Invitation to give input on Metro Vancouver Regional Food Systems Strategy update and exploring other opportunities for collaboration regionally
Brent Mansfield
Hello all,
Metro Vancouver is updating their Regional Food Systems Strategy, which was first released in 2011, and followed by the Regional Food System Action Plan in 2016. As people that are involved in school food programs and food literacy activities in schools across Metro Vancouver we would like to encourage you to give your input and share your perspectives. I have been working with Bruce Ford, cc’ed here, from Metro Vancouver School Programs, as we share a mutual interest in supporting school food and sustainability initiatives.
With provincial Feeding Futures Funding now going to all districts to create and expand school food programs (totally over $33 million to school districts in Metro Vancouver for the 2024-25 school year), with additional federal funding through the National School Food Program anticipated soon, there are increasing opportunities for schools and school districts to play an important role in the regional food system. Many goals and strategies in the original Strategy and Action Plan already identified several areas that align with the work of schools, school districts and the community partners that support them. These include, but are not limited to:
Goal 2: Improve the Financial Viability of the Food Sector
Strategy 2.2 Include local foods in the purchasing policies of large public institutions
Goal 3: People Make Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices
Strategy 3.3 Enhance food literacy and skills in schools
Goal 4: Everyone has Access to Healthy, Culturally Diverse & Affordable Food
Strategy 4.1 Improve access to nutritious food among vulnerable groups
There are important opportunities for Metro Vancouver and partners to align strategies and support collaborative actions between school districts and community partners as we seek to develop school food programs that ensure access to healthy and culturally diverse foods, enhance food literacy and skills, and include local foods to support the regional food economy. Please consider completing the survey to give your input and perspective, and consider others in your circle who would be interested in providing input.
We wanted to know if people are interested in being part of a discussion on regional action collaboration. Please send me an email if this is something that you would be interested in participating in.
We would also like to let you know about an upcoming Field Experience session on Exploring Food Literacy in Action at School and Beyond, taking place on Saturday, October 26 as part of the Classrooms to Communities conference. It should be an informative and interactive day in which we hope to explore further collaboration to advance food literacy and school food programs in the region and beyond.
Sincerely,
Brent Mansfield