B.C. Green Party released a five-part comprehensive plan to provide British Columbians access to healthy, local food.
In a press conference held Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the B.C. Greens' headquarters in downtown Victoria, leader Sonia Furstenau outlined some of the party's “forward thinking” plans to address food insecurity if elected.
These include expanding regional community food hubs and increasing funding for the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program.
To guarantee a secure water supply for agriculture, Furstenau says the party would be creating an agricultural water reserve giving farmers and ranchers priority access in times of drought or water scarcity.
Investing in local food systems would also be one of the party’s game plans to support small-scale and cooperatively owned businesses.
Furstenau said creating a universal school food program is also a priority to ensure “every child in B.C. has access to nutritional food in schools.”
Finally, Greens would support Indigenous food sovereignty by investing in community-led initiatives that enhance access to traditional foods for Indigenous communities.
The party’s five-step plan, Furstenau said, goes hand-in-hand with addressing the challenges of climate change to help farmers build resilient food systems.
Speaking alongside Furstenau, Cammy Lockwood, Green candidate for Cowichan Valley, said, “Farming is, at the best of times, difficult work but trying to produce food in the face of climate catastrophe is an immense task that cannot be undertaken alone.
"As a farmer myself, I fully support the party’s food security policies that centres (around) farmers, Indigenous food sovereignty and water security,” Lockwood said.
