Growing Green

Sustainable Food Policy & Legal Reform

Project Partners:

FarmFolk/CityFolkWest Coast Environmental Law

Liu Institute for Global Issues (UBC)

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What is Growing Green?

• Two-year law & policy reform project on sustainable food systems funded by Canada’s Voluntary Sector Initiative & Tides Canada

• Focused on Southwestern BC: exurban Vancouver & Victoria

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Project Objectives

• Develop in strategic areas, practical law & policy models & reform proposals

• Strengthen capacity of voluntary organizations to contribute to law & policy

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Project Team

• West Coast Environmental Law(Lawrence Alexander), Mark Haddock

• FarmFolk/CityFolkHerb Barbolet, Kathleen Gibson

• Liu Institute for Global IssuesEvan Fraser, Kristina Bouris

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Case for Growing Green

• Food system produces environmental services• Food system needs to produce more

environmental services to be sustainable• Wide spectrum of solutions proposed, including:

– Help sustainable farmers by removing regulatory barriers

– Prepare ‘Plan B’ to current reliance on cheap fuel– Overhaul system; build a local food economy

• Growing Green: reforms that offer meaningful progress towards all three

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• Over 50 potential projects identified in collaboration with farm, food, & voluntary organizations

• Priorities shaped & determined with advice from Reference Group, based on:– Requested by voluntary sector group?– Can Growing Green can add value?– Practical, useful, & doable?

Strategic Law ReformDetermining project priorities

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• Making sustainable food systems work

• Making sustainable food systems pay

Strategic Law ReformPriorities

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• Community-based food councils in GVRD, CRD

• Model Official Community Plans & Bylaws

• Junk food in schools (with Environmental Law Centre)

• Provincial public health legislation• Small-scale food processors

Strategic Law ReformMaking sustainable food systems

work

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Making long-term land management pay

• Co-farming/multi-family housing• Farmland trusts & conservation

covenants• Organics & regulated marketing• Farm labour practices• Farm leases

Making ecological practices pay• Ecological services: incentives & rewards

Strategic Law ReformMaking sustainable food systems

pay

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Ancillary Projects

• “Think piece” on BC agri-food• Voluntary sector tools• Case studies

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Ancillary Projects

“Think piece” on BC agri-foodFarm & food businesses, other aspects of food systems that are off government radar/fall between cracks

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Ancillary Projects

Voluntary Sector Tools• Manual on basics re input to government• “Mind map” of food systems• Research/resources on state-of-art praxis

re community-based food councils• Workshop “Policy Input 201” for

agri-food voluntary sector organizations

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Ancillary Projects

Case Studies• Engeler Farm• Noble Food & Education Centre• Local sourcing for school food

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Project Promotion

• Growing Green presentations• Conference presentations• Launch event March 2004• Communications strategy• Web site• List serves

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Project PromotionGrowing Green presentations

Federal govt, Ottawa, April 2003• Office of Auditor General• National Round Table• Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada• Voluntary Sector Initiative

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Project PromotionGrowing Green presentations

Provincial/local govt, Apr-Sep 2003 • Agricultural Land Commission• BC Agriculture Council• Capital Regional District• Environment Canada/Cdn Wildlife Service• Ministry Agriculture, Food & Fisheries• Ministry Sustainable Resource

Management• Ministry Water, Land & Air Protection• Provincial Health Officer

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Project PromotionConference presentations

• Salt Spring Island Farmers Institute• GVRD Economic Strategy for Ag/Lower Mainland• UBC Agroecology Forum • Land Trust Alliance 2003 AGM• Leading Edge Conference: Stewardship &

Conservation in Canada• Economics Co-ops course, Bologna, Italy• BC Food Systems Network 2002 & 2003

Conferences • Community Food Security Coalition 2003, Boston• National Food Security Conference 2004, Winnipeg

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Project PromotionLaunch Event March 2004

• Interactive final report• Wrap & evaluate project, plant seeds• Showcase work of voluntary sector

partners• Day-long forum with

– Keynote address– 3 workshops– Introduction of tools– Participatory evaluation

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Project Promotion

Communications strategy• Preliminary work with IMPACS

Web site• www.ffcf.bc.ca/GrowingGreen.html

List serves

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Project OverviewReport Card

• Actual policy & law reform proposals & results?

