Information about the Central Kootenay region and matters of concern to the Food Policy Council are located here. The page will be a living library, with new resources added as they become available or known. If you have a document or resource that you believe belongs here, please contact the Council.
CKFPC Educational Materials
Educational materials created by the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council.
Relocalize Food Action Grid
A one-page table that lists a range of actions that different actors can do that are key to relocalizing our food system. Have a look and find the rows that you fit in and take a look at some possible actions you could be taking – or expanding, if you are already doing them. Modelling proactive measures to relocalize our food system and mentoring others to do the same will help to foster a healthy, resilient and just food system in the Columbia Basin.
Food Policy 101
A two page infographic that helps to make policy more tangible and intuitive in order to foster more engaged food citizens.
Local Food on the Menu
A two page guide created to support chefs and caterers in understanding how to include more local food in their menus.
Municipal Role in Food Systems
A table that graphically demonstrates different measures that governments can take, within their legal purview, that can positively impact food-related activities and services within their communities.
Other Resources
Community
Information about who lives in our communities, how we live together, how well we are doing.
- Rural Development Institute’s Community Profiles. Snapshots of each municipality in the region are available.
- Rural Development Institute’s State of the Basin 2020 Snapshot Report.
Economic Development
How organizations in our communities support entrepreneurs and existing businesses.
- Creston Valley’s Fields Forward Overview
- Lakehead and Beyond Farm Plan (2012)
Environment
Information on the health of our ecosystems and how we are addressing climate change in our region.
- Castlegar’s Climate Change Adaptation Project Report (2011)
- Kaslo / Area D’s Climate Change Adaptation Project Report (2010)
Food Systems & Agriculture
Information about how our foodshed functions, related challenges and opportunities.
- RDCK’s Agricultural Land Use Inventory (2017)
- BC Ministry of Agriculture’s Agriculture in Brief, overview of Central Kootenay agriculture.
- Real Estate Foundation’s Summary Report from Your Local Food Future: A Kootenay Region Dialogue (2014)
Government & Policy
Key policy documents and information about the local governments of the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
- Central Kootenay Agriculture Plan (2011)
- Agriculture Plan Implementation Report (2016)
- Agriculture Plan Background Report (2011)
- Central Kootenay’s Agricultural Land Use Inventory (2016)
Hunger & Health
Reports and information about community and household food security, as well as nutrition.
- Nelson Food Security Assessment (2014)
- PROOF’s BC Household food insecurity indicator report (2016). Contains information for the Interior Health region.
- Statistics Canada’s Food Stats, a comprehensive site for statistical information about food. Launched in August 2018.
Indigenous People of the Region
Information about the foundation of our region: its first peoples.
- Yaqan Nukiy – Lower Kootenay Band website
- Ktunaxa Nation Creation Story of the region
Food Policy databases
A collection of websites that feature searchable databases on food policy that can be very useful in creating new local policy and being able to demonstrate working models in other jurisdictions.
- B.C. Food System Policy Database, developed by the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
- Local Government Food Policy Database, developed by Growing Food Connections, is a searchable collection of local government public food policies in the United States.
- Global Database for City and Regional Food Policies, hosted by the Food Systems and Healthy Communities Lab at the University of Buffalo.
- Healthy Food Policy Database, hosted by the Healthy Food Project, is a searchable database of food policies in the United States.
- Food Policy Resources collected by the Food Policy Networks initiative of the Center for a Livable Future at John Hopkins University.
Food Policy Councils
With upwards of 300 food policy councils across North America, the Council has a host of peers and mentors from which to draw advice, inspiration and lessons. Kamloops Food Policy Council, one of the oldest and most vibrant in the country, was recently featured in this inspirational video. Here is a sampling of what other food policy councils are doing in their respective communities:
- Puget Sound Regional Food Policy Council
- Greater Sudbury Food Policy Council
- Vancouver Food Policy Council
- Kamloops Food Policy Council
The resources below help explain in greater detail what a food policy council is and does.
Puget Sound Food Policy Council: established in 2010, this regional council may be the most relevant model for a Central Kootenay Food Policy Council since it too serves rural and municipal areas. Among their key resources are their Food Policy Council One Page Overview and their multi-year Food Policy Action Plan.
Greater Sudbury Food Policy Council webpage: includes their vision, mission, governance models, decision-making processes and other useful information that will help in the evolution of the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council
The City of Seattle has been a leader in North America in integrating food systems needs into their policy and programming. Their guide to Integrating Food Policy in Comprehensive Planning provides a clear rationale for the role that cities and municipalities play in food systems and includes model policies and program areas.
Municipal Food Policy Entrepreneurs: this preliminary analysis of how Canadian cities and regional districts are engaging in food systems change. The most comprehensive overview of Canadian food policy councils to date. Written by Rod MacRae and Kendal Donahue for the Toronto Food Policy Council, the Vancouver Food Policy Council and the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.
Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned: a detailed analysis of 30 years of food policy councils in the USA. Includes analysis of purpose, structure, governance considerations, successes and challenges.
Hosted by the John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, this interactive map contains information on food policy councils across the United States. .
Food Policy Councils Briefing Paper: this useful 11 page document was written by Kimberley Hodgson for the American Planning Association as part of their Food System Planning Briefing Paper series. The image below is from this paper and provides a simple and effective graphic of food policy council actors and sectors.
