As the Municipal election campaigning heats up so too is civil society advocacy, with groups including the Vancouver Food Justice Coalition (including all Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks), the Women Transforming Cities and BC Poverty Reduction Coalition each highlighting the importance of food security in their policy platforms.
As members of the Vancouver Food Justice Coalition (VFJC), the VNFN took an active role on the policy development working group and helping to shape the Funding Our Food Systems Well – What $15 Can Do: Five Decisions for a Food Secure Vancouver.
Developed over 6 months, the VFJC surveyed its membership – people who know Vancouver’s food system from the inside: the people who participate in it, and the neighbours who run the kitchens, gardens, markets, and food recovery programs that hold it together. 39 policy ideas were submitted which over time were debated, considered, ranked and synthesized into 6 key policy recommendations for Council and Parks Board. While perhaps not perfect given the challenging task of distilling many important ideas set out on the table, this policy platform nevertheless represents the best of democratic process.
The VFJC is asking every candidate for Mayor, City Council, and Park Board, regardless of party, to tell voters where they stand on food. Endorsing means committing, publicly and before the election, to vote for these measures if elected. Candidate endorsement (or not) will be shared at vancouverfoodjustice.ca before the election in October.
First and foremost the policy platform recognizes Food is a human right. The right to adequate food is recognized in international human rights law, which Canada has committed to. Vancouver’s own Food Charter has recognized access to safe, sufficient, culturally appropriate and nutritious food as a basic human right since 2007. Canada’s ratification of the right to food obligates all levels of government to:
- Respect – do not interfere with the access people already have
- Protect – prevent others from interfering with access
- Fulfill – create the conditions in which people can feed themselves with dignity
Vancouver’s current language on food is vague, which makes it easy to deprioritize. Acknowledging food as a right gives departments, advisory bodies, and Councillors a common reference point when food collides with other priorities.
Committing to the right to food requires adequate resourcing and funding to eliminate food insecurity as an essential government obligation. Funding Our Food Systems Well is calling on our local government to increase food systems funding from the current .03% of total City operations budget to .2%.
By the numbers
- $2.30 – what the City spends on food per household, per year (0.03% of the 2026 Operating Budget)
- $15 – what this whole platform would cost per household, per year (0.2% of the 2026 Operating Budget)
- 1 in 4 – Vancouver residents worried about being able to afford food.
- 3 times – for every dollar the City puts into food grants, community groups need three. And that only counts for the groups the City lets apply.
- From 4 to 1 – The City had four planners working on food. Shortly after the 2026 budget came into effect, three of the positions were eliminated.
A fuller summary and full policy platform and reasoning is available at these links:
Summary Policy Platform Link
Full Policy Platform Reasoning and Research Link
And join the VFJC on October 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM (Pacific Time) for an engaging online town hall dialogue focused on food systems in Vancouver. Featured speakers will present the Vancouver Food Justice Coalition policy platform and outline actions the City of Vancouver can take to create a more equitable and just food system for all residents.
City Council candidates will be invited to respond and answer questions from the public, providing an opportunity for community members to engage directly with those seeking office on this important issue.