Funding Our Food Systems Well Campaign

Funding Our Food Systems Well All Candidates Town Hall - Oct 13, 2026

A huge thank you to the 80 attendees including 26 candidates who made our food systems all candidates meeting a successful and informative event. The event started with an overview of our 5 policy recommendations. Following this, candidates responded to a set of questions (listed below) relating to these policies along with closing commitments.

After hearing from the candidates, we were struck by the level of food systems understanding expressed by all candidates, which certainly speaks to the growing importance of food security and justice in all our lives. Given the very affirming responses to our policies by all candidates, we wish the best for all these candidates in their election efforts.

We look forward to future collaborations with whomever is elected as we work to move these policies forward over the next 4 years. We appreciated the many commitments that candidates spoke to during this town hall and we will follow up on these commitments.

Listen to the full event recording above

The candidates in attendance:

COPE

• Chloe Leslie (Council)

• Devyani Singh (Council) 

• Tamiko Suzuki (Parks)

• Sacia Burton (Parks)

• Jamie Han (Parks)

Green Party of Vancouver

• Breanne Smart (Parks) 

• Bridget Burns (Council)

• Camil Dumont (Council)

• Stephanie Smith (Council)

• Annette Reilly (Council)

• Thomas Digby (Park)

OneCity

• Krista Sigurdson (School) 

• Iona Bonamis (Council)

• John Irwin (Parks)

• Caitlin Stockwell (Council)

Vote Vancouver

• Summit Wannamaker (Parks)

• Rebecca Hasdell (Council)

Bright Future

• Andy Lin (Council)

• Muhammad Ahmad (Mayor)

• Ibrahima Cisse (Council)

Vancouver Independent Parks

• Niknaz Alemi (Parks)

• Michael Robert Caditz (Parks)

• Brynja Marshall (Parks)

Vancouver Liberals 

• Victoria Jung (Council)

• Mark Halyk (Parks)

Amauri Caliman (Mayor)

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Questions to candidates

1. Fund community food systems adequately and permanently

One of Mayor and Council’s first tasks is to set the budget. Our platform calls for about $2.4 million a year in permanent funding for community food systems. If elected, would you commit to making and moving a motion to increase food systems funding for 2027? What would you include in the motion?

2. Build community food infrastructure and address food access gaps

If elected, what specific action would you take in your first year to advance a multi purpose food hub and strengthen food infrastructure in South Vancouver?

3. Protect and grow affordable, independent and culturally relevant food retail and markets

South and East Vancouver have culturally diverse food businesses and commercial areas such as Victoria Drive, Fraser Street and Kingsway that face redevelopment and rising costs. If elected, what specific action would you take in your first year to help protect affordable, independent and culturally relevant food businesses and markets?

4. Make food recovery permanent civic infrastructure

We are calling for food recovery to be recognized and supported as permanent civic infrastructure. What is your position on this, and what specific actions would you take on food recovery in your first year if elected?

5. Open up park land and facilities for community food systems

For Council candidates:

In 2014 there were 16 urban farms in Vancouver. We are now down to 4 or 5. Can you please tell us how you, if elected, would use the range of City tools, including grants, regulations, policy, and advocacy, to improve support to urban farmers so that they can once again thrive in Vancouver?

For Park Board candidates:

The platform calls for the Park Board to identify suitable park land, support Indigenous rooted food practices, and create more opportunities for growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing food. If elected, what specific action would you take in your first year to expand community food uses in Vancouver parks?

Full Candidate endorsement list viewed here

Read the full platform

The City of Vancouver currently spends just $2.30 per household each year on food systems. Increasing that investment to $15 - less than the price of a coffee and a sandwich - could fund everything proposed in this food systems platform. That investment would be enough to build the just and sustainable food system the City has promised since 2003: one that survives the budget cycle and affirms the right to food.

What we’re doing

The policy ideas in this platform come from people who know Vancouver's food system from the inside: the people who participate in it, and the neighbours who run the kitchens, gardens, markets, and food recovery programs that hold it together. We asked what would actually make things better, narrowed a long list down to five decisions for a food secure Vancouver. 

We are asking every candidate for Mayor, City Council, and Park Board, regardless of party, to tell voters where they stand on food. Endorsing means committing, publicly and before the election, to vote for these measures if elected. We will share the answers we receive at vancouverfoodjustice.ca before you vote in October

For the reasoning & research behind each policy ask, check out our full platform here.

By the numbers

• $2.30 - what the City spends on food per household, per year (0.03% of the 2026 Operating Budget)

• $15 - what this whole platform would cost per household, per year (0.2% of the 2026 Operating Budget)

• 1 in 4 - Vancouver residents worried about being able to afford food.

• 3 times - for every dollar the City puts into food grants, community groups need three. And that only counts for the groups the City lets apply. 

• From 4 to 1 - The City had four planners working on food. Shortly after the 2026 budget came into effect, three of the positions were eliminated.

Food is a human right

Food is a human right. The right to adequate food is recognized in international human rights law, which Canada has committed to. Vancouver’s own Food Charter has recognized access to safe, sufficient, culturally appropriate and nutritious food as a basic human right since 2007. Canada’s ratification of the right to food obligates all levels of government to:

• Respect - do not interfere with the access people already have

• Protect - prevent others from interfering with access

• Fulfill - create the conditions in which people can feed themselves with dignity

Vancouver's current language on food is vague, which makes it easy to deprioritize. Acknowledging food as a right gives departments, advisory bodies, and Councillors a common reference point when food collides with other priorities.

How you can get involved!

• Share this platform -send it to a neighbour, a co-worker, your building's group chat. Most people have no idea the City spends $2.30 a household on food.

• See where candidates stand - we are publishing every answer at vancouverfoodjustice.ca.

• Ask candidates what they think about food - candidates will be at your door, at community events, and in your inbox between now and October 17th. Ask what they will do about food. The more often they hear the question, the harder it is to treat food as an afterthought.

• Vote on October 17th!