Toward a Health and Sustainable Local Food System in Toronto

8/9/2019 Toward a Health and Sustainable Local Food System in Toronto

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Food Connections:

Toward a Healthy

and Sustainable

Food Systemfor TorontoA Consultation Report

February 2010


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Foreword 1

Introduction 3

Toronto is Poised to Lead the Way 6

Torontos Advantages 6

Moving Toward a Health Focused Food System 9

How We Got Here 9

Unintended Consequences 10

Carving Up Food 10

The Road Ahead 12

Thinking Outside the Breadbox 15

Local Governments Food Levers 16

Six Directions to a Health Focused Food System 18

Grow Food-riendly Neighbourhoods 19

Make Food a Centerpiece o Torontos New Green Economy 20

Eliminate Hunger in Toronto 21

Empower Residents with Food Skills and Inormation 22

Use Food to Connect City and Countryside 23Embed Food System Thinking in Government 24

Get Connected 25

Appendix 1: Members of the Toronto Food Strategy Steering Group 26

Appendix 2: Toronto Food Strategy Staff Support 27

Endnotes 28

Table of Contents


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Foreword

Food can play a powerul role in promoting health, as well as building strong and diverse communities,

protecting the environment and strengthening the economy. Thats why ood is such an eective vehicle to

connect people to one another, to their neighbourhoods and their city.

I believe it is t ime to build on these connections and challenge ourselves to create a healthy and sustainable

ood system or all. I initiated the Toronto Food Strategy project to inspire discussion and action that will

move us toward this goal.

Food Connections proposes a new vision or Torontos ood, one that unites health and city building.

The report, which lays out six directions or ood system renewal, provides the basis or a broad community

engagement process.

Toronto Public Healths 2007 report, The State o Torontos Food, showed that the ood we eat comes rom

a complex system o connected activities production, processing, distribution, marketing, consumption

and disposal rom grow it to throw it. It warned o intensiying pressures rom a range o ood-related

problems hunger, obesity, chronic disease, disappearing armland, environmental pollution and

highlighted the need or coordinated and strategic approaches.

In 2008, the Toronto Board o Health endorsed the Food Strategy project, and a Steering Group was

convened to guide the work. Im grateul to the diverse group o community ood experts and senior City stawho serve on the Steering Group. Its mandate is to help articulate a bold ood vision or the city and begin to

identiy eective short and long term actions to implement it. Im also thankul or the ongoing support and

advice o the Toronto Food Policy Council.

Toronto already has many examples o ood system leadership through the eorts o community

organizations, City divisions and agencies, the private sector, and academic institutions.

A Consu l ta t ion Repor t1

Dr. David McKeown

Medical Ofcer o Health, City o Toronto


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Food Connections2

With the support o the Steering Group, the Food Strategy project has begun the process o reaching out to,

and connecting, a wide range o people and organizations in the community and across City government.

I welcome your thoughts about ways to improve the ood system. There are many ways to eed into the

discussion. Visit our website (toronto.ca/oodconnections) or more inormation and details about upcoming

events. You may also contact Peter Dorman, Toronto Food Strategy Manager (Tel: 416-338-7935, Email:[email protected]), with your questions and ideas. Your eedback will be reected in a fnal ood strategy

report with recommendations which will be submitted to Toronto City Council later in 2010.

I look orward to working with you to build a healthy and sustainable ood system or Toronto.

Dr. David McKeown

Medical Ofcer o Health, City o Toronto


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Torontonians are ready or a resh take on ood.

Many are looking or new ways to make a dierence

by unlocking oods potential to contribute to

personal health, vibrant neighbourhoods and a

great city. People increasingly understand that oodconnects health, the environment, the economy and

community. Theres growing interest in cooking,

gardening, ood estivals, armers markets, specialty

ood stores, ood entrepreneurship, volunteering

with neighbourhood ood projects, learning about

nutrition, and supporting local arms and healthy

and sustainable ood.

Food is also becoming central to how residentsand the outside world see Toronto. Its recognized

as the citys number one service and industrial

employer. As one o the most diverse cities in the

world, Toronto has ood to match. Almost any ood

craving can be met in our Little Indias, Chinatowns,

Greektowns, Little Italies and Korea Towns in the

downtown, and lesser-known restaurants eaturing

oods rom a hundred cultures, scattered across

suburban plazas. And newly used cuisines,

mixtures o ood traditions that exist side by side in

Toronto, are spontaneously emerging. Community

agencies and non-governmental organizations

(NGOs) are spearheading made-in-Toronto projects

that are winning international acclaim.

All this excitement has opened many peoples eyes

to the urgent need to accelerate progress toward a

healthier and more sustainable ood system. Toronto,

along with the rest o the industrialized world,

aces a cascade o health, social and environmentalproblems connected to ood.

At least one Toronto household in ten the

rate is much higher among households o recent

immigrants and lone parents cant aord to eat a

healthy diet.1 This hardship persists in the ace o

undeniable research that links hunger and poverty to

lielong chronic disease and lower lie expectancy.2

Side by side with hunger, approximately one

in three Toronto children (age 2-11) is either

overweight or obese.3 Newcomers to the city are

oten more vulnerable to poverty, unemployment,

underemployment and social isolation than long-

established residents. These actors contribute to

a decline in the health o immigrants over time.

Newcomers are not the only ones at risk o severe

health problems. According to a 2010 report rom

Statistics Canada, children as a group are taller,

heavier, atter and weaker than in 1981, which

may lead to accelerated non-communicable disease

development, increased health care costs, and loss o

uture productivity.4 These indicators o worsening

health point to the need or liestyle changes at the

personal level, backed by public policy to support

healthy diets and physical activity.

Introduction


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Food Connections4

Many o Torontos ood problems exist in spite

o enormous advantages. For example, the city is

surrounded by the Greenbelt, the largest area o

protected near-urban greenspace in the world. The

citys creative ches, many o whom eature local,

sustainable and heritage oods, are another asset.

The diverse restaurant sector is ast becoming asmuch a signature o Torontos creative edge as

movies, live theatre, music, comedy, publishing,

biomedical research and higher education.

Despite these advantages, the number o arms in

the Greenbelt dropped by 7 percent between 2001

and 2006, a bad omen or local arm survival.5 The

average Ontario ood producer earns a little more

than $8,000 annually rom arming operations,6while production costs continue to increase or

many. It is increasingly recognized that the ood

systems high energy inputs account or as much as

a third o greenhouse gas emissions that are causing

climate change.7 A rapidly aging population means

that the nutritional needs o seniors and the role

ood can play in promoting independent living

will become a priority. Children are exposed to a

greater intensity and requency o unhealthy ood

marketing than ever beore. Many young people,

and adults or that matter, lack basic ood skills and

inormation the ability to cook healthy meals rom

scratch, read ood labels correctly, or know where

ood comes rom. Added to all o this, there are ew

signs o preparation or a relatively near-term uture

when ossil uels or ood production, transportation

and storage will become scarcer and more expensive,

and continued reliance on todays long-distance,

centralized ood system will become more difcult.

These challenges wont be overcome by increased

public spending alone, especially at a time when

governments ace budget defcits and less revenue.

