Report Date: January 15, 2013 Contact: Mary Clare Zak Contact No.: RTS No.: 9849 VanRIMS No.: Meeting Date: January 29, 2013

Transcription

1 RR-2 POLICY REPORT SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Reprt Date: January 15, 2013 Cntact: Mary Clare Zak Cntact N.: RTS N.: 9849 VanRIMS N.: Meeting Date: January 29, 2013 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Vancuver City Cuncil Deputy City Manager Vancuver Fd Strategy RECOMMENDATION A. THAT Cuncil adpt the Vancuver Fd Strategy, included as Appendix A. B. THAT Cuncil direct staff t begin implementing the five pririty shrt term actin areas. C. THAT Cuncil direct staff t reprt ut n prgress every tw years starting in REPORT SUMMARY The Vancuver Fd Strategy is ne f the key deliverables f Gal #10 within the Greenest City Actin Plan (GCAP) lcal fd targets. The lcal fd gal f the GCAP states that in rder t mve further and faster twards the lng-term gal f becming a glbal leader in urban fd systems there must be a higher degree f crdinatin and actin planning between City departments, the Vancuver Fd Plicy Cuncil, and the varius plicy prgrams that currently exist. The Fd Strategy integrates a full spectrum f urban fd system issues within a single plicy framewrk, and aligns them with brader scial, ecnmic, and eclgical sustainability gals and City pririties. The Fd Strategy cnnects with senir gvernment strategies and partners (e.g. Vancuver Castal Health and Metr Vancuver's Fd Strategy), as well as universities and Vancuver Schl Bard.

2 Vancuver Fd Strategy Vancuver s Fd Strategy gals include enabling fd friendly neighburhds, empwering residents and enhancing participatin, imprving access t healthy and affrdable, culturally diverse fd, and advcating fr a just and sustainable fd system with cmmunity, business, and senir gvernments. The strategy als priritizes the fllwing fcus areas aligned with the fd system: 1. Fd Prductin: Increasing pprtunities fr urban agriculture, including cmmunity gardens and urban farms 2. Empwering Residents: Enhancing participatin in cmmunity-based fd prgrams such as skills develpment and educatinal pprtunities, particularly fr vulnerable and islated grups 3. Fd Access: Imprving access t lcal, affrdable, healthy fd retail 4. Fd Prcessing and Distributin: Addressing infrastructure gaps in lcal fd prcessing, strage and distributin; increasing percentage f lcal fd purchased by City facilities 5. Fd Waste: Expanding fd waste diversin prgrams COUNCIL AUTHORITY/PREVIOUS DECISIONS Farmer s Market Plicy (February 29, 2013) Grant t supprt Urban Farming Frum (2011) Greenest City Actin Plan Lcal Fd Gal (2011) Grants t supprt neighburhd fd netwrks ( ) Greenest City Grants in supprt f urban agriculture ( ) Street fd prgram expansin (2010, 2011) Interim farmers market plicy (2010) Fd scraps cllectin prgram (2010) Guidelines fr keeping backyard hens (2010) 2010 Garden Plts by 2010 Initiative (2010) Urban agriculture design guidelines fr the private realm (2009) Vancuver Fd Charter (2007) Guidelines fr urban beekeeping (2005) Vancuver Fd Plicy Cuncil (created in 2004) CITY MANAGER'S/GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS The Vancuver Fd Strategy builds n cnsiderable wrk accmplished ver the past decade including significant advances twards achieving lcal fd targets in the Greenest City Actin Plan. The Fd Strategy cnslidates Vancuver's existing fd plicies and prgrams, creates efficiencies, identifies gaps, and charts a curse fr future actin. Overall, the Vancuver Fd Strategy presents an pprtunity fr Vancuver t reach the gal f becming a glbal leader in urban fd systems. REPORT Strategic Analysis Fd is central t the sustainability and well-being f cities. Over the curse f the 20 th century, glbal trends have placed tremendus pressure n cities and their fd systems

