Local Food

and You

...Where are we headed?

Vancouver Coastal
Health Authority, June
17th, 2008
Outline

Overview of BC’s Food Lands and Food Self-

Reliance
Why Local Food?
What Food is Produced Locally?
BC MAL’s Emerging Focus on Local Food
Where Do We Go From Here?
BC’s Food Lands

BC’s food is mainly produced in valleys

BC’s Food Lands

Very different growing regions—

has as much variation within the
province as in all of Canada
BC’s Food Lands

Small land base

BC’s Food Lands

Has some of the best land

and growing conditions
to be found in North
America and the world
BC’s Food Lands

- ALR

5% of Province
4.7 million hectares
ALR in BC
B.C. is the most urbanized
province in Canada - 84.7%

Two Areas of B.C. Contain:

• 2.7% of Provincial Land Area

• 81% of BC’s Population (2001)

• 81% of Annual Gross Farm Receipts ($2000)

z
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ALR in BC
Special Emphasis: The Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley #1 in Canada in:
Special Emphasis: The Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley #1 in Canada in:

Fraser Valley is top growing

area in world for high-bush
blueberries

Farm Gate Receipts for Fraser Valley were

1.65 billion dollars in 2006; 2.65 billion
dollars for province.
-62% of total for province
The Fraser Valley

One of most efficient

places in North America
to produce milk
The Food Production in the Fraser Valley is
Amazing
The Fraser Valley and the Okanagan can Grow Some of
our Healthiest Foods

Top Twenty Antioxidant Foods

1. Small Red Bean (dried) 11. Strawberry
2. Wild blueberry 12. Red Delicious apple
3. Red kidney bean 13. Granny Smith apple
4. Pinto bean 14. Pecan
5. Blueberry (cultivated) 15. Sweet cherry
6. Cranberry 16. Black plum
7. Artichoke (cooked) 17. Russet potato
8. Blackberry 18. Black bean (dried)
9. Prune 19. Plum
10. Raspberry 20. Gala apple

Contact: Michael Bernstein American Chemical Society

BC’s Food Self -Reliance
• Supply 53% of what we consume (including fish)
• Supply 61% if we take out fruits, vegetables and
sugar that we can’t grow in BC due to climatic
and economic reasons
• Supply 34% if we ate according to Canada’s
food guide

BC is approximately 50% food

self-sufficient
Land Needs for Food Self-Reliance

How Much Land do British Columbians need?

•Each British Columbian’s food footprint is 0.524
(about 6 city lots)
•For a healthy diet, we need 2.15 million hectares of
food producing land (with appropriate climate and soils
and water)
•Currently we need 215,000 ha of irrigated land
•2005- 189,000 ha of land had access to irrigation
•If BC is to become more food self-sufficient we have a shortage of
land with climate suitable for intensive agriculture and with access
to irrigation
For Perspective: Richmond’s Land Availability

Richmond has only 5% of the land

base in its ALR for meeting its total
food requirements.
For Perspective:
Land Availability in
Vancouver

According to 1976
land estimates, all
arable land in
Vancouver could
supply 1.5% of the
total dietary needs
of Vancouverites

Potential Impact of Urban

Agriculture in Vancouver,
Mark Bomford, UBC,
06/05/2008
Why Local Food?
Concerns about Food Security with the sudden increase in
grain prices, concerns about diversion of food crops to
ethanol
Why Local Food?
Concerns about Food Security with the sudden increase in
grain prices, concerns about diversion of food crops to
ethanol
Why Local Food?
Concerns about Food Security with the sudden increase in
grain prices, concerns about diversion of food crops to
ethanol
Why Local Food?
Concerns about Food Security in the face of Climate
Change
Climate change has set in motion changes that will take centuries to
unfold
Water resources
vulnerabilities
(IPCC AR4 WG2,
Chapter 3; base
map—water stress
indicator, from
Alcamo et al, 2003)

Water
shortages
Implications of High Energy Costs
Transportation costs of food rise with higher energy
costs, especially fresh food, and bulk liquids like milk
Fossil Fuels
used in:
•fertilizer
•pesticides
•tillage
•storage,
•heating,
•cooling,
•processing
 We must continue to pay close attention to the health of
our food lands, and our agriculture production system to
secure our food supplies

In future we will likely become more dependant on reliable

agriculture zones close to urban centers for our food
What Foods do We Produce Locally?