This is where a ood system perspective or ood

system thinking comes into play. The term ood

system is commonly defned as the complex set o

activities and relationships related to every aspect

o the ood cycle, including production, processing,

distribution, retail, preparation, consumption and

disposal. Food system thinking is a way o seeing

the bigger picture, o developing solutions to ood

problems by seeing and leveraging their connectionsto other issues. Governments are increasingly

looking or cost-eective policies and programs that

can address multiple issues at the same time. Food

system thinking epitomizes the approach. In large

part, this ood strategy initiative is about fnding

and implementing new ways o achieving multiple

objectives through ood. By its nature, ood can

address health, social, economic and environmental

issues simultaneously. For this to happen, Toronto

needs to think in strategic terms about how to

leverage and coordinate ood advantages and assets

to help solve the citys problems.

This report proposes some directions that could

orm the oundation o a whole-o-society, whole-

o-government8 ood strategy. Taking the next

Food can address health,

social, economic and

environmental issues

simultaneously.


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Food Connections6

Cities are well positioned to play a leading role in

ostering a healthy, sustainable ood system. Toronto

is better equipped to lead than most. The potential

o cities to be ood leaders may not be obvious, given

that many ormal ood powers related to agriculture,healthcare, imports and inrastructure are in the

hands o ederal and provincial governments. But

the role o cities is rapidly changing in the 21st

century or a number o reasons. With more than

hal the worlds population and more than 80

percent o Canadians living in urban areas, cities are

a nexus o change, where health, social, economic

and environmental challenges are elt most acutely,

and where opportunities or innovation and positive

change are most abundant.

Many policies and programs that Canadians take

or granted began with experiments at the local

level. On the international level, the role o cities as

breeding grounds or innovation is becoming ever

more important in the era o climate change. Many

national governments have been slow to react, socities all over the world are uniting in action and

Toronto is among them, earning a reputation as a

global environmental leader. Similarly, major cities

are becoming leaders in ood system renewal. New

York, London, San Francisco, Chicago, and Belo

Horizonte, Brazil, among others, are spearheading

eorts that highlight the untapped potential o ood

to address a wide range o urban priorities.

Torontos Advantages

When it comes to the list o whats required or

cities to lead the way in ood knowledgeable

and engaged residents, abundant natural assets,

economic strength, collaborative inrastructure10and dynamic leadership the Toronto region has

a lot going or it. So many o the ingredients to

produce health, environmental, economic and social

benefts through ood are already in place, available

to be leveraged by a strategy and connected through

a common vision.

When it comes to people, Torontonians have

repeatedly shown their willingness and generosity

in support o projects that help the environment

and society. The city has a respected, popular

and eective group o community organizations

with a long history o achievements in ood access

projects, urban agriculture, capacity building and

strengthening communities through ood. Indeed,

a host o community agencies, NGOs, university

institutes and publications are earning Torontoa reputation as a world leader in ood thinking

and action. A broad network o community ood

programs also provides emergency ood to thousands

o people every day.

When it comes to economic clout, Toronto shoppers

spend about $7 billion per year on ood.11 Many are

using their purchasing power to support products

Toronto is Poised to Lead the Way

So many o the ingredients

to promote health,

environmental, economic

and social benefts through

ood are already in place.


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that express their values, especially through local,

air trade, organic and sustainable choices. To

a remarkable degree, the success o new ood

niche markets has been driven by demands

rom consumers, rather than governments, major

corporations or ood producers signalling a

dramatic increase in the role o eaters and citizensin shaping the emerging ood system. While these

markets are still relatively small, they are being

embraced increasingly by major ood retailers,

suggesting a potentially powerul role or

consumers in creating larger structural changes

to the ood system.

As or natural assets, the GTA is home to some o

the best agricultural land in the country. On a clearday, over one third o Canadas class one armland

can be seen rom the top o the CN Tower.12 At a

time o increasing water scarcity in other parts o

the world, Toronto has access to vast amounts o

reshwater. Theres some comort in knowing that

governments have protected the Greenbelt, over

1.8 million acres. However, much work remains to

reconcile the interests o armers, conservationists,

local residents, and developers.

On the economic ront, Toronto is the second

largest ood distribution hub on the continent. The

provincially-unded Ontario Food Terminal, located

in the citys west end, is Canadas largest wholesale

market or vegetables and ruits. As one o the ew

North American regions to still have a public ood

distribution centre, Toronto has a dynamic sector

o independent and diverse neighbourhood retailers

who can buy and sell resh produce at competitive

prices. Surprising to those who think that oods

importance is restricted to the rura l economy, it is a

oundational economic sector in Toronto, providing

one in eight jobs in the city and generating $85.2billion in annual revenues across the province.13

Niche markets or local, sustainable, organic,

artisanal and ethnically diverse ood are all

growing rapidly, as are eorts to stimulate

regional ood inrastructure.

The ood cluster in the Golden Horseshoe has great

potential or growth. Internationally recognized

nutrition research in Southern Ontario universities,agri-ood research in Guelph, a bustling agricultural

technology centre in the Niagara ruit and wine

region, along with a wealth o nearby fnancial,

biomedical research, inormation technology and

logistics expertise, a ll point to a region poised or

a breakthrough in ood system renewal. There are

already many examples o businesses that have

achieved success through ood innovations that

respond to an evolving consumer market. The

strategic challenge is to build the links create a

synergy o these advantages so that their combined

eorts are greater than the sum o their individual

eorts. A pressing strategic opportunity is to l ink

the evolving ood cluster with the developing

green economy. Toronto is already building a

world reputation as a centre or green investment.

Ontario Food Terminal:

The provincially unded Terminal is the largestwholesale ruit and vegetable distribution

centre in Canada and supports diverse and

independent retailers across the region.


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Food Connections8

The Toronto Stock Exchange, or example, has

more cleantech companies listed than any

other exchange in the world.14 Food is an equally

important building block or a green economy.

Food growing, ater all, is the original solar and

renewable industry.

Toronto has also built collaborative inrastructure

opportunities or people rom all walks o

lie to work together on solutions to common

problems, instead o splitting into polarized groups.

Scholars have argued that the cities which embrace

collaborative inrastructure are the ones most likely

to succeed in the 21st century. A leading example

o Torontos success in this direction is the City

Summit Alliance, organized by the late DavidPecault. Leadership or ood system improvements

has grown out o this civic culture o engagement

and collaboration. It encourages solutions, ounded

on horizontal partnerships, a precondition or

successul and long-lasting teamwork around ood.

Toronto enjoys a history o dynamic leadership in

the broad area o ood, going back to the crusading

Medical Ofcer o Health Dr. Charles Hastings,

a major orce shaping the city during the early

1900s. Hastings championed nutrition promotion,

prenatal care, ood saety and water treatment as

central to the public health agenda, resulting in

Toronto winning a reputation as the healthiest big

city in the world in the 1920s.15 Toronto Public

Health continues to deliver and support a wide

range o programs that link health with personal

and community development. Prenatal and early

childhood supports, nutrition education, ood

skills training, student meal programs, Nutritious

Food Basket monitoring, ood saety promotion

and enorcement, and dental services or people

on low income, all testi y to ongoing publichealth leadership.

During the 1990s, Torontos Board o Health

created one o the worlds frst ood policy councils.

The Toronto Food Policy Council (TFPC) is

a City-supported, community-led organization

that has pioneered the feld o urban ood system

thinking. It has put a whole range o new ood issues

on the radar o local, national and internationalpolicy makers, including community and rootop

gardens, local and sustainable ood, rura l-urban

partnerships, nutrition labelling and GE-ree milk.

