Amber Louise Culley

City/Township Council · Kitchener Ward 6

All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes

This candidate finalized their responses after this guide and scoring methodology was published.

Food Systems & Security

In the context of growing pressure for economic development and the connected loss of farmland, what role do municipalities and the Region hold in promoting local food livelihoods, production, and processing?ranked from highest to lowest importance

Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
Leave local food livelihoods to the private market

How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part

A. Access to food

Partner with local charities, non-profits, and other organizations to strengthen access to food and redistribution of surplus food and produce for low-income residents
Support local food procurement for school food programs, including processing/preparation infrastructure, food literacy, and youth learning opportunities
Support programs to prepare food for those who are unhoused or unable to cook

B. Access to land for growing food

Make public lands (Regional and municipal) available for sustenance food provisioning, including in urban and peri-urban spaces as cities expand
Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)
Encourage and support private landowners to make lots available for food provisioning

Please describe one concrete policy, program, or decision you would support to strengthen the local food system.candidate's own words

I would support creating a Waterloo Region Local Food Access and Growing Program that makes an increased amount of suitable municipal and regional land available for community gardens, new farmers, food growing projects and low barrier local food markets. I would prioritize neighbourhoods with limited access to affordable fresh food and partner with community organizations, farmers, food banks, schools, universities and colleges to provide growing space, training, food preparation, storage and distribution. I would also support developing a local food hub that could provide shared processing, storage and distribution capacity for smaller farmers and food businesses that cannot afford those facilities independently. This would address food insecurity while also supporting local agriculture and entrepreneurship. It would build on policies the Region already has supporting community gardens and local food systems rather than creating an entirely new bureaucracy. The goal should be to increase access to nutritious food, create opportunities for local producers, reduce food waste and strengthen the economic viability of our local food system.

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on food systems?candidate's own words

Food insecurity is ultimately an affordability issue as much as an access issue. Waterloo Region reported that 23 percent of households experienced food insecurity in 2023, while the 2024 nutritious food basket cost a family of four approximately $1,165.65 per month. At the same time, our community is surrounded by productive agricultural land and has an opportunity to strengthen the connection between local producers and local consumers. The Region's planning framework already recognizes that a strong local food system supports farmers, rural communities, healthier communities and economic resilience. I believe we should protect our agricultural land while also making it economically viable to farm, process and sell food locally. Municipalities can contribute through land use planning, community gardens, public land, markets, procurement, food hubs and partnerships with non profits and educational institutions. I also want us to recognize the role of food in dignity. People who are unhoused, living with disabilities, seniors, families and individuals facing financial hardship should not have to choose between food, rent, medication or other basic needs. My approach would be to strengthen the organizations already doing this work, make better use of available public land and resources, support local producers and address the broader affordability pressures that cause food insecurity in the first place.

Other priority not listed abovecandidate's own words

Protect the agricultural land base