3 Vancuver Fd Strategy resulting in pllutin due t lng distance transprtatin f fd, a sharp rise in diet-related preventable diseases, spiraling fd csts, interruptins in fd supply, and dramatic lsses f agricultural land needed t feed a grwing glbal ppulatin. These changes, cupled with brader challenges related t climate change, envirnmental degradatin, and public health crises, have led city dwellers nw the majrity f the wrld s ppulatin t realize the numerus ways that fd affects ur cmmunities and ur daily lives bth glbally and lcally. Tday, fd plicies appear n the agenda f dzens f municipal gvernments acrss Nrth America and beynd. The City f Vancuver has been wrking t supprt a just and sustainable fd system since 2003 in partnership with the Vancuver Fd Plicy Cuncil and many cmmunity rganizatins. The City s cmmitment t creating a just and sustainable fd system builds n fd system initiatives and grassrts cmmunity develpment that dates back decades in ur city and prvince. Vancuver takes a systems apprach t fd plicy and planning. This means cnsidering all aspects f the fd system frm seed t table t cmpst heap and back again. Figure 1: Fd System In many ways, Vancuver s fd system is rbust. Citizen interest in cmmunity gardens, farmers markets, urban farms, beekeeping, backyard hens and ther cmmunity fd prjects has never been higher. Citizen calitins include the Vancuver Fd Plicy Cuncil and numerus rganizatins that are actively engaging citizens arund a wide range f fd system prjects and activities. Since 2010, a number f ntable advances have been made t help achieve targets set ut in the lcal fd area f the Greenest City Actin Plan. This includes wrk t meet the GCAP target f increasing Vancuver's fd assets by 50%. Examples f select fd assets and their assciated target are belw:

4 Vancuver Fd Strategy Select Fd Assets 2010 Baseline Target Cmmunity Garden Plts Farmers Markets Cmmunity Orchards 3 16* 10 Urban Farms 1 18* 5 Cmmunity Kitchens Cmmunity Cmpsting Facilities Cmmunity Fd Markets (Pcket Markets) *numbers have been adjusted t reflect mre accurate definitin f fd asset Reasns fr creating the Vancuver Fd Strategy In spite f the fd system assets that Vancuver enjys, there are a number f gaps and vulnerabilities including unequal access t healthy, affrdable fd; envirnmental impacts due t lng distance transprtatin f fd; and creatin f excessive fd waste. There are gaps in infrastructure and the fd supply chain with respect t prcessing and distributin fr lcal and mid-scale fd businesses in the city. Added t these challenges are disturbing sci-ecnmic trends acrss Canada including a grwing incme gap, scial plarizatin, child pverty, unaffrdable husing, and rising rates f hunger and preventable disease. These issues, cupled with glbal vulnerabilities including climate change, dramatic lsses f agricultural land means that blstering the resilience f Vancuver's fd system is critical. The imprtance f creating a crdinated fd strategy fr Vancuver is nt nly a respnse t vulnerabilities and challenges, but equally in respnse t the recgnitin f what fd brings t the city. Specifically, sme ntable advances and recent cntributins t the city include: Land area f urban farms has increased frm 2.3 acres t 8.28 acres since street fd vendrs ffer a variety f cuisines Farmers markets cntribute apprximately $15 millin/year t the lcal ecnmy In 2011, almst 20,000 Vancuver residents were directly invlved with the activities f Neighburhd Fd Netwrks Residential fd scraps cllectin will divert an estimated 25,000 tnnes f rganic waste away frm landfill each year The Vancuver Fd Strategy is a mechanism t link tgether existing plicies and prgrams that are within the jurisdictin f the City t address, and take ur ability t achieve fd system gals t the next level. A fd strategy is an fficial plan r rad map that helps city gvernments integrate a full spectrum f urban fd system issues within a single plicy framewrk that includes fd prductin (typically referred t as urban agriculture), fd prcessing, distributin, access and fd waste management. Nt nly d fd strategies crdinate and integrate stand-alne fd plicies, they als embed them within brader

