In late 2017, Saanich Council committed to reducing GHG emissions 80 % by 2050 from 2007 levels. Saanich’s Agriculture and Food Security Plan (the Plan) will play a vital role in supporting the District in achieving this target and supporting policies set in the Official Community Plan (OCP) and the Climate Action Plan (currently being updated).
Saanich continues to have an important agricultural role in BC. Since the 1960s, the District has protected its agricultural and rural lands from urban encroachment with the Urban Containment Boundary (UCB). Although about 52% of Saanich is still protected by the UCB with policies set out in the OCP to ensure urban/rural connections are thriving, much of Saanich is not actively farmed and access to healthy, local food can be difficult for some households to attain. The District of Saanich recognized the importance of maintaining a balanced relationship between its urban residential and rural agricultural roles and saw an opportunity to seek new solutions to support local food systems and address food insecurity for the community at large.
In January 2016, the District of Saanich initiated a planning process to develop an Agriculture & Food Security Plan. The Plan outlines strategies, and provides a policy framework, to support agricultural practices and advance food security in the region. The Plan builds on the Agricultural Strategy for the Saanich Peninsula developed in 1997 by the municipalities of North Saanich, Central Saanich, Saanich and Sidney and will help enhance the viability and long-term sustainability of agriculture and food security in the District. This supports one of the priorities identified in their OCP.
The Plan focuses on specific actions that will enhance food security in the region as well as principles to guide future decision making. It sets a 15-year vision for Saanich to support a thriving, accessible, and environmentally responsible food system renowned for its vibrancy and resiliency that nourishes people, livelihoods, and relationships, works towards achieving self-sufficiency, and provides dignified access to affordable healthy food for all people. The goal is to ensure that land use practices in both urban and rural areas support ecosystems and provide a legacy for future generations.
The Plan builds upon existing planning and regulatory tools and aligns with regional and provincial policies (e.g. the Capital Regional District Food & Agriculture Strategy, and Provincial standards) to ensure that the framework established in the Plan is current, accurate, and defendable. Guided by expert knowledge and input from the task force, community members and stakeholders, the Plan identifies seven key themes to strengthen a sustainable food system and increase food security as well as implementation and monitoring / evaluation strategies.
The Plan was adopted by the District of Saanich Council in September 2018. Resources were dedicated to address the Plan’s Priority Actions.