Item - 2018.HL28.1

The Board of Health:

1.  Requested the Medical Officer of Health to give consideration, as part of the 2019 budget submission for Toronto Public Health, to the allocation of additional annual project funding of $30,000 to the Toronto Food Policy Council, starting in 2019, to enhance its capacity to respond to emerging issues, to engage food champions across the City of Toronto, and to facilitate food asset mapping and knowledge exchange.
 

2.  Requested the Medical Officer of Health to initiate a process to begin discussions with the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to create a food security fund for community-based food organizations to be administered by Social Development, Finance and Administration, with advice and support from the Toronto Food Strategy and the Toronto Food Policy Council, as part of achieving the goals of the food pillar of TO Prosperity: Toronto Poverty Reduction Strategy, and present such a strategy to the Board of Health and the City of Toronto's 2019 budget process, and request staff to provide reports to this end.

The Chair, Toronto Food Policy Council, gave a presentation on Toronto Food Policy Council 2018 Annual Report.

The Toronto Food Policy Council is a 30 member Council established in 1991 to advise the Board of Health on issues relating to community food security and a health-promoting food system. In addition, since 2010, the Toronto Food Policy Council has served as the community reference group for the Toronto Food Strategy - providing advice and support from community-based experts and advocates on the implementation of the Strategy.

Toronto Food Policy Council members are appointed by the Board of Health. Current members include three City Councillors, one member from the Board of Health, and 26 citizen members with a range of food system expertise in community-based charities, non-profits, farming, and food businesses. These members attend monthly Toronto Food Policy Council meetings, and contribute actively to Toronto Food Policy Council committees on a range of food system issues. 

This report provides an overview of key thematic areas of work taken up by the Toronto Food Policy Council, with an account of activities of the last year. It documents responses to the growing demands on the City to address health, social, economic, and environmental issues related to food security, and the corresponding increased demands on the Toronto Food Policy Council.