• Stronger policy capacity in agri-food voluntary sector organizations?

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Project OverviewReport Card: Policy

• GVRD: recommendations made to Task Force, Task Force to draft food policy & plan

• CRD: recommendations to be summarized• OCPS/bylaws: models to be summarized

(with Smart Growth help)• Junk food/schools: recommendations to be

summarized (with Env. Law Centre help)• Public health: ideas submitted through CNC• Small-scale food processors: recommen-

dations, Emilia Romagna paper to come

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Project OverviewReport Card: Policy

• Farmland trusts: recommendations made to LTA & Salt Spring partners

• Organics/regulated marketing: policy options offered to organics partners/coalition

• Farm leases: partners’ support sought for amendment

• Farm labour practices: identify priorities• Ecological services: policy options

summarized, need implementation strategy

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Project OverviewReport Card: Voluntary Sector

Capacity

• Contacted over 65 organizations• Working with ~10 strategic partners• “Sharing the Benefits” Program• Tools• Roles• Links

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Project OverviewReport Card: Voluntary Sector

Capacity

Key Strategic Partners• Lower Mainland Food Coalition: re-convened

coalition, assisting input to local/regional govt

• CR-FAIR: expanding coalition, assisting with input to local/regional govt

• SSFPA: assisting with strategy & positioning re MAFF, Investment Agriculture

• COABC: linking to BC Marketing Board review

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“Sharing the Benefits” Program 1/2Fostered policy dialogues with/for:• BC Food Systems Network• COABC• Land Trust Alliance• POLIS Project• Small-Scale Food Processors Association• Your Local Farmers’ Market Society

Project OverviewReport Card: Voluntary Sector

Capacity

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Project OverviewReport Card: Voluntary Sector

Capacity

“Sharing the Benefits” Program 2/2Proposing policy dialogues with:• COABC: meet with organics coalition• CR-FAIR: action workshop re Capital

Region Food Council• District A Farmers’ Institute: pilot

farmland trust project• POLIS Project: ecological services

incentives for farmers in GVRD, CRD• PICSS: farm labour co-op

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Project OverviewReport Card: Voluntary Sector

Capacity

Tools• Advisory memos (strategy, tactics)• Blueprints (for govt, for circulation)Roles• “Honest broker” roles between voluntary

sector & government agenciesLinks• New policy links & partnerships between

NGOs, legal & academic communities

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Project OverviewReport Card: Strengths/Weaknesses

Strengths• In-person outreach• Effective in providing ideas to partners• Flexibility: taking advice & opportunities• Reference Group: useful tips, guidance• Project team: strong mix of skills• Demonstrated useful new partnership

models• Attracted attention & great volunteers

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Project OverviewReport Card: Strengths/Weaknesses

Weaknesses• Priorities hard to integrate coherently• Too many issues – spread too thin?• Little connection with AAFC, APF• Drawn into some voluntary sector politics• Advisory role -> limited control over

outcomes• Lack of broadcast project communications

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Project OverviewProposed Policy Focus/Effort to Mar

2004

Major effort• GVRD: long-term food policy & plan• CRD: baseline food security assessment,

proposal for food council• Organics coalition: policy options input to

specialty programs review• “Think piece” on BC alternative agri-food• Voluntary sector tools

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Project Overview Proposed Policy Focus/Effort to Mar

2004

Minor effort• OCPS/bylaws: models summary• Junk food in schools: policy

recommendations• Public health: grassroots links• SSFPA: lessons from Emilia Romagna• Farmland trusts: pilot project startup• Farm leases: amendment filed• Farm labour practices: action plan• Ecological services: implementation

strategy

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Project OverviewAfter Growing Green: new

initiatives?

• Community food councils in GVRD, CRD• Farmland trust pilot on Salt Spring• More on Emilia Romagna models for BC• Business case for BC “alternative” agri-

food• Ecological services programs in GVRD, CRD• LEED farm program• Agri-food specialist at WCEL• National healthy eating challenge