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Food Spaces, Vibrant Places
The document outlines a policy advocacy campaign by the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable aimed at improving access to healthy food options in Waterloo, Ontario, addressing issues like obesity and diet-related diseases. It discusses challenges in zoning laws that restrict temporary farmers' markets and community gardens, as well as advocacy strategies like petitions and community engagement. The campaign has garnered support from local officials and resulted in changes to municipal by-laws to support healthier food access.
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Food Spaces, Vibrant Places
- 1. Food Spaces, VibrantPlaces a policy advocacy campaign of the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable by Marc Xuereb, Public Health Planner for Sustain Ontario March 25, 2015 1
- 2. • We don'teat enough nutritious foods, and we eat too many non-nutritious foods • Obesity "epidemic": more than 50% of Waterloo Region's population is overweight or obese • Incidence of diet-related chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes) is increasing Food Spaces, Vibrant Places Why does Public Health care about a Healthy Food System? 2
- 3. • Ontario PublicHealth Standards require us to engage in health promotion and policy development, including with municipalities • potential to make a great impact on the health of the population: policy can create environments which enhance or limit the choices individuals make, thereby making it easier for individuals to make the healthiest choice possible Food Spaces, Vibrant Places Why does Public Health do advocacy? 3
- 4. • Research issuesand trends • Build capacity of community groups working for change • Cultivate networks and partnerships with community groups, businesses, other Regional departments • Develop Regional government policy • Develop, implement, and update a food system plan Food Spaces, Vibrant Places Public Health as facilitator and catalyst of a healthy food system 4
- 5. • Research issuesand trends • Build capacity of community groups working for change • Cultivate networks and partnerships with community groups, businesses, other Regional departments • Develop Regional government policy • Develop, implement, and update a food system plan Food Spaces, Vibrant Places Public Health as facilitator and catalyst of a healthy food system 5
- 6. • Research issuesand trends • Build capacity of community groups working for change • Cultivate networks and partnerships with community groups, businesses, other Regional departments • Develop Regional government policy • Develop, implement, and update a food system plan Food Spaces, Vibrant Places Public Health as facilitator and catalyst of a healthy food system 6
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- 10. 2009 Region ofWaterloo Official Plan (ROP) 2011-2013 Municipal Official Plans 2014 - 2016 Zoning By-laws Food Spaces, Vibrant Places Timeline 10
- 11. • Supporting Advocacyon Municipal Official Plans (January 2013) • Planning for Food-Friendly Municipalities in Waterloo Region (August 2013) • Submitted grant proposal to Heart and Stroke Foundation's Spark Community Advocacy fund (November 2013) Food Spaces, Vibrant Places Research, Planning 11
- 12. • Developed anadvocacy strategy • Recruited and trained volunteers • Developed outreach materials • Created social media campaign & online petition • met with municipal Councillors and candidates • Celebrated! Food Spaces, Vibrant Places What did the Roundtable do?: 12
- 13. What is theproblem we are trying to solve? • Too few people have walkable access to healthy food options in Waterloo Region • PH Side note: Food Deserts vs. Food Swamps Food Spaces, Vibrant Places Advocacy Strategy 13
- 14. How will weaddress the problem of access to healthy food options? • support more temporary farmers’ markets and community gardens in Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo. Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 14
- 15. Why is thisimportant? • Food Spaces Matter • Food Spaces Make us Healthy • Food Spaces Create Vibrant Neighbourhoods Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 15
- 16. What are thecurrent barriers or challenges? • Temporary farmers' markets are currently only permitted in commercial zones that allow retail uses, many of which are restricted to indoor use. • Community members often face the challenge of finding land within walking or transit access of where they live, work, and play when trying to start a community garden Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 16
- 17. Campaign Goals? • Zoningby-laws that permit temporary farmers’ markets in residential, institutional, open space, as well as commercial zones • Supportive licensing by-laws and regulations for temporary farmers’ markets • Incentives such as reduced or waived fees for temporary farmers’ markets • Zoning by-laws that permit community gardens in residential, institutional, and open space zones • Strengthened community garden policies Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 17
- 18. Volunteers • Recruited fromalmost every ward in each of the 3 cities • Matched with ward Councillor and candidates • Attended outreach events, markets • Training, resources, and support • Review and evaluation of the project Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 18
- 19. Outreach Materials • Website: http://www.wrfoodsystem.ca/foodspacesWR •One-page leave behind for Councillors and candidates • Postcard Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 19
- 20. Online Petition • "Submit"sent email to City Councillor, Mayor, and all declared candidates for the Ward and Mayor asking for their support in creating supportive zoning by-laws • Promoted through e-blasts, social media • Petition forms at outreach events • Target: 500 signatures Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 20
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- 22. Meetings with Councillors Candidates •Share campaign message • Share importance of access to healthy food concerns • Share action plan: what they can do • Gain support Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 22
- 23. Results • 570 petitionsignatures • Meetings with 26 candidates for Council • Attended 18 outreach events and markets • Gained support from over 50% of elected officials; many spoke publicly of their support during campaign Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 23
- 24. Results • City ofWaterloo included temporary farmers' markets in updated licensing by-law • Invited to give early input to comprehensive review of zoning by-laws in the City of Kitchener • Cambridge invite came in February 2015 Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 24
- 25. Next Steps • Workinggroup • Review updated comprehensive zoning by-laws • Recommendations • Presentations to Councils Food Spaces, Vibrant Places 25
- 26. Marc Xuereb 519-575-4400 ext.5872 Mxuereb@regionofwaterloo.ca www.wrfoodsystem.ca/foodspacesWR Thank You! 26
Editor's Notes
- #3 Nutrition education alone does not address issue of why people eat what they eat Need to influence systemic factors that affect access to healthy food Food–related policy can have a greater effect on the health of the population
- #4 Chronic Disease Prevention standard #6: "shall work with municipalities to support healthy public policies and the creation or enhancement of supportive environments in recreational settings and the built environment regarding… healthy eating" [second point from ROWPH Policy Development Approach]
- #5 These are some of the roles that Public Health plays in trying to effect change in our food system. [next slide has red circle around building capacity]
- #6 The Food Spaces, Vibrant Places campaign was one in which Public Health took a background role, supporting the work of a group that we have been working with for years to do the advocacy work. [next slide has same points, with blue circles]
- #7 You'll also see some elements of the research role we played, and our ability, as a department of our Regional Municipality, to influence Regional policy
- #8 The group doing the work in this case was (and is) the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable. The Roundtable is a networking and policy-making group working on building a strong voice for a healthy food system in Waterloo Region. Public Health helped establish the group in 2007, and has been working to build the group's capacity to effect change in the food system ever since. The Roundtable is made up of representatives from key sectors and interests of the local food system including local farmers; emergency food providers; food processing, distributing, and retail businesspeople; health professionals; and more.
