Report on Emergency Food Preparedness and Building Urban Food Resilience
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Report on Emergency Food Preparedness and Building Urban Food Resilience Prepared by: Joe Mihevc EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF KEY RECOMMENDATIONS The City of Toronto has a long history in food policy which provides a solid framework for building its emergency food response. Toronto's 30-member Food Policy Council (TFPC) was established 30 years ago as a subcommittee of the Toronto Board of Health providing expert food policy guidance and recommendations. The Toronto Food Charter, adopted by City Council almost 20 years ago, deepened the City's commitment to food security and equitable access to nutritious, affordable and culturally-appropriate food. This year, the City is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Toronto Food Strategy building innovative food solutions with partnerships across sectors. Together, the TFPC, Food Charter and Food Strategy underscore the City's commitment and important role in emergency food response and resilience. This report is based on consultations with 10 groups involved in the various aspects of emergency food response in Toronto during COVID-19. In addition to this process, Social Development, Finance & Administration (SDFA) and Toronto Public Health staff engaged with food advocates from the Black Community and the results of those engagements are included in this report. The City of Toronto is also supporting the development of a community-led Indigenous Tkaronto Prosperity Plan. This process, led by the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council, will include engagement on Indigenous food sovereignty to help inform the City’s responses in this area and emergency food planning. Food insecurity was one of the key issues faced by too many Toronto residents during the first phase of the pandemic. Many Torontonians went hungry. The City of Toronto did not however have a plan in place to deal with this food emergency. With tremendous support from very committed social service organizations and civil society, a patchwork response was quickly built that managed to contain the food crisis. 1 September 10, 2020.
Even before the pandemic, food insecurity was entangled with unaffordable housing, precarious
employment, institutionalized racism, low wages and income security benefits, and unreliable
transportation. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated these preexisting conditions.
What has become clear during the response to the pandemic is that the City can and should play
a leadership role in addressing food insecurity, and promoting resilient and sustainable food
systems to support vulnerable communities and residents. The City needs to increase its
knowledge and institutional capacity to be effective during times of food emergencies. City
Council’s commitment in the Toronto Food Charter can ground both the short and long term work
of food security.
The recommendations in this report are intended to contribute to an equitable approach to a
possible resurgence of the pandemic and to the City’s recovery and rebuild efforts.
Key Executive Recommendations (more fully developed below):
1) Develop a City of Toronto Emergency Food Plan beforehand that can be rolled out when
an emergency hits in collaboration with the City’s Office of Emergency Management.
Integrate emergency food response into the planning and work of key city divisions.
Update the City’s Emergency Preparedness Plan to include a strong section on food
security and food access.
2) Designate a singularly-focused City person/office to act as an Emergency Food
Coordinator to connect resources and organizations.
3) Develop a coordinated system of networking among various food
organizations/initiatives and city divisions to increase communication and engagement.
These efforts should be mapped and will help organizations better coordinate in real time
with the broader city effort.
4) Continue, expand and formalize internal and external engagement tables/groups even in
the hiatus period to ensure preparedness.
5) Develop detailed maps of emergency City and community resources and facilities
including food storage spaces and alternative relocation spaces for community
organizations and emergency food providers if some are forced to close.
6) Build on the potential of the community food hub model to link emergency food with local
community development.
7) Support Black and Indigenous food sovereignty and culturally appropriate food access for
diverse populations across the City.
28) Facilitate the expansion of community-based food related initiatives, including Farmers
Markets, Community Food Gardens, and Good Food Markets.
9) Designate these Markets and Gardens as essential and continue to support Special Event
Permits in the event of another pandemic shutdown.
10) Advocate to the province to fund an emergency power supply at the Ontario Food
Terminal. Major food retailers should also be encouraged to develop back up power
across their retail and storage facilities.