5 Vancuver Fd Strategy sustainability gals and City pririties. City pririties with direct cnnectins t the Fd Strategy include: Greenest City 2020 Actin Plan: Targets an increase f 50% lcal and city wide fd assets abve 2010 levels; Vancuver Ecnmic Actin Strategy: There are an estimated 3,900 green jbs in the lcal fd industry the highest number f all sectrs; Transprtatin 2040 Plan: Supprts lcal fd prductin and distributin t reduce the need fr large scale transprt; Husing & Hmelessness Strategy: Ensuring that availability f fresh fds are available and meet expected increase t the supply and diversity f affrdable husing. Healthy City Strategy (expected: 2013): Identifies a healthy, just and sustainable fd system as ne f 20 Building Blcks f a Healthy City fr All; A fd strategy builds upn the wrk already underway t imprve urban fd systems, creates links between them, integrates new ideas, addresses gaps, and creates a visin fr the future. Lcal gvernments including San Francisc, Seattle, Philadelphia, Edmntn, Trnt, and Lndn (UK) have develped such strategies. The results are further reaching than stand-alne fd plicies, and mre in keeping with a multi-functinal apprach t urban planning and develpment that aims t increase scial, ecnmic, envirnmental and health utcmes. The Vancuver Fd Strategy cnsultatin prcess Vancuver has a lng histry f cmmunity invlvement and activism n fd system issues dating back decades. The evlutin f the City f Vancuver's fd plicy mandate has depended n strng stakehlder partnerships at every step alng the prcess. The Vancuver Fd Plicy Cuncil in particular, is a key partner in all f the City's fd system activities. Frm 2011 t 2012, City staff wrked in clse partnership with the Vancuver Fd Plicy Cuncil n a public engagement prcess called talk fd with us. A number f creative frmats and scial media frums were used t generate ideas and gather feedback that shaped the Vancuver Fd Strategy. These included rundtable discussins, strytelling and dialgue events, tlkits and exercises, wrkshps and fcus grups specifically targeting varius ethn-cultural cmmunities. An estimated 2,200 individuals were engaged t generate ideas fr the Strategy. The Fd Strategy cnsultatin prcess was based n fur principles. Principle 1: Engage ethn-culturally diverse cmmunities Recgnizing the rich ethn-cultural diversity f ur city, specific engagement techniques and frmats were used that fcused n multicultural cmmunities and the rganizatins and nnprfits that serve them. This utreach ranged frm cnvening small rundtable meetings with immigrant settlement rganizatins, neighburhd huses, frnt-line staff, and religius institutins, t events and dialgues with multicultural yuth and the general public. These dialgues prvided a much fuller and mre nuanced picture f cultural cmmunities fd system needs and aspiratins. Outreach materials were translated int seven languages (Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, Japanese, Vietnamese, Spanish, and French). Applying a cultural diversity lens cntinues t be a high pririty in all aspects f fd plicy in Vancuver.

6 Vancuver Fd Strategy Principle 2: Engage sci-ecnmically diverse, age-diverse, and harder-t-reach cmmunities thrugh strytelling A secnd principle was t ensure that a number f grups were prvided the pprtunity t cmmunicate their lived experiences. The imprtance f emphasizing persnal fd stries was priritized during cmmunity cnsultatin with sci-ecnmically diverse, age-diverse, and harder-t-reach cmmunities. Strytelling was used as a means f engaging grups and rganizatins, highlighting cmmunity pririties and persnal cnnectins with fd. This included a public blg and a fd-themed strytelling night that drew in ver 400 attendees. Age-friendly yuth events were held in partnership with varius rganizatins, alng with a fcus n partnering with nn-prfit rganizatins t ensure that senirs were cnsulted thrughut the prcess. These frms f utreach all emphasized stries t reflect the diverse ways that fd shapes ne s experience f the city, while encuraging attendees t cntribute their wn fd stries. Principle 3: Emphasize cllabratin and partnerships The fd strategy cnsultatin was based n the principle that fd system gals can nly be achieved cllabratively by wrking clsely with gvernmental and nn-gvernmental partners. This includes Metr Vancuver, Vancuver Castal Health, and Vancuver Schl Bard, as well as the numerus cmmunity calitins that have arisen in recent years. Examples include the Vancuver Fd Plicy Cuncil, Vancuver Urban Farming Sciety, Neighburhd Fd Netwrks, and many ther fd-related nn-prfit rganizatins. The number and diversity f grups invlved in fd system activities is a strng indicatr that n single level f gvernment r cmmunity rganizatin is respnsible sustainable fd system. Success can nly be achieved thrugh a cllabrative apprach. Principle 4: Create tls and resurces that can be used beynd the cnsultatin prcess A secnd principle was t build a legacy f tls and resurces that Vancuver residents can use twards achieving the fd system gals identified in the fd strategy. Fr example, a cmmunity-driven Cmmunity Fd Animatr prgram was launched with a tlkit and exercises t take engagement int peple s neighburhds, cmmunity centres, rganizatins, and kitchens. Structure f the Vancuver Fd Strategy Vancuver s Fd Strategy has been created as a result f cmmunity cnsultatin, analyses, and applying best practices frm ther municipal fd strategies (fr the cmplete Fd Strategy, see Appendix A). T plan and engage in purpseful actin twards creating a just and sustainable fd system, the fd strategy lays ut a visin and principles, gals, a cmprehensive list f actins, and targets t measure ur prgress twards the gals. The Strategy re-affirms the visin and principles already embdied in the Vancuver Fd Charter (2007). It then presents five mid-level gals that delve deeper int the visin and principles, and shws what a resilient fd system cntributes t creating a just and sustainable city. The five gals f the Vancuver Fd strategy are:

