To:Vancouver Food Policy Council
Re: Political Party Questionnaire for 2017 British Columbia General Election
Thank you for taking the time to create this important food policy questionnaire. I hope you will forgive the delayed response, we’ve been getting a tremendous amount of email.
A BC NDP government will take a number of actions that will improve food policy in BC, please see our agriculture platform, released here:
We are happy to answer your questions below.
1. The BC food system impacts public health, social well-‐being, community development, land use, education, economic prosperity, natural resources, public safety, and transportation in multiple ways. If elected, how will you advance and coordinate food systems initiatives across various ministries of provincial government?
The New Democrats agriculture platform would instate the British Columbia Local Food Act which seeks to improve and maximize food security, economic returns, and population health from protected agricultural lands and other farmlands. The bill reassigns Agricultural Land Reserve areas under Zone 2 into Zone 1, establishes the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia’s Food and Agricultural Committee and assigns the Committee responsibility for recommending the Chair, Vice Chair and members of the Agricultural Land Commission. This bill also creates the British Columbia Local Food Strategy, which requires the Minister of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia’s Food and Agriculture Committee, to determine recommendations and targets on increasing local food production, processing, distribution, marketing plus increased public sector organization procurement of BC grown and produced foods. It further requires the Minister to report annually on the progress made, and expected, under the Strategy. Finally, this bill re‐establishes the Ministry of Agriculture's Buy BC marketing program that is universally accessible to all BC farmers.
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia’s Food and Agricultural Committee will advance and coordinate food systems initiatives across various ministries of provincial government.
2. Food insecurity is directly linked to the unacceptable rates of poverty in BC. If elected, would you commit to implementing a comprehensive poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines within the next term of office? If yes, how would you do so?
Yes. Our platform commits to implementing a poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines so we can get kids and families out of poverty and on the path to success. We have introduced private members legislation on this several times, but the BC Liberals have refused to even debate the issue. Our plan will bring together disability advocates and organizations, people living in poverty, poverty reduction groups and others who are committed to a Better BC to develop a poverty reduction strategy and examine the full scope of poverty reduction initiatives. Their work will help us meet our goal of helping all individuals live lives of dignity, respect, and opportunity.
3. One in six BC children lives in a food insecure household. Despite this, BC does not have a universal school food program for public school children. If elected, what would you do to ensure that school aged children have access to healthy meals and food literacy programming in school?
Our poverty reduction panel will examine the full scope of poverty reduction initiatives. This includes an examination of a universal school food program for public school children and food literacy programming in school. It is essential that kids are well fed with healthy food in order to learn and develop. If our poverty reduction panel recommends establishing a healthy meal program in schools, and it is feasible to do so, we will implement the program.
4. Indigenous food systems continue to be eroded through ongoing colonialism. Indigenous communities are raising concerns regarding the negative impacts of development and extraction projects on their ability to maintain traditional food practices. If elected, what measures would you commit to undertaking to ensure the protection and continuing revitalization of Indigenous food practices in BC?
The BC NDP have long worked towards reconciliation with First Nations in British Columbia. But 16 years of BC Liberal neglect has set progress back. Three years ago, the Supreme Court of Canada set down law on the legal rights of First Nations people in this province. The message was clear: Aboriginal Title and Rights are a matter of law and justice. John Horgan and the BC NDP will make reconciliation a cross-government priority, and will work collaboratively and respectfully with First Nations to deliver a better future for us all.
We will adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which has been accepted by 148 nations, including the Government of Canada. In Ministers’ mandate letters, we will include a requirement that they review policies, programs and legislation to determine how to bring the principles of the Declaration to action in British Columbia. As a priority, we will work with First Nations’ to improve relations, to reduce conflict on the ground and in the courts by ensuring decisions affecting land, air, water and food systems respect the law, and allow all British Columbians to benefit from the sustainable development of natural resources while also preserving healthy lands, resources and ecosystems for present and future generations.
5. The Agricultural Land Reserve is a long-‐standing public legacy that enables a viable agricultural sector and food security for future generations in BC. If elected, what government policies would you support to ensure the long-‐term protection, viability, and use of the lands in the Agricultural Land Reserve? What additional approaches would you take to foster a viable and sustainable local farming sector in BC?