- #9 The Food Spaces campaign became one of their projects last year,
- #10 …and they created a whole new website and campaign for it.
- #11 Here is some important context and background to the Food Spaces campaign. It's part of work that Public Health - and the Roundtable with our support - has been doing to affect municipal food policy for many years. ROP In 2009, the Roundtable played a key role in getting food policies included in the ROP (Public Health was also able to play a role in liaising with our colleagues in our Planning department) included requirement that area municipalities develop policies in their OPs for TFMs (which it defined) and CGs Defined TFMs as “outdoor food stands using temporary structures to sell food products to the public. The foods sold would be primarily from local sources, and may include processed foods such as jams and preserves and other farm-made products. Stand operators could be farmers or staff or volunteers of a business or organization with a permit to operate the stand” Municipal official plans The Roundtable was successful in advocating for polices in each of Cambridge, Waterloo, and Kitchener's OPs that "may permit" community gardens and temporary farmers markets in all land use designations. The next step is to ensure that community gardens and temporary farmers markets are permitted in all land use zones in each city's comprehensive zoning by-laws.
- #12 Public Health was able to provide resources to research the issues in some detail by accessing funds from the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care through the Healthy Communities Fund Partnership Stream (http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/en/healthy-communities/hcf/partnership.asp) We hired a former Roundtable member and consultant Krista Long in 2013 to do a literature review of policies in municipal official plans which could promote healthy eating, active living, and mental health, including reviewing OPs of all seven WR municipalities to which ones they had A subsequent grant from the same fund enabled us to hire Krista to focus in on OP policies AND by-laws affecting community gardens and temporary farmers' markets, and recommended changes which would create more supportive environment With this last report in hand, the Roundtable decided to do some direct advocacy, and it applied to the [read slide] for funds to advocate for the by-law changes identified in the research. Public Health administered the grant funds, as the Roundtable is not an incorporated entity.
- #13 With Public Health's support. A group of Roundtable volunteers ran a hiring process to recruit a co-ordinator for the campaign, and the co-ordinator led most of this work with Public Health's (my!) support.
- #14 With the support of HC Link, a free consulting group funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health that that works with community groups, to build healthy communities, we created an advocacy strategy. They helped us articulate the problem that we were trying to solve: The Region of Waterloo has less than a handful of seasonal, temporary farmers’ markets The seven municipalities in the Region of Waterloo have approximately 1200 community garden plots (53 garden sites, or one per every 3763 households based on 2012 data); many new community garden strategies are recommending one garden site per neighbourhood or at least one per every 2000 households [click] On a side note, while Public Health still believes in the importance of increasing access to healthy sources of food for many reasons (some of which I'll list in an upcoming slide), we have begun to realize that our population's poor overall diet quality has less to do with lack of access to healthy food as it does with an overabundance of access to unhealthy food. The NEWPATH study showed that Waterloo Region has 5.6 times more convenience stores and fast food restaurants within walking radius (800m) of neighbourhoods than grocery stores, markets or other options for healthy, fresh food choices
- #16 Food Spaces Make us Healthy 90% of market goers said they ate more vegetables; 53% said they ate more fruit. People are 3 times as likely to visit a market when they live in walking distance. Community gardens help reduce stress and anxiety, and promote physical activity. Community gardens provide low cost, healthy food options Food Spaces Create Vibrant Neighbourhoods Neighbourhood markets build community and encourage social interaction. Community gardens promote a sense of belonging and help build food skills. Community gardens create a space for the inclusion of people from a variety of cultural backgrounds, ages, income levels, and needs. Community gardens preserve cultural identity.
- #20 Show on website: Rationale and updates Link to social media Stories Resources, background material Petition
- #27 So I would be happy to answer any questions, now, or later as time permits. You can reach me after today at the coordinates indicated here.