The TFPC was also a major participant in the

Food and Hunger Action Committee, established

by the newly amalgamated City o Toronto. It also

helped write the Toronto Food Charter (2001),

which has inspired dozens o charters across the

continent. More recently it launched the worlds frst

Youth Food Policy Council, an idea that is already

spreading internationally.

Similar orward-thinking approaches to ood are

evident in many parts o local government. For

example, Toronto Community Housing uses gardens

as a cornerstone o their tenant engagement and

Student Nutrition Programs:

The City collaborates with the Toronto Partnersor Student Nutrition to provide nutritious ood or

over 108,000 children and youth in schools and

community sites.


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green programs. Likewise, sta rom the Shelter,

Support and Housing division collaborated with

Public Health to make healthier and more culturally

appropriate emergency meals available. Economic

Development and Culture regularly works with

members o the Toronto Food Policy Council,

including co-sponsoring a 2009 conerence on localood inrastructure. The Parks and Environment

Committee directed sta, led by the Interdivisional

Workgroup on Urban Agriculture, to prepare an

inventory o City-owned land that could be used or

urban agriculture. Sta are also investigating the

easibility o allowing backyard chickens.

All these advantages exist at a time when enthusiasm

or oods potential is at an all time high. But ourstrengths also highlight the need or concerted

action. With more than enough produced or

imported to eed everyone well, there are still hungry

amilies in Toronto. Likewise, most armers are

having a hard time making a living rom their arms,

even though they live on ertile land next to a prime

market. These challenges, in the midst o so many

advantages, call out or a comprehensive vision and

strategy to make the most o our potential and build

a healthy Toronto.

Moving Toward a Health Focused

Food System

Since the 1950s, a ocus on mass production

methods dramatically increased ood availability in

wealthier parts o the world. The modern, highly

mechanized and commercial ood system thatsupplies most o Torontos supermarkets, restaurants

and dinner tables, has many successes to its credit.

Despite signifcant population growth over the last

60 years, armers and fshers produce more than

enough ood or everyone on the planet. Year round,

its possible to fnd a diversity o reasonably priced

tropical oods in grocery stores, along with locally

grown vegetables. Modern technology has also

reduced some o the back-breaking and dangerouswork traditionally required in primary ood

production.

How We Got Here

Many o todays ood production technologies and

institutions are legacies o the period ollowing

World War II, when the modern ood system took

shape. The thinking o the day was quite idealistic.

Most people shared high hopes or a post-war worldo plenty and reedom. Many had painul memories

o hunger and amine during the 1930s and ood

rationing during the war. The talk o those days was

about building strong bodies, conquering hunger,

and declaring war against poverty and disease. This

explains why the Food and Agriculture Organization

and the Charter o Human Rights were created so

early in the United Nations history.

With more than enough to

eed everyone well, there

are still hungry amilies

in Toronto.


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Food Connections10

The modern ood system surged ahead during the

1950s, when methods so eective at mobilizing

resources during war were adapted to ood. Tanks

morphed into tractors, and chemical warare turned

into weed warare. The logic o industrialization,

centralization and compartmentalization, so

successul in actories, was applied to agriculture andood processing. Huge increases in ood availability

ollowed. The idea that increased ood production

would automatically improve health and serve

the public good was logical or that time. Cheap

ossil uels, transormed into diesel, pesticides and

ertilizers, made specialized or monoculture (one

crop) arms possible. High input technologies,

rom tractors to irrigation, became standard. The

term agri-business was frst coined in the 1950s,when dominant ood players became national and

international conglomerates. Economies o sca le led

to greater concentration o ownership everywhere in

the world, but particularly in Canadas processing,

distribution and retail sectors. As o 2005, or

example, just our grocery retailers controlled 78

percent o market share.16 Likewise, the number

o arms in Canada declined by more than 47,000

between 1996 and 2006 (a 17 percent drop), even as

total arm acreage rose, an indicator that ood was

coming rom ever larger arms.17

Unintended Consequences

A system ocused on mass production methods

succeeded in making large quantities o ood

available at relatively low prices across North

America. Indeed, by the 1990s, the portion o

household income spent on ood had plummeted

to about 10 percent, down rom 20 percent in

the 1950s.18 At the same time, a whole category

o highly-processed convenience oods flled

supermarket shelves. Today, more than enough ood

is grown or imported into Canada 3,372 caloriesor every person, every day o the year.19

Notwithstanding such successes, the ood system

is increasingly identifed as a contributor to many

serious problems, sometimes reerred to as negative

externalities or unintended consequences.

Unoreseen back in the 1940s, the ood system has

become a major source o climate change emissions

and pollution. Likewise, the overproduction ocalorie-dense, nutrient-poor products that come

out o processing plants osters an unhealthy

or obesogenic ood environment, where the

cheapest and most accessible choices are oten the

least healthy. These and other emerging problems

are partly the result o a system that continues to

prioritize mass production, rather than the health o

people and the environment.

Carving Up Food

Prioritizing high volume production has become

institutionalized, oten without the checks and

balances needed to support public health and protect

the environment. For example, most arm incentives

and supports encourage armers to produce more

commodities at a lower price, rather than rewarding

Greenest City:

Parkdale youth enjoy Greenest Citysgarden and cooking programs, one o many

community-based programs unded by Live

Green Toronto grants.

Gelek Badheytsang


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them or growing healthier ood or providing

environmental benefts. This problem is partially a

result o the specialization that developed to support

the modern ood system. Ater the 1950s, a whole

range o new specializations ourished, both within

agriculture (producers o growth hormones or

genetically modifed seeds, or example) and acrossthe ood system (logistic experts, ood scientists,

inormation technology specialists, marketers,

and others).

Based on the same logic o specialization, distinct

ood issues became separated or siloed within a

labyrinth o government ministries, departments

and authorities. Food, which by its nature connects

health, social, economic, environmental and culturalgoals, became disconnected. Seemingly separate

ood issues nutrition, agriculture, saety, job

creation, waste, or example were carved up into

dierent government departments, making it more

difcult to treat them in interconnected ways.

It also made it harder to prevent problems early on

by getting at the root o the matter, or by ocusing

on what public health experts call the cause o the

causes, as distinct rom the symptoms o

the problem.

For example, early environment ministries were

designed to deal with end o pipe impacts on soil,

water and air pollution, rather than helping armers

or processors reduce their environmental impact.

Likewise, health ministries concentrate on treating

chronic disease and other downstream problems

caused partly by poor nutrition and unhealthy ood

environments. For much o their histories, each

government domain ocused on its own mandate,

rarely collaborating with others to seize common

opportunities and solve ood-related problems.

Siloed structures bred siloed thinking. The signs odisconnect between ood and health are everywhere

now. Think o hospitals. Theyre institutions

dedicated to restoring health. But ew hospitals see

providing healthy ood to patients as a key part

o their mandate. Wendell Berry, an American

philosopher o ood and arming, amously

addressed this paradox: we have a health system

that doesnt care about ood and a ood system that

doesnt care about health.

The small picture thinking encouraged by

compartmentalization also stands in the way o

adapting to new conditions o the 21st century. Few

o the actors driving success o the ood system in

the post-war period exist any longer. The producers

o that era relied on seemingly unlimited and

cheap energy. Ours cant. They didnt anticipate

that ossil uels or irrigation water, undamental to

increased production, would ever become scarce

or unaordable. That generation didnt know that

there was a limit to the amount o waste or pollution

that the soil, water and air could absorb. This

generation does.

