing organizations. They do mention education which is promising. I will examine the lack of formal education within school systems in my next blog.

Significant changes:
• Collaboration of municipalities to implement a cohesive food security strategy
• Develop and adopt policies, which promote local food production
• Implement regional standards for agricultural production
• Declare lands with agricultural potential with a protection status and establish targets to increase designated farm land
• Encourage the development of local agriculture cooperatives
• Create and implement policy tools that support local food systems (Eg. teaching gardens, nutrition courses).

I am encouraged that the policy is suggesting declaring lands and focusing on frameworks that support local food systems; however, I will be even happier when they are put in place.

The policy will be implemented in a three phase process to reach completion by 2012. Currently we are in phase one, which requires public consultation and input on proposed strategies. Upon completion of phase three the CRD hopes to have drafted a new strategic plan and then begin to implement new policy approaches.

The CRD food policy is focused on “exploring” and “recognizing” issues, but action is limited. They recognize that currently the CRD has no formal policy in place:

Today, food security and food system programs are run by a host of organizations, businesses and individuals. Many organizations do creative and effective work on food access, urban agriculture and strengthening communities. Regional food security work is implemented through informal partnerships between the CRD Roundtable on the Environment, HCSC, Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA)and CR-FAIR. Examples of this collaboration include pilot projects for local food procurement and urban agriculture initiatives at a number of municipalities.

The need for a food policy exists on a federal level as well. On January 23, 2009, Liberal Members of Parliament across Canada hosted community meetings to discuss the need for a comprehensive food policy for Canada. Wayne Roberts, author of the No-Nonsense Guide to World Food wrote a great argument on why Canada needs a food policy. You can find it on the UVic Community Campus Gardens Website, along with other great resources and opportunities to get involved on campus.