The BC NDP government in the 1970s established the ALR, and we have long been champions of protecting and improving this public legacy for the food security of future generations. In 2015, the BC NSP caucus introduced The British Columbia Local Food Act. The purpose of this act is to improve and maximize food security, economic return and population health outcomes from our public land trust — the agricultural land reserve.
The legislation will accomplish these purposes through five core elements:
(1) eliminating the two tier ALR created under Bill 24 by transferring all ALR areas currently categorized in zone 2 into zone 1 and eliminating the zone 2 designation
(2) establishing a legislative committee on food and agriculture which will have a voice in determining the chair and other members of the Agricultural Land Commission
(3) mandating this committee to prepare, in consultation with the Agriculture Minister, a plan to increase local food production, marketing and processing. The plan would set targets and implement policies to meet those targets, which would be reported annually to the Legislature.
(4) implementing a comprehensive strategy on government purchasing locally grown food; and
(5) reintroducing the successful Buy B.C. program;
Our province currently lacks a comprehensive strategy that ensures we are fully capitalizing on our agricultural land base in a way that grows our economy, improves population health and food security. Instead, what the government has is a strategy to undermine our sacred land trust. By forcing the passage of Bill 24 in 2014, it created a two tier ALR. Then as a follow up act, in the spring of 2015 it unilaterally terminated the chair of ALC solely out of political convenience.
Meanwhile. other jurisdictions are ahead of B.C. in terms of encouraging farming and food processing to support, expand and sustain their agriculture sector. For example, Ontario, which has a greenbelt, has legislation that supports increasing local food production from its land base through establishing targets that the Minister of Agriculture needs to report on annually. Along with 33 other American states, Washington, one of our main competitors, uses government procurement policies to promote its agriculture sector.
6. The Climate Action Plan is B.C.’s roadmap to an emerging green economy for the province that outlines how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020. If elected, how would you support adaptation and mitigation in the agriculture and food sector?
The BC NDP recognizes that climate change is among the most significant challenges we face. Countries around the world are taking action to modernize their economies, improve transportation and lower their impact on the environment. BC is well positioned to be a leader in these efforts with a government that will act, like John Horgan and the BC NDP. Christy Clark struck a panel on Climate Leadership and then proceeded to ignore it. But, the panel worked hard to identify innovative action that would support sustainable growth in our economy, reduce our carbon pollution and make life more affordable for families. The climate leadership team recommendations also included significant actions on adaptation and protecting the agricultural sector. Its work should be valued and implemented.
The BC NDP will renew the Climate Leadership panel within our first 100 days, and work towards implementing their full suite of recommendations under our core principles for climate action. We will put BC on a path to meeting BC’s legislated 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 80 per cent below 2007 levels and will set a new legislated 2030 reduction target of 40 per cent below 2007 levels.
7. Food waste is an economic, social and environmental problem that occurs in all sectors the food system. If elected, how would you advance the reduction of food waste in BC
The BC NDP recognizes that one third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted globally. When this happens, valuable food, money, energy, water and other resources that have been used to produce food are wasted.
While our platform does not make a specific commitment regarding food waste, should we form the next government on May 9th, we will work with interested parties and not-for-profits working to examine what British Columbia can do better to reduce food waste.
8. We know that neonicotinoid pesticides are toxic to bees and other insects that benefit our food system. If elected, would you commit to reducing the use of neonicotinoid pesticides across the province? If yes, what measures would you take to do so?
The most pressing threat to bees at this time may be exposure to pesticide which can kill bees and make them more susceptible to parasites and disease. As a first step, the BC NDP platform commits to banning cosmetic pesticides from our lawns, playgrounds, and gardens. We will continue to work with interested parties on this issue should we form the next government.
9. If elected, what other food issues or initiatives would you like to advance in the coming term?
The BC NDP believes that BC’s agriculture sector is a key part of our economy and it’s incredibly important for food security for British Columbians. But after 16 years of neglect by Christy Clark and the BC Liberals, the proportion of our food supplied by BC farmers has been falling. Employment has dropped and our agricultural land has been threatened as a result of BC Liberals undermining the Agricultural Land Reserve. Without a long term plan we risk losing farms and farmers, as well as opportunities to develop, process and export new food products.Agriculture, food processing and a growing beer, wine, cider and spirits sector can create thousands of good jobs while providing food security and great products for British Columbians.
For more information, please see our platform:
BC New Democrats | 301-4180 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby, BC V5C 6A7 | 604-430-8600 | 778-379-4842 (fax) | bcndp.ca
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