We have a health system

that doesnt care about

ood and a ood system that

doesnt care about health.


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Food Connections12

Likewise, ew anticipated that an overriding ocus

on high volume production at low price could

threaten regional ood sel-reliance. But by the

1990s, ood companies ollowed in the ootsteps o

auto and textile companies, pursuing ever-increasing

cost efciencies by becoming global. Farmers and

processors became suppliers to global ood chains,rather than local communities. The basics o local

ood inrastructure - rom armers markets to

canning acilities and meat packing plants - started

to disappear. In recent years, interest in rebuilding

local ood systems has grown rapidly.

Sometimes, both the local ood movement and

its detractors have become absorbed in debates

expressing the same compartmentalized thinkingthat characterizes the dominant ood system.

We need to cut down on ood miles to save the

environment, say some. We need to keep ood

prices low, no matter where it comes rom, say

others. This report suggests that these discussions

would be better served rom a broad ood system

perspective. The issue is not so much which

single ood choice is best, but how can we

accelerate progress toward a comprehensive health-

ocused ood system where goals o a ordability,

environmental protection, local arm viability, land

use planning and others, can be reconciled. One

o the unctions o this ood strategy project is to

promote this kind o dia logue.

The Road Ahead

Resilience, equity and sustainability are primary

goals underlying any truly health-ocused ood

system. They are not just goals, they are also

guideposts that suggest ways o approaching a wide

range o ood policies anti-hunger initiatives,

the role o ood banks, urban agriculture, oodwaste and packaging, school meals, supermarket

expansion, armers markets in parks, and more.

Resilience can apply to a system as a whole or to

individuals, neighbourhoods and cities. A resilient

ood system is able to meet the needs o consumers

in the ace o short-term crises, such as blackouts, as

well as longer term stresses, such as the rising cost o

ossil uels that underpin modern ood productionand distribution. Resilient people are able to cope

with adversity in ways that are not only eective, but

enhance their capacity to deal with uture stresses.

Resilience is, thereore, a kind o sel-righting

mechanism that allows people, communities

or systems to bounce back. But its not a static

phenomenon. Resilience is interactive, the product o

complex relationships o inner and outer protective

actors over time.

No government can ensure or instil resilience, but

public supports can be put in place to acilitate it at

every level o society. At the individual level, a ood

system that va lues resilience would empower people

with a broad range o ood skil ls and inormation. It

would oster strong neighbourhoods with a sense o

A ood system that values

resilience would empower

people with ood skills and

inormation.


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community where people eel they can rely on each

other in difcult times. Resil ient neighbourhoods

might have ood centres or hubs places where

residents could learn or teach ood skills such as

cooking and gardening. At the municipal level,

local government would embrace ood system

perspectives, seeing opportunities to ensure oodaccess and availability in the work o public health,

parks, planning, economic development and others.

Provincial and ederal governments would make

certain that not all o our eggs were in one basket,

or example, that no region was overly dependent on

long-distance imports rom just a ew suppliers.

A system that promotes equity ensures that ood

is accessible to everyone. Many areas o Torontohave vibrant and diverse ood assets, including

grocery stores, ruit and veg stores, specialty

shops, restaurants and cas. However, too many

neighbourhoods are ood deserts places

underserved by quality and aordable ood stores.

Many o Torontos inner suburban neighbourhoods

were constructed in an era when most households

owned a car. Many residents in these suburbs

are now primarily dependent on public transit or

walking to reach ood stores. For some people, this

adds a minor inconvenience. But or a large portion

o the community, especially or people on low

income, those with health problems that limit their

mobility, seniors, as well as mothers with young

children, the lack o nearby stores is a signifcant

barrier to a healthy diet. Research rom St. Michaels

Hospital shows that areas with ew ood stores tend

to have higher rates o diabetes.20 These inequities

create higher healthcare costs or all o us. There

is also evidence that countries with a large gap

between the rich and poor have worse health

overall compared to countries where there is a more

equitable sharing o wealth.

In a ood system that prioritizes equity, people

would have access to enough sae, nutritious

and culturally appropriate ood, as well as access

to accurate inormation about these oods. All

neighbourhoods in Toronto would have nearby,

quality and aordable ood stores, as well as spaces

to grow, share and celebrate ood allotment

gardens, community kitchens, restaurants and ood

estivals, or example. Local government would useplanning, zoning and licensing and other levers

to oster equity o ood access. And provincial

and ederal governments would do their parts by

ensuring that income supports reect the real cost o

healthy living.

Sustainability has been defned in numerous ways,

but undamentally it reers to meeting the needs

o the present without compromising the ability o

uture generations to meet their needs.21

A sustainable ood system prioritizes the protection

o the environment so that the soil, air and water

will be able to continue producing ood long into the

uture. Beyond the environment, a sustainable ood

system is also economically and social ly viable over

the long term, especially or local armers.

Toronto: The Breastfeeding World Champion!

Each year, Toronto Public Health and theChinese-Vietnamese Breasteeding Network

participate in the Global Breasteeding

Challenge. In 2009, Toronto set the world

record or the most babies breasteeding in one

place at the same time.


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Food Connections14

Individuals would embrace elements o a sustainable

ood system by composting and choosing

more locally grown and seasonal oods. At the

neighbourhood level, ood stores would be easily

accessible on oot or by public transit, and would

oer sustainably grown oods with minimal

packaging. Local government would embrace goodneighbour policies. This could mean building

links between local ood producers and urban

eaters by expanding government purchasing o

sustainable ood, promoting armers markets, and

supporting the expansion o local, sustainable ood

inrastructure. Provincial and ederal governments

would develop policies to shit agricultural practices

to more sustainable methods and make it easier or

armers to gain rom the environmental beneftsthey produce.

Resilience, equity and sustainability, thereore,

are not only prerequisites or a health-ocused

ood system. They reinorce each other. One way

o expressing mutually reinorcing inuences is

the notion o a virtuous circle. For example, the

way ood is produced can be a virtuous circle

protecting against climate change by storing carbonin the soil and urther nourishing the land, as well as

the economy. Or, ood production can be a vicious

cycle by exacerbating climate change through ossil

uel dependence, leading to urther environmental

destruction, depleted soil and more public unding

diverted to fx those problems. Using ood to create a

virtuous circle o continuing benefts is an objective

o a ood strategy.

Old Food System New Food System

Prioritizes mass production Prioritizes health

Food is not seen as the business o cities Food is seen as a strategic vehicle or

meeting city goals

Market orces determine location

o ood stores

Neighbourhoods are planned with ood

access in mind

Food pricing unconnected to

nutritional beneit Food pricing avours healthy choices

Food issues carved up into separate

government departments and jurisdictions

Food solutions come rom collaborativepartnerships within and among governmentsand civil society

Good Food Markets:

Many neighbourhoods lack access to resh,

healthy ood. FoodShare works in partnership

with community organizations to run 17

Good Food Markets accross the city eaturingseasonal produce purchased rom local

armers and the Ontario Food Terminal.


17/32


The ood system o the uture will be quite dierent

rom the system o today. The table opposite

highlights some o the key dierences between the

conventional or old ood system, as it relates to

cities, and the new system envisioned by this report.

