Hungry for a Serious Food Production Plan in the City of Vancouver

In recent years, a variety of concerns such as peak oil, global warming, climate change and rapid urbanization, have helped bring the issue of food security to the attention of planners and policymakers. Food security is the assurance that “food is available at all times, that all persons have means of access to it, that it is nutritionally adequate in terms of quantity, quality, and variety, and that it is acceptable within the given culture”. There are a number of ways to address the issue in developed world cities including increasing food production within city boundaries, improving access to grocery stores and markets, processing and distributing food locally, and recycling wastes. The City of Vancouver and others are engaged in a diversity of food security initiatives. However, these projects are less focused on building systems that will provide as much food as possible for city residents but rather look at community economic development, ecological health, social justice, collaboration and participation, and celebration. My objectives for this project are to: • Examine the growing interest in food security among planners and policymakers • Analyze food security groups and initiatives in the City of Vancouver • Create a framework for food production This report is written and researched for staff and officials at the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health, the Vancouver Food Policy Council and interested community members, and details the requirements needed to maximize food production and food self-reliance in the City of Vancouver. This report provides a plan and a set of recommendations in an effort to increase the quantity of food produced in and around city limits to decrease dependence on imported food, increase the level of residents’ food security, and avert future crises that may leave urban residents with limited varieties or insufficient quantities of food.Applied Science, Faculty ofCommunity and Regional Planning (SCARP), School ofUnreviewedGraduat