Community Food Systems Development

Supported by the Government of BC and Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, the Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) and Food Banks BC are conducting a provincial-wide examination of local context-specific challenges and interventions for improving food access and identifying leverage points for food systems transformation.

Members of the PHABC team will be reaching out to managers, executive directors, and other leadership members of non-profits, charity organizations, Indigenous organizations or Nations, and social enterprises that run food access programs in British Columbia to participate in our Community Food Systems Development survey, site visits, interviews, and focus groups.

 

Project Objectives

The Community Food Systems Development project aims to explore pathways for achieving greater community food security across BC through:

  1. Developing a food access typology to capture the spectrum food access models/programming in BC.
  2. Identifying the unique local context-specific challenges that food access organizations are experiencing.
  3. Identifying place-based assets, opportunities, and leverage points for food system transformation.
  4. Working with participants to identify and prioritize interventions that are appropriate for their local context.
  5. Sharing these findings and collect additional insight from key stakeholders to formulate recommendations.

 

Estimated timeline for community engagement

  • Mar 2024: Survey
  • Apr-Jun 2024: Site visits and interviews
  • Jul-Aug 2024: Focus groups and participatory analysis
  • Oct 2024: Present findings and recommendations, and collect feedback from participants
  • Mar 2025: Publish full report and other knowledge translation materials

 

Take the Survey

The Community Food Systems Development survey is looking for responses from managers, executive directors, or other leadership members of non-profits, charity organizations, Indigenous organizations or Nations, and social enterprises that run food access programs in British Columbia. Food access programs include food hampers, good food boxes, meal programs, community kitchens, and more. Although the survey questions are  designed for persons in leadership roles, we encourage front-line staff and volunteers to complete the survey if leadership members do not have capacity.

The survey is designed to help us better understand:

  1. The spectrum of food access organizations that exist across the province.
  2. The unique social and environmental conditions food access organizations are operating under.
  3. Current efforts and potential for food access organizations to engage in food systems change.

What survey participants can expect:

  • The online survey is open from March 20-April 14, 2024.
  • Survey participants can complete the survey online or by phone/Zoom. To schedule an appointment to complete the survey by phone/Zoom, please contact Julia Gellman, Manager of Community Food Development, at admin.cefs@phabc.org.
  • The survey has 85 questions and takes an estimated 45-60 minutes to complete.
  • Survey participants will receive a $75 stipend.

Download the PDF to view the survey questions in its entirety.

 

 

Contact

Julia Gellman
Manager of Community Food Development
Public Health Association of BC
admin.cefs@phabc.org