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Growing Green. Sustainable Food Systems Law & Policy Reform. Project Partners: FarmFolk/CityFolk West Coast Environmental Law Liu Institute for Global Issues (UBC). Mar 12 2004: Wrap & Launch!. Interactive progress report Highlight voluntary sector partners’ projects
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Growing Green Sustainable Food Systems Law & Policy Reform Project Partners: FarmFolk/CityFolk West Coast Environmental Law Liu Institute for Global Issues (UBC)
Mar 12 2004: Wrap & Launch! • Interactive progress report • Highlight voluntary sector partners’ projects • Provide policy tools & techniques • Strengthen networks • Celebrate successes • Discuss strategic directions Growing Green
Thanks to our Funders • Tides Canada & • Government of Canada’s Voluntary Sector Initiative • through Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Growing Green
Project Team • West Coast Environmental Law (Lawrence Alexander), (Mark Haddock), Chris Rolfe • FarmFolk/CityFolk Herb Barbolet, Kathleen Gibson • Liu Institute for Global Issues Evan Fraser, Kristina Bouris Growing Green
Greetings from the UK Growing Green
What is Growing Green? • Two-year law & policy reform project on sustainable food systems • Focused on Southwestern BC: exurban Vancouver & Victoria Growing Green
Project Objectives • Develop in strategic areas, practical law & policy models & reform proposals • Strengthen capacity of voluntary organizations to contribute to law & policy Growing Green
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
Strategic Law/Policy ReformDetermining policy priorities • 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? Growing Green
Policy PrioritiesMaking sustainable food systems work • Community-based food councils in GVRD & CRD • Model OCPs & Bylaws • Junk food in schools (with Environmental Law Centre) • Public health legislation • Small-scale food processors Growing Green
Policy PrioritiesMaking sustainable food systems pay • Co-farming/multi-family housing • Short-term farmland leases • Farmland trusts & conservation covenants • Organics & regulated marketing • Ecological services: incentives & rewards Growing Green
Voluntary Sector Capacity • Contacted ~ 40 organizations • Identified ~10 strategic partners • “Sharing the Benefits” program • Tools • Roles • Links Growing Green
Voluntary Sector CapacityKey strategic partners • Lower Mainland Food Coalition: re-convened coalition, assisted input to local/regional govt • CR-FAIR: helped expand coalition, assisted input to local/regional govt • SSFPA: assisted with strategy & positioning re: provincial govt • COABC: helped link to FIRB review • The Land Conservancy: proposed & helped facilitate farmland trust pilot Growing Green
Voluntary Sector Capacity“Sharing the Benefits” program Policy dialogues with/for: • BC Food Systems Network • COABC • CR-FAIR • Salt Spring Farmers’ Institute • Land Trust Alliance • POLIS Project • Small-Scale Food Processors Association • Your Local Farmers’ Market Society Growing Green
Voluntary Sector CapacityTools • Advisory memos: policy strategy & tactics • Blueprints: policy options • Workshop: Local Government 101 • Key reference: state of the art community-based food councils • Seminar: How to Enhance Your Policy Input • Mind map: of sustainable food systems Growing Green
Voluntary Sector CapacityRoles & Links • “Honest broker” roles between voluntary sector & government agencies • New policy links & partnerships between voluntary sector, legal & academic communities Growing Green
Project Promotion • www.ffcf.bc.ca/GrowingGreen.html • Collaboration with ~40 voluntary sector organizations • Contact with 22 regulators: federal, provincial, regional, local • ~30 special presentations in BC, Ottawa, U.K., U.S.A., Italy Growing Green
Policy PrioritiesKey results 1/2 • LMFC: Vancouver Food Policy Council • CR-FAIR: CRD Food Policy Reference Group • SSFPA: organizational & project development • Islands farmers & processors: meat inspection regulation intervention Growing Green
Policy PrioritiesKey results 2/2 • TLC, Salt Spring Farmers’ Institute: farmland trust pilot project • COABC: policy options for regulated marketing of organics • Policy incentives & rewards re: farms’ ecological services Growing Green
Project Summary • Policy recommendations & tools summary in development • Full report, all materials posted on Web site: www.ffcf.bc.ca/GrowingGreen.html Growing Green
Ancillary Projects • “Think piece” on BC agri-food • Case studies Growing Green
Ancillary Projects“Think piece” on BC agri-food • Farm & food businesses, other aspects of food systems that are off government radar or fall between cracks Growing Green
Ancillary ProjectsCase studies • Engeler Farm • Noble Food & Education Centre • Local sourcing for school food Growing Green
Project made possible by: • Funders • Voluntary sector partners • Reference Group • Project Team • Consultants & volunteers Growing Green
Reference Group 1/2 • Bruce Bakker, horticulture producer • Marion Best, World Council of Churches • Larry Bomford, BC Institute of Agrologists • Oliver Brandes, POLIS Project • Ben Bradshaw, Geography, SFU • Linda Geggie, GroundWorks • Charan Gill, PICS • Cathleen Kneen, BC Food Systems Network • (Don Knoerr, rancher) Growing Green
Reference Group 2/2 • Lorna Medd, Northern Health Authority • Bob McCoubrey, organic farmer • Heather Pritchard, FarmFolk/CityFolk • Moura Quayle, Agricultural Sciences, UBC • Wayne Roberts, Toronto Food Policy Council • Daphne Sidaway-Wolf, MAFF • Ramesh Singal, PICS • Shelley Wells, Quest Outreach Society Growing Green
Special thanks today . . . • Presenters • Unitarian Church of Vancouver • Cook Studio Café • Volunteers • Cheney Cawkwell, event logistics • Kristina Bouris, event coordinator Growing Green