Food Policy Council grows closer to goals with survey

The Greater Sudbury Food Policy Council is getting closer to revamping the city's food system.

The council is surveying Sudburians on a draft of its goals and actions, which will be used to develop a food strategy for the city.

• Local food strategy to be presented to Sudbury planning committee
• Sudbury food strategy consultations hear from local restaurateurs

Jennifer Babin-Fenske, a member of the food policy council, says the group took a year to consult the community on what topics are important to them. She says the draft has about 75 goals and actions that cover everything from food access and literacy, to retail and tourism.

"I'm talking not just about local food, but agriculture, homesteading, backyard or community gardens, access to healthy food in the household, food waste and tourism," she says.

Cassandra Gosselin is the co-chair of the food policy council and a member of the commercial agriculture focus group. She says her group is working closely with local farmers and other producers to understand the barriers to their industry.

"A lot of the actions involve changing certain bylaws and educating the community that there are a lot of farmers around who help support restaurants and co-ops such as Eat Local Sudbury," Gosselin says.

Babin-Fenske says there is a section of the survey others can fill out if they're interested in helping to implement the strategy once it's finished.

The survey is online, and there are paper copies in all Greater Sudbury library branches.