Food Security

Low-income British Columbians can’t afford healthy food.

Once the family on income assistance pays the rent, there is not enough money for healthy food, or any other costs of daily living. A family of 4 with 2 children on income assistance would need to spend more than 100% of their disposable income on shelter and healthy food, compared to a family with a median income (one earner) spending 48%. Many low income families struggle to afford food. While shelter and food costs have risen significantly minimum wage has remained at $8.00 hour. Without consistent economic access to enough nutritious food, healthy eating cannot be achieved and the risk of poor health increases.

Vancouver Food Policy Council Hosts Food Security Forum The Vancouver Food Policy Council, an advisory committee to Vancouver City Council, is hosting a packed forum on Thursday, December 3 titled “Food Secure Vancouver in a Changing World – Proactive Planning for Pending Changes.” The forum is being held at Langara College from 5:30-9:30 pm. The forum is part of the second phase of the Food Secure Vancouver Study being conducted by the Vancouver Food Policy Council, a two-year research effort that will be the largest study of food security ever done in Vancouver. Participants at the forum will discuss: How can we ensure that there are farmers and farmland for future production needs? How can we meet the twin challenges of peak oil and climate change on our local food system? How can we shift to greater food resiliency? The Forum is nearly full, with representatives from all aspects of Vancouver's policy and food sectors.

"In February, Mayor Gregor Robertson launched the Greenest City Action Team (GCAT), composed of 14 experts on environment and economy, with a mission to gather best ideas and practices and make recommendations to City Council." A couple of months later the GCAT Team released some quick start recommendations. (pdf 5.6 MB)

Mid-way through September, City Manager Penny Ballem and other city staff presented an update on these quick start initiatives to Mayor Robertson and City Council.

The GCAT is working on greening all sectors in the city, but there are some very exciting food related initiatives included in the plan. Dr.

Vancouver Backyard Hens by Jenn Pentland

City staff has been working hard to write guidelines for backyard chicken keeping in Vancouver. The first draft of those guidelines have been released and staff is now looking for public feedback.

Here's the direct link to a pdf of the guidelines.

For a bit of commentary on the guidelines check out urban chicken aficionado Heather Havens' comments at the chickensinvancouver blog. (Includes a link to the guidelines.)

And if you're looking for more information and updates about the current state of backyard chickens in Vancouver you can visit the City's Backyard Chicken web page.

The Province ran a story today about the Urban Aboriginal Community Kitchen Garden at UBC Farm that will be of interest to food policy types.

Check it out at http://www.theprovince.com/health/Aboriginal+Eastsiders+find+dignity+gro....