The Toronto Food Strategy:
Integrating Food into Local
Government
Barbara Emanuel, Manager
Toronto Food Strategy
Toronto Public Health
April 17, 2013
Toronto Food Strategy
 Spearheaded by Toronto Public Health to:
 Promote a healthy & sustainable food system
 Identify collaborative actions that the City can take
Nutrition &
disease
prevention
Social
justice
Food
literacy
Food
Local &
diverse
economic
development
System
Environmental
protection
Strong
communities
A POWERFUL TOOL
FOR BUILDING
HEALTHY VIBRANT CITIES
City of Toronto’s Existing Food Connections
But Common Barriers across Cities
WASTE
FOOD SAFETY
NUTRITION
ECONOMICS
GRICULTURE
FOOD (& Gov’t) in Silos
What Bureaucracies Can Be Good At
Regulations
Good Ideas
Toronto Star – Sept 19, 2010
Toronto Food Strategy Approach
 Action oriented
 Top down & bottom up
 Prioritizing networks &
partnerships
 Leveraging resources
 Research & evaluation
Toronto Food Strategy:
Examples in Action
 Understanding layers of neighbourhood disadvantages
 Broadening discussion on
food security among City &
community stakeholders
Lack of Healthy Food Sources
Low Density of Community Food
Programs/ Food Banks
High Density of “Fast Food”
Inadequate access to public transit
Low Household Income
Modified Retail Food Environment
Index
1km aerial radius
(doesn’t reflect on the ground experience)
1km radius - street network
“Healthier food retail”
All food retail
X 100
Source: Modified Retail Food Environment Index
 Mapping highlights legacies of not integrating food access
into City building over time
 Examples of apt tower communities in Germany
Source: ERA Architects (2010). Tower Neighbourhood Renewal in the Greater Golden Horseshoe
Mobile Good Food Market
Multiple Goals:
 Making healthy food
more accessible
 Evaluating mobile model
 Engaging community
 Building links w other
City depts to create more
enabling regulations
 Exploring social
enterprise opportunities
Leveraging City Transit Assets
New Mobile Good Food Market Vehicle
(Summer 2013?)
Policies on Access to Land & Infrastructure
Locally Grown World Crops
MANY OF THESE VEGGIES
CAN BE GROWN HERE
Food Skills & Employability Training

Integrating food safety,
nutrition & employment
training skills
Healthier Corner
Stores
 Conducting on-site food store surveys & owner interviews
 Working with Ec Dev, retailers, community & other
jurisdictions to identify what might work in Toronto
Lessons Learned So Far
 Build partnerships focused on action, even small projects that
allow City staff & NGO partners to see food connections can
create many benefits
 Be opportunistic, find where momentum is
 Learning to communicate our message effectively to diverse
audiences is critical
Lessons Learned So Far
 Local gov’ts can play strong role in food system renewal, but need
to embrace both top-down & bottom-up approaches
 Working w community, local gov’t can often pilot innovative food
solutions “on the cheap” by leveraging diverse resources
Barbara Emanuel, Manager
Toronto Food Strategy
Toronto Public Health
416-392-7464
bemanuel@toronto.ca