Fail to Include, Plan to Exclude: Reflections on Local Governments' Readiness for Building Equitable Community Food Systems

IntroductionFood system planning involves envisioning and implementing structures and processes that influence the food supply chain. Planning is embedded in formal governance structures, people's organizations, social movements, and the private sector, at multiple scales, including municipal, regional, national, and multinational levels. Food policy councils (FPCs), as regional organizations that aim to influence food system planning, began to emerge in North America and across the globe in the 1980s (McCullagh and Santo 2012). They seek to address citizen disempowerment in the food system (Lang 1999) and the absence of food and agriculture in municipal policy and planning (Pothukuchi and Kaufman 1999). They have the potential to contribute to strategic food system planning by building alliances between diverse stakeholders, conducting system-level research and consultation to address a broad range of concerns related to public health, social justice, and ecological integrity (McRae and Donahue 2013). Therefore, many FPCs aim to transform urban areas into sites of "food citizenship," where people can actively partake in shaping the food system (Lang 1999;Harper et al. 2009).Many FPCs have been successful at bringing together diverse food system stakeholders (consumers, farmers, policymakers, scholars, food industry representatives), forming coalitions to increase the strength of alternative food initiatives (Levkoe and Wakefield 2014). However, many alternative food initiatives themselves, including FPCs, have been criticized for not effectively or equitably engaging members from diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds (

show abstract

“…• Engage with dissent, ensuring counternarratives and alternative viewpoints are recognized and included (Clark et al 2017).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planning for Whom? Toward Culturally Inclusive Food Systems in Metro Vancouver

Ostenso¹,

Dring²,

Wittman³

2020

The Immigrant-Food Nexus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, our study had several limitations: a limited breadth of policy-makers (primarily municipal staff), no politicians, and only a few civil society organizations, such that not all stakeholders relevant to urban food system change through a more fulsome concept of governance were represented (Gore, 2008;Clark et al, 2017). Nevertheless, its scope was appropriate for staff working on policy in a public health department to better understand the context and policy and information priorities of their municipal colleagues.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, to what extent do staff and policy-makers see historical equity concerns as central? (Clark, Freedgood, Irish, Hodgson, & Raja, 2017). Do they think that UA promotion should involve targeted programs primarily for the vulnerable (e.g., subsidized food production by those with mental health conditions); universal approaches (e.g., zoning bylaw changes for a greener city); or proportionate universalist approaches (e.g., expansion of available community gardening plots to be able to respond to all those with household food security challenges) (NCCDH 2013)?…”

Section: Tensions Around Ua Promotion As Part Of Local Food Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toronto Municipal Staff and Policy-makers' Views on Urban Agriculture and Health: A Qualitative Study

Mulligan¹,

Archbold²,

Baker

et al. 2018

J. Agric. Food Syst. Community Dev.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Municipal governments across the Global North are increasingly becoming key actors in shaping urban food and agriculture policy. In the City of Toronto, recent aspirational policies, such as the provincial Local Food Act and the municipal Toronto Agricultural Program, created new opportunities to shape a healthier food system. We sought municipal perspectives on the question of "How might urban agriculture policy and programs be better supported to promote equity and health?" Analysis of findings from semistructured key

show abstract

“…While it is recognized that strengthening Indigenous foodways is inextricably linked to larger shifts in federal and provincial policy related to Indigenous rights and reconciliation efforts (Coté, 2010;Manuel & Derrickson, 2015), local governments can and should assume an active role. In their local government capacitybuilding work, Clark et al (2017) reflect on how the active engagement of those affected by food system inequalities is critical to the development of policies that support equitable food systems. Prioritizing biodiversity conservation in land use planning, incorporating Indigenous food sovereignty into community planning, and increasing institutional support for Indigenous food programs have been identified as avenues for local governments to strengthen Indigenous food systems (Morrison, 2008).…”

Section: Foundational Elements Of Regional Food Systems Policy In Bc mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, many of the impacts of poor or absent food system planning-inadequate access to food for residents, local pollution, waste management, loss of agricultural land and rural livelihoods--are most acutely felt at the local government level (MacRae & Donahue, 2013). As such, including food systems as a fundamental component of community and regional planning presents a substantial opportunity to improve public health as well as the ecological and economic wellbeing of communities (American Planning Association [APA], 2017; Clark, Freedgood, Irish, Hodgson, & Raja, 2017;Morgan, 2009;Youmans, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Municipal Policy Enabling Regional Food Systems in British Columbia, Canada: Assessing Focal Areas and Gaps

Robert

Mullinix

2018

J. Agric. Food Syst. Community Dev.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Local-regional food systems are increasingly the focus of community activism and local government planning in British Columbia (BC), Canada. At present, there is no provincial or federal government food system strategy to inform or guide local government policy efforts. To ascertain focal points of local government food system planning, we assessed current municipal Official Community Plans (OCPs) in BC and suggest areas for future policy development to enable regional food systems in the province. In BC, an OCP is the most comprehensive, high-level municipal planning document used to guide future management and land use decisions. We reviewed OCPs from 61

show abstract

Fail to Include, Plan to Exclude: Reflections on Local Governments' Readiness for Building Equitable Community Food Systems

Cited by 18 publications

References 0 publications

Planning for Whom? Toward Culturally Inclusive Food Systems in Metro Vancouver

Planning for Whom? Toward Culturally Inclusive Food Systems in Metro Vancouver

Toronto Municipal Staff and Policy-makers' Views on Urban Agriculture and Health: A Qualitative Study

Municipal Policy Enabling Regional Food Systems in British Columbia, Canada: Assessing Focal Areas and Gaps

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About