Thinking Outside the BreadboxAchieving this vision means thinking about

problems and opportunities within the context

o broader systems, and developing solutions

accordingly. Thanks to progressive initiatives that

Toronto has made in many areas, ood is a lready

primed or the rethinking and convergence that have

characterized the reorganization and renewal o the

dynamic inormation technology sector.

For example, imagine how ood activities could

converge with the expansion o public transit.

The ambitious Transit City plan has great potential

i it incorporates ood planning because ood is a key

ingredient that makes city streets l ively and inviting

through daily shopping, cas and restaurants.

By contrast, subways which go under a city, and

throughways which go through a city, dont rely on

active, lie-flled streets. But Transit Citys street rail

vehicles will, so ood is a great side dish or them.

For example, grocery shopping could be made

available at transit transer points, thereby allowing

riders easier access to ood on the way home, adding

another reason to take public transit, instead

o driving.

In the same vein, Toronto is a pioneer with

Tower Renewal, the project to modernize the

energy efciency o Torontos 1960s high rises while

building a sense o community among residents.

Tower communities were built at a time when

most amilies had access to a car. As Toronto

moves to a more pedestrian-riendly and transit-oriented city, the convergence o ground oor ood

businesses, community gardens and markets on

the redesigned landscapes will do much to renew

tower communities.

I municipalities adopt the next phase o connected

thinking, they will need mechanisms to break down

silos and oster partnerships within government

and with civil society. In other words, there needsto be a way to embed ood system thinking in local

government. The goal is not to make ood a priority

that competes against other issues or resources but

to identiy opportunities where ood can address

and enhance local government objectives. Because

ood is so connected to every societal goal health,

environmental, social, cultural and economic the

potential benefts that ood projects yield can be a

spark or yet more collaboration within government

and more efcient use o public resources.

Food projects can spark

more collaboration within

government and more

efcient use o

public resources.


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Food Connections16

Local Governments Food Levers

Cities dont have the ull toolkit to remake an

entire ood system. They need partnerships with

residents, neighbours, businesses and other orders

o government to make this new vision a reality.

However, cities have more inuence over how ood

systems work than many suppose, and could have

even more inuence i they started to identiy, name

and intentionally leverage what they can do in

support o a healthy, sustainable ood system.

Cities regulate ood sales, provide business

licenses, carry out ood saety inspections, support

community gardens and provide a llotment garden

spaces, promote healthy eating, oer breasteedingsupport, run nutrition education programs, und

school ood programs, serve ood in childcare centres

and seniors homes, provide social housing, und

dental clinics or low income amilies, support the

growth o ood processors and retailers, apply zoning

rules, and coordinate ood estivals and events. The

list goes on and on.

Food is also rooted in the work o many agencies,boards and commissions unded by, or connected to,

City Council. For example, Exhibition Place hosts a

ood pavilion, a range o ood outlets and the annual

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the largest a ir o

its kind in the world. The City-owned St. Lawrence

Market has been around since the early part o the

citys history and has been named one o the top 25

markets worldwide.22 The Toronto Public Library,

the largest public library system in North America,

houses a wealth o inormation on every aspect o

ood, including no less than 2,500 cookbooks.

A lot o public spending goes to ood, both directly

and indirectly. Three City Divisions - Childrens

Services, Homes or the Aged, and Shelter, Support

and Housing - spend a combined $11 million a

year to eed 7,000 people each day.23 The City

spends millions more on ood in less obvious ways

when taking into account garbage collection and

composting (Toronto picks up the tab or much o

the 20-40 percent o the ood thats wasted in thesystem), social assistance payments, and the millions

spent each year to maintain Torontos roads (it is

commonly accepted that 20 percent o all vehicle

trips are or ood).

The City has taken advantage o many levers or

ood system change already. In 2008, Toronto

adopted a local ood procurement policy to begin

to leverage its purchasing power in avour o home-grown products. Toronto has earned a reputation

as an environmental champion by adopting

green technologies, requiring green roos on new

developments, restricting cosmetic pesticide use,

and supporting urban agriculture projects. And

this report builds on work done a decade ago by

the Food and Hunger Action Committee and the

Nutrition Education Programs:

Public Health Dietitians and Nurses engageresidents in interactive activities to increase

nutrition knowledge and ood skills such as

reading labels, nutritious recipes, shopping

skills and cooking economically.


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subsequent adoption by City Council o the Toronto

Food Charter in 2001.

There is a new energy in government and agency

circles ocused on place-based initiatives and

services. The closer that supports and services are to

the place theyre serving, the more accessible theyare to residents needing the service, the more exible

they can be in adapting to local needs, and the easier

it is to build trust and ongoing relationships in the

community. The hundreds o projects happening

in Torontos thirteen priority neighbourhoods are

examples o local government and communities, led

by Neighbourhood Action Partnerships, working

together to complement each others eorts. The

initiative has leveraged more than $86 mil lion inunding rom non-government sources since its

inception. The ood strategys proposed creation o

ood-riendly neighbourhoods as a key action area

fts well with this approach

Fortunately, great cities are not limited by their

authority to command and control. On the contrary,

they use their capacity to animate and inspire

residents. Cities have an ability and responsibility

to work with people at a neighbourhood level.

Successul cities work with residents to help the

community grow in ways that ft their own needs

and desires. This is especially relevant or ood

because while eating habits and ood purchasing

decisions may be supported by public policy they

require the consent and participation o individuals.

Thats why community animation the task o

tapping the creativity o residents and ostering

collaboration among them on projects is such

an important lever or cities, a ll governments, and

community agencies to use.

Animators are already playing pivotal roles inestablishing ood-riendly neighbourhoods across

Toronto. The Toronto Community Food Animators,

unded through the Citys Community Partnership

and Investment Program, have helped residents in

underserved neighbourhoods organize resh produce

markets, community kitchens and community

gardens. They are now working with Toronto

Community Housing to develop a comprehensive

strategy to grow and support community gardeningas a neighbourhood engagement and capacity

building project. Livegreen Toronto Community

Animators, unded by the Toronto Environment

Ofce, are using ood projects to breathe lie into

neighbourhood activities that a lso advance the citys

environmental agenda.

But even with the power o animation, there are

limits to what City budgets can und. Like all cities,

Toronto needs other levels o government to help

with adequate unding and supportive legislation.

Many planning, zoning, licensing, public health,

taxation and similar roles that inuence ood in

cities are governed by provincial and/or ederal

authorities. Consequently, cities must also lead by

leveraging their ability to partner with, and advocate

to, other levels o government.

The Toronto Community Food Animators:

Food Animator Anan Lololi o the Ari-CanFoodBasket, at the Varna garden in

Lawrence Heights.


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Food Connections18

This report urges Toronto to take the next steps in

its ood leadership by developing and implementing

a comprehensive city-wide strategy or a healthy

and sustainable ood system. Cities will become

important ood leaders o the uture and there is no

shortage o actions they can take right now to move

in the right direction. This section oers a list o

those kinds o ideas to accelerate Torontos progress

through engaging, connecting, coordinating,

acilitating, advocating, innovating and supporting.

Six directions to ood system renewal are

described below. Within each are examples o

actions that would move us toward a healthy andsustainable ood system, while also meeting many

o the citys other objectives job creation, strong

neighbourhoods, protecting the environment, and

more. At a time when the City is acing severe

budget pressures, the ideas below also ocus on ways

to tap into, and maximize, our existing underused,

paid-or ood assets.

