Food Team
Our food systems have far reaching impacts on our health, environment, communities and well-being.
Under Canada’s current food system, not all people have access to healthy and sustainable foods. At the same time, many who work in the food system struggle to make ends meet and steward the lands that feed us. Meanwhile, our agriculture and livestock industries currently make up 10% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and pose a major threat to biodiversity.
SPEC’s Food Team envisions a new food culture in Metro Vancouver in which food that is sustainably and justly produced is attainable for all through means that conserve biodiversity and ecological functions on farmlands, reduce food waste, strengthen and revitalize Indigenous food systems, and support community climate action and resilience.
To reach this vision, SPEC’s Food Team works through community programs that engage children, teachers, communities, farmers, NGOs, vulnerable populations, businesses and government officials in learning about and supporting sustainable food systems. We envision and advocate for progressive policies and practices, while influencing individual actions through awareness and education.
Current Programs
School Gardens Program
Food gardens and environmental education for K-12 schools and communities.
Farmland Ecosystem Services Program
Increasing resiliency and ecosystem services for small-scale farmers in Metro Vancouver.
Farm-to-Plate Marketplace
Virtual marketplace for fresh, local produce through an online ordering platform and weekly pick-ups.
Nature School
Online learning hub for students (K-7) to learn about our growing environment.
Yard Garden Harvest Project
A project by Little Mountain Neighborhood House providing organic foods grown by neighboring volunteers to community members in need.
