Squamish will be a part of the world's first bio-region study aiming at increasing food security.
Led by Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, the three-year initiative will lay out a plan for stakeholders and governments in the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and Sea to Sky Corridor to create a regional food system.
It's never been done before, said Kent Mullinix, the university's director of sustainable agri-food systems. I think it is huge.
Residents of southwest B.C. spend approximately $5.5 billion annually on food, most of which is imported. While Mullinix said it's too early to put a figure to it, he sees significant potential in regional food production. The study South-West B.C. Food System will focus on a local, human-intensive, small-scale, alternative market food system, Mullinix said.
We have significant resources here and we are not utilizing them as well as we could, he said.
The project is already underway. Currently, the research team is assessing participating municipalities' agricultural capabilities and challenges. That includes compiling an inventory of Squamish's resources, Mullinix said.
In 2014, the second year of the study, researchers will meet with stakeholders to design a food plan that meets the community's needs. Year 3, the final stage, is when the team will roll out the plan and ways to implement it. Researchers aim to have the system fully developed between 2030 and 2050.
We are not proposing a food system that will compete with what exists, Mullinix said.
This is the perfect time to conduct such a study, Mullinix said. Public interest and awareness regarding sustainable food sources is growing, he said. The District of Squamish is very receptive to the initiative, Mullinix noted.
Squamish represents a community that collectively understands the importance of this, he said.
Comprehending our food costs and the security of food is one of society's big dilemmas, Coun. Patricia Heintzman told The Chief.
I think it is a really important step, she said.
Squamish has a long history of farming, she noted. Last month, Vertical Designs Ltd. announced the company was eyeing constructing a vertical farming facility in Squamish. Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN) is also gearing up for its second year of growing in its downtown community garden.
We were originally a farming community and we still have a lot of potential to create our own food here, Heintzman said.
Learning more about the food study -