The ideas are not intended as a comprehensive

list. Detailed recommendations will be developed

ater the consultation and engagement process and

included in a report to City Council. Your eedback

will get us to that stage. Inormation on how to get

involved and share your ideas is provided on

page 25.

Six Directions to a Health Focused Food System

Tinashe Kanengoni - Community Food

Security Coordinator, Lawrence Heights:

My role in our community centre is to engage

and involve children, youth and the rest o

the commnity in ood-related activities and

programs. We use ood as a tool or learning,

living and recreation. Cooking classes, growing

an organic garden illed with vegetables and

making these activities un or participants

ills my day. Food is our connection.

1. Grow Food-friendly Neighbourhoods

2. Make Food a Centerpiece ofTorontos New Green Economy

3. Eliminate Hunger in Toronto

4. Empower Residents withFood Skills and Information

5. Connect City and CountrysideThrough Food

6. Embed Food System Thinking in

City Government


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1. Grow Food-friendly Neighbourhoods

Torontonians understand that ood andneighbourhoods reinorce each other. Saeand riendly neighbourhoods oer healthyand vibrant ood scenes, and lively oodenvironments bring neighbours together.

Resilient neighbourhoods connect people andplace in a variety o ways walkable access toeveryday services, greenspace, lively and saemain streets, common meeting places andcelebrations. Food is pivotal to creating thisconnective tissue. With the help o governments,residents and local businesses can oster ood-riendly neighbourhoods by anchoring mainstreets with a rich diversity o restaurants, cas,markets, gardens, grocers and supermarkets.

Traditionally, lively neighbourhoods have ormed

around key public services such as libraries,schools, parks, hospitals, community healthclinics and recreation centres. An important

way to implement a ood strategy at theneighbourhood level is to establish multi-serviceood centres or networks that can occupy thesame pride o place as traditional services. Manyo these centres already exist the ScaddingCourt Community Centre, Lawrence HeightsCommunity Centre, the Stop Community Food

Centre and Green Barn, as well as evolvingcommunity hubs across the city. In ways thatare complementary to their core unctions,these centres provide community-based services,including drop-ins, perinatal programs, civicengagement, community k itchens, nutritioneducation and urban agriculture. To breathelie into ood projects, each neighbourhood alsoneeds access to community animators who helpensure that services are oered in ways that meetthe communitys needs.

Ideas for Action:

Systematicallyintegratefoodinitiativesintoprojects happening in the Citys thirteen priorityneighbourhoods.

Workwithcommunitypartnerstoincreaseandintegrate an appropriate range o ood activitiesin community and recreation centres, librariesand community hubs.

Ensurethatfoodaccessconsiderationsareembedded into planning the Transit Cityproject.

ExpandopportunitiesforthoseCityandcommunity sta who work in communitydevelopment to use ood as a tool to create saeand healthy neighbourhoods (or example,Toronto Community Food Animators, Live

Green Animators, Toronto Community HousingHealth Promotion Ofcers and City o TorontoCommunity Health Ofcers).

Developenablingpoliciesforcommunitygardens, bake ovens, armers markets and reshood markets in parks and on other public lands.

WorkwithCitydivisions,aswellasCity-unded agencies, boards and commissions, toconduct inventories o ood-related assets andinrastructure (such as buildings, land and

kitchens) in order to maximize use o existingacilities.

Mount Dennis Community Kitchen:

Thanks to United Way's Action or

Neighbourhood Change initiative, residents

organize many community activities and

events which bring them together to cook,garden and plan neighbourhood improvements.


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Food Connections20

2. Make Food a Centerpiece of

Torontos New Green Economy

Food is already key to Torontos economic success.Food production, processing, distribution,marketing, retail and services employ about oneperson in eight. On top o that, the $7 billionthat Torontonians spend on ood every year could

generate and sustain a wide range o local jobsand careers.

In an era o heightened environmental awareness,opportunity is knocking to make an expanded oodsector a centrepiece o the emerging green economy.

According to the Martin Prosperity Institute,Ontarios ood sector has the potential to rival theonce dominant auto industry as a great economic,cultural and environmental success story in the nextten years . For this to happen, the undamentals o

regional ood inrastructure need to be restored, andToronto needs to build a reputation as a championo healthy and sustainable ood ounded upon agreen economy. This is well within the citys reach,since its already a recognized leader in biomedicalresearch, fnancing and public health.

Food has all the makings to connect ecologicalbenefts to increased job creation. Why? Becausethe essence o a green economy is to use designand smart labour to displace energy, pollution and

waste. For example, local processing plants relyon local arms, and in turn, are more likely to userecycled or locally produced packaging such as glassbottles. In turn, this could serve the citys goal oreducing the waste going to landfll sites. That kindo virtuous circle explains why green can be goodor both job creation and the environment, and whyood is well positioned to be a major player in thenew economy.

Ideas for Action:

ExpandtheCitysFoodBusinessIncubatorprojectto support a wide range o start-up, community-based, social enterprise and artisanal oodentrepreneurs.

Integratefoodopportunitiesintoallstrategiesaimed at expanding Torontos green economy.

UrgechangesattheOntarioFoodTerminalsothat local and local-sustainable oods can be readilyidentifed, making it easier or retailers to meet theneeds o consumers and support local armers.

Expandfoodfestivalsandcelebrationstoallpartso the city, including a Hiddenlicious eventthat highlights little known businesses eaturingculturally diverse, healthy and/or sustainable ood.

Toronto Food Business Incubator:

Susan Ho, ounder o TeaAura Inc, developedher line o tea-inused shortbread cookies at

the Toronto Food Business Incubator. With

support rom the City o Toronto, the TFBI

provides access to business resources and

industry-standard equipment to help start-

up micro-enterprises become commercialized

ood businesses.


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3. Eliminate Hunger in Toronto

One in ten Toronto households cantregularly aord to put enough healthy oodon the table. Many people in single parentamilies and racialized communities suerdisproportionately, and theres undeniableevidence that hunger and poverty lead to

poor health outcomes. In spite o their besteorts, thirty years ater ood banks frst cameto Toronto, charitable ood assistance alonehas not been able to address the deep-seatedand chronic problems that create hunger.Eliminating the systemic causes o hungerneeds to be a priority health, social and ethicalissue or the whole city, not just or those whogo without.

In the absence o coordinated strategies

at the provincial and ederal levels to dealcomprehensively with poverty, inequities inood access cause unnecessary suering orindividuals and preventable medical expensesor governments. Toronto must continue tomake its voice heard on the urgent need orsae and aordable housing, adequate socialassistance, community services, minimumwage, and a universal school nutritionprogram. In a city that hopes to be aneconomic and social leader o the 21st century,

poverty and hunger need to be defned as toocostly in health and social outcomes to acceptany longer.

Ideas for Action:

Incollaborationwithcommunitypartners,urgethe provincial government to ensure that socialassistance rates and minimum wage are based onthe real cost o healthy living and eating.

Callontheprovincialgovernmentandotherstound the integration o healthy ood and snackprograms into new ull day kindergarten, earlychildhood and ater-school services.

Leverageplanning,zoningandlicensingrulesto increase access to quality aordable ood orunderserved populations and neighbourhoods,including through supermarkets, resh ood marketsand mobile ood vending.

Continuetosupportandadvocateexpansionofstudent nutrition programs in Toronto.

Supportfoodbankandemergencysheltereffortsto provide more nutritious and culturallyappropriate ood.

