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

Marty Rempel

City/Township Council · Waterloo Ward 5

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

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
No response
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 the development of community buying clubs or municipal grocery stores
  • Use municipal land and planning powers to improve food access This is an area where municipalities can make a meaningful contribution without creating a large new tax-funded program.
B. Access to land for growing food
  • Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)

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

The Region would work with local farmers, municipalities, community organizations and food businesses to identify gaps in the local food chain—particularly processing, storage, distribution and neighbourhood access—and use existing public facilities and land where practical to help fill those gaps. The objective would be to make it easier for local farmers to get their products to local consumers. This could include supporting seasonal farmers’ markets in underserved neighbourhoods, community gardens, local food hubs, shared cold-storage or processing facilities, and improved distribution networks connecting local producers with schools, community organizations and local institutions.

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

Too complex for a local council this is a joint effort with regional and provincial inputs