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Growing Green. Sustainable Food Policy & Legal Reform. Project Partners: FarmFolk/CityFolk West Coast Environmental Law Liu Institute for Global Issues (UBC). What is Growing Green ?. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Growing Green
Sustainable Food Policy & Legal Reform
Project Partners:
FarmFolk/CityFolkWest Coast Environmental Law
Liu Institute for Global Issues (UBC)
Growing Green 2
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
Growing Green 3
Project Objectives
• Develop in strategic areas, practical law & policy models & reform proposals
• Strengthen capacity of voluntary organizations to contribute to law & policy
Growing Green 4
Project Team
• West Coast Environmental Law(Lawrence Alexander), Mark Haddock
• FarmFolk/CityFolkHerb Barbolet, Kathleen Gibson
• Liu Institute for Global IssuesEvan Fraser, Kristina Bouris
Growing Green 5
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
Growing Green 6
• 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
Growing Green 7
• Making sustainable food systems work
• Making sustainable food systems pay
Strategic Law ReformPriorities
Growing Green 8
• 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
Growing Green 9
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
Growing Green 10
Ancillary Projects
• “Think piece” on BC agri-food• Voluntary sector tools• Case studies
Growing Green 11
Ancillary Projects
“Think piece” on BC agri-foodFarm & food businesses, other aspects of food systems that are off government radar/fall between cracks
Growing Green 12
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
Growing Green 13
Ancillary Projects
Case Studies• Engeler Farm• Noble Food & Education Centre• Local sourcing for school food
Growing Green 14
Project Promotion
• Growing Green presentations• Conference presentations• Launch event March 2004• Communications strategy• Web site• List serves
Growing Green 15
Project PromotionGrowing Green presentations
Federal govt, Ottawa, April 2003• Office of Auditor General• National Round Table• Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada• Voluntary Sector Initiative
Growing Green 16
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
Growing Green 17
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
Growing Green 18
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
Growing Green 19
Project Promotion
Communications strategy• Preliminary work with IMPACS
Web site• www.ffcf.bc.ca/GrowingGreen.html
List serves
Growing Green 20
Project OverviewReport Card
• Actual policy & law reform proposals & results?
• Stronger policy capacity in agri-food voluntary sector organizations?
Growing Green 21
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
Growing Green 22
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
Growing Green 23
Project OverviewReport Card: Voluntary Sector
Capacity
• Contacted over 65 organizations• Working with ~10 strategic partners• “Sharing the Benefits” Program• Tools• Roles• Links
Growing Green 24
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
Growing Green 25
“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
Growing Green 26
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
Growing Green 27
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
Growing Green 28
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
Growing Green 29
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
Growing Green 30
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
Growing Green 31
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
Growing Green 32
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