The Stop Community Food Centre:

At The Stop, neighbours participate in a broadrange o programs that provide healthy ood,

oster social connections, build ood skills

and promote civic engagement. Among the

STOPs initiatives are community kitchens

and gardens, cooking classes, drop-in meals,

perinatal support, a ood bank, outdoor bake

ovens, ood markets and community advocacy.


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Food Connections22

4. Empower Residents with Food Skills

and Information

Food literate residents are essential to buildinga healthier, more sustainable, equitable andresilient ood system in Toronto. The workbegins with ensuring that the next generationgrows up knowing where ood comes rom,

how to grow, cook and shop or it, and be ableto pass these essential skills and inormation onto their own children. Prioritizing ood literacyin childrens education is not only importantbecause it will help them make healthier choicesnow and throughout their lives, but becausewe need leaders o the uture to appreciate thehealth, social, environmental and economicimplications o ood, and embrace supportivepublic policies.

In the here and now, people also need theskills to make ood choices, and or that theyneed governments help to get accurate andrelevant inormation to navigate the system.Inormation and support is especially importantin a multicultural city such as Toronto, wheremany newcomers are adapting their ood skillsto new oods, new ways to shop, and a newlanguage. Greater ood system transparency isimportant or other groups too, such as peoplewith severe allergies and medical conditions.

As well, the growing number o Torontonianswho want to grow and preserve their own oodneed help getting the right skills to succeed. Tosome extent, consumers are already inundatedwith acts and advice about ood choices.Whats important is not only the quantity,but the quality o inormation. Consumersare increasingly asking or inormation thatsconveyed in simpler and more accessible ways,making it a beneft rather than a burden.

Ideas for Action:

Identifywaystopromotetransparencyintheood system, including accurate and easy-to-understand labeling (or example, ood calories,trans ats, sodium, sugar, allergens, and others).

Workwithparentgroups,schoolboardsand the Ministry o Education to ensureopportunities to weave ood literacy broadlyinto the curriculum (nutrition education,cooking, gardens, and ood and theenvironment, or example).

Workwithschoolboardsandacademicinstitutions to expand ood orientedopportunities in a wide range o non-classroom learning environments (cooperativeplacements, internships, independent studies,service learning, or example).

Promotefoodskillsandinformationinawiderange o community contexts, such as seniors,newcomer sett lement and homeless services.

Garden at Winchester School:

In classrooms without walls, more than 30

Toronto elementary and secondary schools

link ood activities to math, science andother subjects.

Growing Thumbs, Growing Kids


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5. Connect City and Countryside

Through Food

In an era o rising energy prices and threatsrom climate change, its essential or Torontoto support local armers and help protect localarmland. Consumers that are more skilled andknowledgeable about ood systems will also

raise the demand or locally grown products.A lot o work needs to be done to rebuild thecapacity o Ontarios oodshed to meet thatdemand. Toronto is ortunate to be so closeto a protected Greenbelt with highly ertilesoils or ood growing, as well as greenspaceor clean water and air purifcation. Likewise,there are economic and social opportunities orpeople living next door to the fth largest oodretail market in North America.

One job o a ood strategy is to connectcity and countryside, and thereby bring theunderstanding o mutual benefts closer tohome. By working together as good oodneighbours, Toronto and communities acrossSouthern Ontario could help generate aneconomic boon or Ontario. Becoming betterneighbours also means becoming more amiliarwith each others needs, collaborating on,rather than competing or, key projects andseeing our uture well-being intertwined.

Ideas for Action:

ExpandtheCityscurrentpurchasingoflocalood to all City divisions, agencies, boardsand commissions, and explore strategies orsustainable ood purchases and unding.

WorkwiththeGTAAgriculturalActionCommittee, the Ontario Ministry oAgriculture, Food and Rural Aairs, GTAgovernments and ood producers to develop aregional ood strategy that addresses the needso armers and the entire regional ood supplychain.

Workwithschoolboardsandcommunityagencies to expand urban arms, arm-to-school programs, and purchases o local andlocal-sustainable ood.

Encouragefarmersandagriculturalpolicymakers to expand production o culturallydiverse oods.

Workwithfederalandprovincialgovernmentsto provide programs that assist new Canadiansand youth who wish to arm in near-urbanareas. Evergreen Brick Works Farmers' Market:

Throughout the summer, the Saturday market

eatures ruits, vegetables, wild ish, meat,

cheese, milled lours, eggs and oils all romlocal producers.

Anernee Chansamooth


26/32

Food Connections24

6. Embed Food System Thinking

in City Government

Foods many benefts, as well as its ar-ungproblems, cannot be addressed comprehensivelywithin one governmental silo or department.Food is, by its nature, a cross-divisional matter.It requires horizontal management or, in a

municipal context, collaboration across Citydivisions. The upside or governments in anera o constrained public resources is thateective collaboration within government andwith the community can oten leverage assetsthat working within silos couldnt. Successulcities will be those that become adept atdeveloping programs that address multipleneeds at one time, perhaps taking advantage ounderutilized assets such as unused City landthat can be converted into community gardens

(something the City is a lready moving on). Itallows us to make improvements by leveragingexisting resources. Because o these advantages,whole-o-society, whole-o-governmentapproaches to ood system thinking mustbecome the norm in the 21st century.

To take the next steps in ood systemleadership, local governments need to embedood system thinking in their work, much likethe City has already applied a fnancial lens

and has begun to apply environmental andequity lenses city-wide. One o the goals o ourengagement process is to determine the bestways or Toronto to do this. The engagementprocess will also oster the frst step inembedding ood system thinking buildinga common understanding that ood connectsto everyones business and to the mandate oevery part o City government.

Ideas for Action:

Establishmechanismswithinlocalgovernmentto identiy ood opportunities, coordinate oodinitiatives, leverage resources, evaluate andsupport ood initiatives and partnerships bothwithin government and with the community.

EncouragetheTorontoFoodPolicyCouncilto work with residents to engage all citycommittees in relevant and appropriate ood-related discussions and actions.

Urgeprovincialandfederalgovernmentstoestablish comprehensive ood policies thatidentiy optimal health as the goal o the oodsystem and which enhance the capacity ocities to take action.

Food System Thinking:

The City has begun to embed environmentaland equity perspectives in everything it does.

The same should happen with ood activities

since they can also help meet the goals o

almost every part o City government.


27/32


Grow Food-friendly Neighbourhoods

Embed Food System Thinking in City Government

toronto.ca/foodconnections

Eliminate Hunger in Toronto

Empower Residents withFood Skills and Information

Make Food a Centerpiece ofTorontos New Green Economy

Connect City and Countryside Through Food

Get Connected!Your experience is important. Your views will make a difference.

WhatsyourvisionforTorontosfood?

Whatfoodissuesarethemostimportantforyou,yourfamilyandfriends?

Whatfoodimprovementswouldyouliketoseeinyourneighbourhood?

Whatneedstohappentomakeyourvisionareality?

Terearelotsofwaystoconnect.

Visitourwebsiteformoreinformation,resourcesandtoshareyourideasandstories.

Gettipsonexploringthesequestionswithfriends&neighbours.

Callorwriteusdirectlytoshareyourthoughts:PeterDorfman,TorontoFoodStrategyManager

277VictoriaSt.