All the liquid milk and cream

that we consume is produced
in BC

Most of our
milk
production
is in the
Fraser
Valley,
followed by
the OK
What Foods do We Produce Locally?

Most of the chicken, turkey

meat and eggs that we
consume is produced locally
What Foods do We Produce Locally?
Probably all of the
high-bush blueberry
that we eat, as about
¼ of the world’s
production is in the
Fraser Valley
What Foods do We Produce Locally?
Many of the raspberries that
we eat; the Abbotsford-Sumas
area is the most important
area for raspberry production
in North America
What Foods do We Produce Locally?
About 1/3 of the cranberries
that we eat are likely grown
in the Fraser Valley
What Foods do We Produce Locally?

Most of the greenhouse

vegetables that we eat in
season are likely grown here
What Foods do We Produce Locally?

Many types of mushrooms

that we eat are grown here
What Foods do We Produce Locally?
Many of the tree fruits that
we eat in season are grown
(predominantly) in the
Okanagan
What Foods do We Produce Locally?

Many of the field

vegetables that we eat
in season are grown in
the Fraser Valley and
around the province
What Foods do We Produce Locally?

Many niche foods for our

diverse ethnic population
and restaurants
What Foods do We Produce Locally?

Many niche foods for our

diverse ethnic population
and restaurants
Government Programs to Support Local Food Production
The B.C. Agriculture Plan
Visionary view for the future

Making agriculture a leader in

reducing climate change impacts
Government Programs to Support Local Food Production
The B.C. Agriculture Plan

Reconnecting British
Columbians with locally
grown food

Focussed on promoting BC
food products
Government Programs to Support Local Food Production

1. Farm BC! Ensure that farmers have access to land and

water and that farming is profitable
…this is in place—ongoing work of the Ministry of Agriculture
Government Programs to Support Local Food Production
2. Urban/Rural Connection
…programs are in place or are under development

These programs help with engaging people with local and healthy
food
Community
Gardens are a
new initiative that
are underway
Government Programs to Support Local Food Production
2. Urban/Rural Connection

There is a Community
Garden initiative
specifically for First
Nations Communities
Government Programs to Support Local Food Production
2. Urban/rural connection- strong growth in farmer’s
markets
Farmers markets promote healthy eating, build community

Currently there are over 105

farmers markets running in BC

The Trout Lake Market

The West End Market

Government Programs to Support Local Food Production
2. Urban-Rural Connection --Agri-tourism
Agri-tourism educates people regarding agriculture,
and connects participants with their local agriculture
and healthy food
Government Programs to Support Local Food Production
3. Agriculture in the Classroom Initiatives
Need children to develop a connection to agriculture
(a)Average age of farmers is quite high and population of children
coming off farms is quite low, therefore need children from
urban settings to study agriculture or farm as a career
(b)Encourage children to eat local healthy food, food with a story
4. Food and Health Initiatives
Healthy food needs to be affordable, accessible
Local food varieties can favour flavour over shelf life
Increasing engagement with healthy food may increase its
consumption
4. Food and Health Initiatives
There are several programs at least partly funded by
the Ministry of Health:

•Community Food Action Initiative

•Farm to School Program
•Healthy Food and Beverage Vending Program
•MAL-MoH Project and Common Interest Food Policy
•EatSmartBC
•Partners in Healthy Eating
5. Food Miles and Branding

…under development

•includes a web-based food

miles calculator

•an educational component

on 'how to' eat locally
Where do we go from here?
•Delivery of existing programs
continues including ongoing
support for community gardens
•Branding and Food Miles programs
will be launched in the fall….

•The Ministry of Agriculture

and Lands is re-focusing efforts
to ensure ongoing support for
local food initiatives
Summary
BC’s food lands comprise less than 5% of BC’s land base, mainly in
river valleys
The Fraser Valley is the local food growing region to VCH, and it is
one of the best food-producing regions in North America
Many foods found on our grocery shelves are grown locally
Summary
The BC MAL Agriculture Plan has a strong emphasis on connecting
with, and enhancing locally grown food through programs such as:
•improving the urban/agriculture connection
•food miles and branding of local food
•developing community gardens, including in First Nations
communities
Questions?