The Food Policy Council (FPC) for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington announced on Thursday that they are moving forward with developing a comprehensive food strategy for the KFL&A area.
The FPC, which formed in 2013 following the creation of a local Food Charter by the KFL&A Healthy Eating Working Group, said they have successfully secured a grant in order to hire a community researcher and research assistant to lead the project.
Co-chair Ellen Mortfield said the strategy will look to pick the brains of a number of different people and organizations involved in the Kingston area’s local food system, and act as a guide for food related policy going forward.
Ultimately, the strategy will try to make Kingston’s food system healthier and more sustainable.
“Our goal is to build a food strategy that will help guide policies and projects within the local food system for years to come,” Mortfield said.
“Over the next year, we will be talking to as many stakeholders as possible to build a clearer picture of what’s working and what’s not in our local food system.”
The FPC says that building a food strategy will see the KFL&A region join a growing number of regions and municipalities who have developed similar strategies, and are now in the process of implementing actions including local food promotions, procurement policy changes, and distribution hubs to improve local food accessibility.
Mortfield says the FPC will be getting feedback from a variety of different sources, from those who run community gardens, anti-poverty groups, food entrepreneurs – really anyone who can provide insight on what’s working locally, and what’s not.
“The idea is to look at every aspect of our local food system to have sort of an inventory of what’s already happening out there, and also to identify some gaps,” Mortfield said.
“Whether it’s policy adjustments or programs that need to be in place to make sure that all aspects of our food system are healthy and sustainable.”
With Kingston, like basically all communities, relying on such a globalized food market, there’s only so much impact a strategy can have on the production of food.
However, Mortfield says the strategy will focus in on aspects of the food system that local changes can make a significant impact on.
“The city did a study a little while ago identifying food deserts, places where it’s really hard for people to access food,” Mortfield said.
“It’s not just the food production, but it’s also the distribution and is it accessible to everybody, and are there more economic opportunities in terms of local food production?”
To help set this strategy into motion, the FPC is now hiring a part time Community Researcher to identify the key elements of a regional food strategy and to develop a strategy that will lay a framework for regional food systems.
The successful applicant will lead consultations with food partners in the city, and identify specific goals and actions to be taken.
The Council secured the grant with help from Kingston Health Sciences Centre, accessing funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council with additional funding from Frontenac County.
The proposal for funding was led by Queen’s Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies, Kristen Lowitt, with support from Charles Levkoe, Canada Research Chair in Equitable and Sustainable Food Systems at Lakehead
University.
Mortfield says she’s hopeful that a food strategy can help to address some of the gaps that may be left behind by the recently announced closure of Loving Spoonful, whose mandate has focused on educating people towards developing food sovereignty.
“Our plan is to identify those gaps and those actions that maybe were existing at one time in the community, maybe they’re gone now, and how can we make sure that we’re still meeting those needs in the community,” Mortfield said.
“The food strategy will look at specific pillars within the local food system and identify those actions or policies that we need to work towards so that we can ensure the sustainability side of the food system.”
The Council hopes to have a finished policy endorsed by the City of Kingston and County of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.
Applications for the community researcher position will be accepted until November 22.