7 Vancuver Fd Strategy Supprt fd-friendly neighburhds 2. Empwer residents t take actin in their wn neighburhds 3. Increase access t healthy, affrdable, culturally diverse fd 4. Make fd a centrepiece f Vancuver's green ecnmy 5. Advcate fr a just and sustainable fd system with partners and all levels f gvernment Lastly, the Fd Strategy utlines specific actins necessary t achieve the visin, principles and gals. Each f these actins 71 in ttal - is accmpanied by its pririty, timeframe, lead department(s), and key partners. Implementatin and evaluatin and mnitring are als included t track prgress. Like ther municipal fd strategies, Vancuver s strategy fcuses n the tls and levers that the City has direct ability t influence as illustrated in the arrw belw. City f Vancuver s rles and respnsibilities Fr fd system areas that fall utside f the City s jurisdictin, partnerships and cllabratins will be sught t achieve ur gals. Five pririty fcus areas The cmprehensive list f 71 actins identified in the Fd Strategy will serve t integrate individual fd plicies int a mre crdinated fd systems apprach, and align fd system gals within brader City plans and prcesses. Amng the full list f actins are five fcus areas that have been identified as pririties ver the next three years. These five fcus areas are where Vancuver has the biggest ability t significantly advance ur fd system gals. This des nt mean that ther actins will nt be undertaken. Rather, the pririty areas will prvide a first fcus, while still mving ther fd system actins frward. Table 1 utlines the five fcus areas and their accmpanying pririty actin areas. The full list f actins (shrt, medium and lng-term) appears in the Fd Strategy (Appendix A).

8 Vancuver Fd Strategy Table 1: Five pririty actin areas f the Vancuver Fd Strategy Fcus Area Pririty Actin Areas 1. Fd prductin 2. Empwer residents 3. Fd access 4. Fd prcessing and distributin 5. Fd waste Supprt and enable all frms f urban agriculture (especially cmmunity gardens and urban farms), and make strnger cnnectins with all parts f the fd system Enhance access t participatin in cmmunity-based fd prgrams, particularly fr vulnerable and islated grups Imprve access t healthy, lcal, affrdable fd fr all by increasing the number f farmers markets and cmmunity fd markets, and pilting healthy fd retail prgrams Address gaps in lcal and sustainable fd prcessing, strage and distributin infrastructure by explring pssibilities that might include a fd business incubatr r fd hub Increase the percentage f lcal and sustainable fd purchased by City facilities Reduce fd waste ging t landfill r incineratr by expanding fd waste dispsal prgrams Expand lcal cllectin and cmpsting ptins Implementatin Accuntability is essential t successful implementatin f the Vancuver Fd Strategy. Because f the many issues and stakehlder grups invlved in creating a just and sustainable fd system, cllective respnsibility is key. This means active participatin nt nly by lcal gvernments, but equally by individual citizens, cmmunity grups, institutins, agencies, businesses, gvernmental partners and ther stakehlders. Only by wrking tgether will be we achieve ur fd system and sustainability gals. T ensure successful implementatin f the Fd Strategy, a number f City entities have been identified: Greenest City Actin Plan Steering Cmmittee City f Vancuver Fd Systems Steering Cmmittee City f Vancuver inter-departmental technical teams Vancuver Park Bard Lcal Fd Asset Task Frce In additin t City f Vancuver implementatin entities, a number f existing and emerging calitins and stakehlder grups will cntinue t play an imprtant rle in implementing the gals and actins expressed in the Fd Strategy; including Vancuver Castal Health and the Vancuver Schl Bard. The Vancuver Fd Plicy Cuncil will play an integral part f implementatin and prvide directin and supprt t varius actins. Additinally, strengthening alliances and partnerships with ther municipalities in Metr Vancuver and Fraser Valley regins will be a key cmpnent.

9 Vancuver Fd Strategy Financial implicatins The Vancuver Fd Strategy has limited financial implicatins. Staff will wrk t implement the pririty actins using existing financial and staff resurces, and within the current capital and/r perating budget. Where pssible, staff will lk t leverage its wn investments thrugh partnerships and access external funding. Staff will seek Cuncil apprval fr prjects and prgrams that require significant financial investment, and cannt be accmmdated within current perating and/r capital budgets. CONCLUSION This reprt recmmends adptin in principle f the Vancuver Fd Strategy, and utlines the five fcus areas identified in the strategy. The Vancuver Fd Strategy is ne f the key deliverables f Greenest City Actin Plan (GCAP) Lcal Fd Gal. This strategy integrates a full spectrum f urban fd system issues within a single plicy framewrk, and aligns them within brader sustainability gals and City pririties. The results are further reaching than stand-alne fd plicies, and mre in keeping with a multi-functinal apprach t urban planning and develpment that aims t increase scial, ecnmic, envirnmental and health utcmes. * * * * *