Item - 2018.HL28.3

The Board of Health recommends that:

1.  City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, in collaboration with relevant City divisions, to develop community food resilience action plans for vulnerable neighbourhoods with critical food access issues, in order to identify strategies and best practices to increase food access and affordability in these neighbourhoods and develop emergency food response plans.

The Board of Health:

1.  Requested the Medical Officer of Health to work in collaboration with relevant City divisions to continue work initiated during the Vulnerability Assessment to:

a.  further understand food distribution flows and, in particular, the "last-mile" food supply chain in Toronto; and

b.  incorporate a food access lens, including food distribution flows, in all City of Toronto resilience strategies and emergency plans, particularly for vulnerable neighbourhoods.

2.  Directed that the report (June 28, 2018) from the Medical Officer of Health be forwarded to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ontario Food Terminal to inform them of the risks associated with an extended electrical power disruption at the Ontario Food Terminal.

The City of Toronto has committed to building the City's resilience to climate change. In 2017, as part of its Climate Change and Health Strategy, Toronto Public Health began engaging stakeholders from across the food system to assess the impact of climate change, including potential impacts on vulnerable populations. The high-level analysis, documented in the report Resilient Food Systems, Resilient Cities: A High Level Vulnerability Assessment of Toronto's Food System, focused on the most significant, urgent climate resilience risks for the food system in the City. By studying relevant extreme weather events (significant rain that leads to widespread flooding, an extended heat wave, and a significant ice storm) that could impact Toronto, the City can determine where there are significant vulnerabilities and how to address them.

The Study's findings reveal that, while extreme weather events could potentially disrupt Toronto's food supply, the current risk, especially on a massive scale, is relatively low. However, the Study highlights that a concerted effort across the food system, including electrical and telecommunication service providers, is needed to address other key vulnerabilities that could impact food access, particularly in neighbourhoods that already experience high food insecurity. This report provides a summary of these vulnerabilities and recommendations aimed at reducing such vulnerabilities and impact on food access.  Recommendations are grouped into food system transformation actions, community and neighbourhood resilience actions, and infrastructure and food industry sector resilience actions and emergency preparedness.