TorontoM5B1W2

Tel:416-338-7935Email:[email protected]


28/32

Food Connections26

Appendix 1: Members of the Toronto

Food Strategy Steering Group

Below is the list o Food Strategy Steering Group

members who have guided the development o this

project with valuable insights and advice all along

the way. Members were invited to participate in the

process as individuals, rather than as representatives

o any organization or interest group. Member

afliations listed below are or identifcation only

and dont necessarily represent an organizations

endorsement o this report.

David McKeown (Chair),

Medical Ofcer o Health

City o TorontoGeoffrey Cape,

Executive Director Evergreen

Debbie Field,

Executive Director FoodShare

Ann Fox,

Director Community Nutrition, Department o

Nutritional Sciences, University o Toronto

Patrick Habamenshi,

Agriculture specialist, Former Minister o

Agriculture, Rwanda

Member Toronto Food Policy Council

Peter Lambrick,

Chair Greater Toronto Area Agricultural

Action Committee

Nina-Marie Lister,

Proessor Urban Planning, Ryerson University

Brad Long,

Head Che and Owner Veritas restaurant

Rod MacRae,

Proessor Faculty o Environmental Studies,

York University

Glenn Miller,

Vice President o Education and Research

Canadian Urban Institute

Lawson Oates,

Director City o Toronto Environment Ofce

Brenda Patterson,

General Manager City o Toronto Parks, Forestryand Recreation

Mark Pearlman,

Director Sales Solutions Deployment Group,

Hewlett Packard

Member Ontario Food Terminal Board

Member FoodShare Board o Directors

Sheila Penny,

Executive Superintendent, Facility Services

Toronto District School Board

Ruth Richardson,

Environment Program Director Metcal

Foundation

Wayne Roberts,

Manager Toronto Food Policy Council


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Cecilia Rocha,

Director Centre or Studies in Food Security,

Ryerson University


Suman Roy,

Executive Che Sodexo Canada


Nick Saul,

Executive Director The Stop

Community Food Centre

Andrea Strath,

Regional Director, GTA and Central East Ontario

Canadian Diabetes Association

Michael Wolfson,Food Sector Specialist City o Toronto Economic

Development and Culture

Appendix 2: Toronto Food

Strategy Staff Support

Carol Timmings

Director, Planning and Policy,

Toronto Public Health

Barbara Emanuel

Senior Policy and Strategic Issues Advisor,


Peter Dorfman

Manager, Toronto Food Strategy Project,


Wayne Roberts

Manager, Toronto Food Policy Council

Brian Cook

Research Consultant, Toronto Public Health


30/32

Food Connections28

Endnotes

1. Ontario Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Survey (2004). Statistic based on Toronto Public Health analysis o

Toronto level data.

2. Toronto Public Health (2008). The Unequal City: Income and Health Inequalities in Toronto, 2008.

3. Canadian Community Health Survey cycle 2.2 (2004) Share File. Analysis perormed by

Toronto Public Health.

4. Tremblay, M.S., Shields, M., Laviolette, M., Craig, C.L., Janssen, I. & Gorber, S.C. (2010).

Fitness o Canadian children and youth: Results rom the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey.

Statistics Canada Health Reports. Catalogue no. 82-003-X.

5. Cummings, H. (2009). Animal Agriculture Shrinking in Ontarios Greenbelt, Study Finds. News Release,

University o Guelph. Available at http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2009/12/ww_3.html .

6. Statistics Canada (2006). Statistics on Income o Farm Families. Catalogue no. 21-207-X.

7. Tukker, A., Huppes, G., Geerken, T., Nielsen, P., et al. (2006). Environmental Impact o Products: Analysis o the

lie cycle environmental impacts related to the fnal consumption o the EU-25. European Commission Report.

8. Dub, L., Thomassin, P., Beauvais, J. & Sparling, D. (2009). Building Convergence: Toward an Integrated

Health and Agri-Food Strategy or Canada. An abridged version o a discussion paper prepared by the McGill

World Platorm or Health and Economic Convergence.

9. This approach is based on a model developed by Proessor Stuart Hill which argues that eorts to improve the

ood system should take three orms efciency, substitution and redesign. See: Hill, S.B. (2009). Redesigning

Our Agroecosystems or Sustainability and Wellbeing. Prince Edward Island ADAPT Council Agri-Newsletter.

Vol. 8(18). Available at http://www.peiadapt.com/2009/3nov09.pd.

10. Kanter, R.M. (1995). World Class: Thriving Local ly in the Global Economy. New York:Simon & Schuster.

11. The $7 billion estimate is based on spending by Torontonians extrapolated rom Statistics Canada (2003). Food

Expenditure in Canada, 2001, and government spending estimates rom Food and Hunger Action Committee

(2001). The Growing Season, Phase 2 Report.

12. Bristow-Callahan, K. (1999). Canadian agriculture at a glance 1999. Statistics Canada.

Cat. no. 96-325-XPB1996001.


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13. Statistics Canada (2008). 2006 Census, Ontario Overview. As cited in Donald, B. (2009). From Krat to Crat:

innovation and creativity in Ontarios Food Economy. Martin Prosperity Institute. Working Paper Series: Ontario

in the Creative Age.

14. Clean tech companies ocking to TSX (2009, November 13). Financial Post.

15. Hancock, T. (1997). Healthy Cities and Communities: past, present and uture. National Civic Review.

Vol. 86:11-21.

16. Market Share Matrix Project (2005). Canada Food Retail 2004/2005.

17. Statistics Canada. Census o Agriculture 2006. Available rom http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/agrc35a-

eng.htm. Also, Statistics Canada. Census o Agriculture 1996, Agricultural Operations - Canada Highlights.

Available rom http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ca-ra/can-eng.htm .

18. U.S. Department o Agriculture, Economic Research Service (2009). Food CPI, Prices and Expenditures: Food

Expenditures by Families and Individuals as a Share o Disposable Personal Income. Available rom http://www.

ers.usda.gov/Briefng/CPIFoodAndExpenditures/Data/Expenditures_tables/table7.htm .

19. Statistics Canada (2009). Food Statistics 2008. Vol. 21-020-X. The fgure reerenced here has not been adjusted

or retail, household, cooking and plate loss. Ater these adjustments, the total is 2,382 calories.20. Creatore, M.I., Booth, G.L. & Glazier, R.H. (2007). Ethnicity, Immigration and Diabetes. In: Glazier, R.H.,

Booth, G.L., Creatore, M.I. & Tynan, A. (Editors). Neighbourhood Environments and Resources or Healthy

Living - A Focus on Diabetes in Toronto: ICES Atlas. Toronto: Institute or Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

21. United Nations General Assembly (1987). Report o the World Commission on Environment and Development:

Our Common Future.

22. Food and Wine (2004, April). 25 o the Worlds Best Food Markets. Available rom http://www.oodandwine.

com/articles/25-o-the-worlds-best-ood-markets.

23. City o Toronto (2008). Proposed Local and Sustainable Food Procurement Policy and Implementation Plan.Sta Report to the Government Management Committee. May 1, 2008.

24. The $7 billion estimate is based on spending by Torontonians extrapolated rom Statistics Canada (2003). Food

Expenditure in Canada, 2001, and government spending estimates rom Food and Hunger Action Committee

(2001). The Growing Season, Phase 2 Report.

25. Donald, B. (2009). From Krat to Crat : innovation and creativity in Ontarios Food Economy. Martin Prosperity

Institute. Working Paper Series: Ontario in the Creative Age.


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Documents

Toward a Health and Sustainable Local Food System in Toronto