Jim Smith, Food Purchasing, PDSB

Soni Craik, Acting Executive Director, EcoSource

Sima Patel, EcoSource Youth and Local Food Coordinator

Setting the Stage EcoSource’s Youth and

Local Food (YLF) Program

How does YLF Program complement and support Environmental Education

YLF Program takes a multi-pronged approach to education for sustainability

Prong One: Complying with New Policies PDSB Environmental

Policy, approved April 2009

Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow, 2009

School Food & Beverage Policy, 2010

Prong Two: Importance of EducationYouth and Local Food

(YLF) Program: Classroom workshops Farm trips Sourcing local

sustainable food Culinary arts program Teacher education

Prong 3: Board-wide Food Procurement Contracts Importance of choice for

students

New RFP Proposals

Introduce LFP

What is Local Food Plus?We are an award-winning

non-profit organization that nurtures regional food economies by:

Certifying Ontario farmers and processors for local sustainable food production and

Helping them connect with buyers of all types and sizes, including institutional buyers

Why Local Sustainable Food? Water pollution

Soil degradation

Loss of biodiversity

Climate change

Urban sprawl

LFP Certification Standards LFP Certified Farmers and Processors:

Employ sustainable production systems

Provide healthy and humane care for livestock

Provide safe and fair working conditions

Protect and enhance wildlife and biodiversity

Reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases

Past Experience with Institutional Partners

The University of Toronto

The Town of Markham

What Does It Cost?The estimated increased cost in food is 1%, based on a

10% local sustainable food buy.

Various options exist to offset this increased cost: Non-traditional use of revenue streams designated to

achieve the school board’s sustainability goals Consumer absorption School Board and consumer-shared absorption

LFP Supports Local Sustainable Food Policies By: Language for Requests for

Proposals (RFPs)

Support in setting appropriate targets

Independent verification for local sustainable food

YEAR OVER YEAR MEASURABLE RESULTS BASED ON TARGET-

SETTING

Moving Forward Each School Board will

have their own unique way of implementing a local sustainable food policy.

There are networks of support for schools to transition

RFP for PDSB Contract released Summer 2010

EcoSource Local Food Plus (LFP)Soni Craik Lori StahlbrandActing ED Presidentscraik@ecosource.calori@localfoodplus.ca

Sima Patel Erin ShaperoYouth and Local Food Institutional Relationsspatel@ecosource.caerin@localfoodplus.ca