Local Food & Urban Agriculture Study

Engagement for the LFUAS has included interviews with staff at governments, associations, businesses, and individuals working on food and agriculture topics. The public was invited to participate in 2 public online surveys and 3 focus group sessions:

• Public Survey #1 closed on September 2, 2016. The survey asked residents about how they participate in the local food system, challenges they have encountered with policies and regulations, and interests for future food pursuits. A total of 159 people responded.
  • Public Survey #1 – What We Heard
• Public Survey #2 closed on May 15, 2017. Questions covered a mix of topics including local food access and consumption, definitions for ‘local food’, community gardens, and City compost. A total of 296 people responded.
  • Public Survey #2 – What We Heard

• Focus Group Sessions 1 and 2: two sessions were held in the fall of 2017. The first was to meet with hen owners to review and discuss current hen and coop regulations, and explore potential bylaw revisions. The second session was to meet with beekeepers to review existing regulations and discuss potential new allowances.

• Focus Group Session 3: a third session was held in the fall of 2019 in collaboration with the Commercial & Industrial Land Study to discuss the specific industry needs of the indoor agriculture and processing sectors.

The benefits of supporting local food and urban agriculture are numerous, and extend beyond just increasing food supply, for the ways they can:

• Be good for the economy by creating employment in the ‘green’ sector, providing job diversity, and keeping food revenues within our city.

• Be good for the environment by reducing the distance that food travels from source to table.  

• Connect residents to their food system by providing visible and accessible opportunities for demonstration, learning, and employment. 

• Encourage accountability by connecting consumers to nearby producers, allowing residents to ask questions and learn about the inputs and methods used to produce food. 

• Provide opportunities for social cohesion and inclusion by bringing people together in gardens, markets, and kitchens to grow and enjoy food, while building skills and relationships.  

• Provide connection to land, nature, and culture by promoting outdoor activity that involves growing food and harvesting wild foods and medicines in wilderness areas.

• Increase self-sufficiency by building local capacity for production and reducing reliance on imported foods.