Whereas the effects of climate change, primarily flooding and wildfire events, have highlighted how fragile our food supply chain can be; And whereas the need for a regional food supply system is greater than ever: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government, primarily the Ministry of Agriculture and the Premier of British Columbia, to support and fund local food supply feasibility studies, to ensure that as much food as possible can be grown, processed, and purchased within regional areas to sustain the local populations.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Government recognizes the role of agriculture in supporting local economies, protecting food supply, and preserving the environment. Government is continuing to support local food supply security and working with partners including local governments to ensure strong regional food production, processing, distribution, and regional availability for local populations. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Ministry currently delivers Grow BC, Feed BC, and Buy BC programming and services to support the production, processing, marketing, and sustainable supply of food in regions across BC. Ensuring greater regional food production and supply requires having the land base to support the sector. The Agricultural Land Reserve ALR and support to local governments through the Ministrys Strengthening Farming Program help ensure land is available for farming. Through this program, the Ministrys land use planners and the geospatial team work collaboratively with the Ministrys regional agrologists to support a positive local government regulatory climate, encourage a more prominent role for agriculture, and foster innovative policy and regulation development that supports farming at the regional level. A Cross-Government Food Security Steering Committee was convened in 2020. This committee is co-chaired by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and Ministry of Health with the goal of developing a coordinated approach to responding effectively to food insecurity and advancing food security in the province. One of the key actions is leading the development of a Provincial Food Security Framework to outline how the Province, in partnership with local governments, the Federal government and other organizations and sectors, can support food security across BC communities.