BACKGROUND
This report is based on consultations with 10 groups involved in the various aspects of
emergency food response in Toronto during COVID-19. These consultations were with:
Selected City Staff and City Agency Representatives
The Toronto Food Policy Council (TFPC)
Community Gardens Organizers and Facilitators
Farmers Markets and Good Food Markets Organizers
Out of the Cold, Drop-ins, Refugee Serving Organizations and Faith Communities
School Boards and Student Nutrition Program Organizers
Community Food Hubs and Neighbourhood Responses
Emergency Food Providers
Private Sector Benefactors and Philanthropy
Food Policy Experts
In addition to this process, Social Development, Finance & Administration (SDFA) and Toronto
Public Health staff also engaged with food advocates from the Black Community and the results
of those engagements are included in this report. The City of Toronto is currently supporting the
development of a community-led Indigenous Tkaronto Prosperity Plan. This process, led by the
Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council, will include engagement on Indigenous food
sovereignty to help inform the City’s responses in this area and emergency food planning
Furthermore, a number of people who could not make any of the larger WebEx and Zoom
meetings were consulted on an individual basis.
3As part of the City of Toronto's food security response to COVID-19, a staff team (Food Access
Team) was formed out of the Emergency Operations Centre to co-ordinate the City's tactical
response in partnership with community food providers. This report's aim is primarily to draw
upon external stakeholders expert advice to provide to the City of Toronto. As such, members of
the Food Access Team were not directly interviewed as part of this consultation exercise, and
their perspectives on the response cannot be inferred from the recommendations in this report.
Additionally, not all potential external stakeholders were able to participate on short notice. This
report is just one piece of information that stays true to the responses that were received, and is
intended to contribute to a more comprehensive plan benefitting from further inputs.
The purpose of the consultations was to gain an understanding of and learn from experiences
during Phase One of the pandemic (from March to end of July 2020). We undertook a SWOT
analysis (Strength and Weaknesses looking backwards, and Opportunities and Threats looking
forward) to frame the conversations. Specifically, we wanted to learn from the city’s Phase One
response to plan for a Phase Two resurgence of the Covid-19 virus in the Fall/Winter of 2020/21.
The consultations took place in August 2020. The analysis and recommendations below are a
synthesis of these consultations.
Food security emerged as a somewhat silent but anxiety-provoking issue during Phase One of
the pandemic. The city needs to evaluate, improve, and be better prepared for Phase Two. A
number of participants noted that the city and its institutions did extremely well, recognizing that
it had to build an emergency food infrastructure “as the plane was in the air” and without the
benefit of prior planning.
Participants were grateful to the City for receiving feedback on their experiences and thoughts
on a possible Phase Two of the pandemic.
KEY THEMES THAT EMERGED
I. Communicating, Networking, and Information Sharing
Multiple and diverse organizations were involved in Emergency Food work. Some community
groups had well established systems of communicating and working with the City. Others were
small and fledgling groups that did not have emergency food aid as a core part of their mandate
but undertook a pivot because the need arose. This second group was often not plugged into the
larger City conversation. There were concerns amongst agencies on the duplication of services
due to a lack of a coordinated approach to clients. Furthermore, there was a lack of public access
to information about services to people in need, as many clients did not know about available
resources.
4Representatives appreciated the City’s “Friday mornings” information sharing call with SDFA staff.
They also appreciated the cluster meetings in various areas of the City organized by the United
Way. The Emergency Food Table was also helpful to many.
Not all organizations, however, were included in these meetings - namely the Toronto Food
Policy Council, Out of the Cold groups, Farmers Market organizers, community gardens
facilitators, a number of social service agencies, people with lived experience and faith
communities. These groups all would have benefitted from being plugged into a space
appropriate to them.
Faith communities want to participate in the planning and executing of Food Emergency work.
They are already engaged in countless programs of community support, a number of which
include food. Their social capital is often invisible.
RECOMMENDATIONS re: Communicating, Networking, and Information Sharing
1) Map out a more developed and coordinated system of communication and networking for
the various organizations and food initiatives. This mapping could be public and would
allow new and smaller groups to get the information that they need and to feel that they
are engaged with the broader City effort.
2) Continue an Emergency Food Table even in this hiatus period, such table to include
broader representation. The key groups that especially need to be included are the
Toronto Food Policy Council, Farmers Market organizers, Community Gardens Facilitators,
Student Nutrition Programs, and Out of the Cold and Faith Communities. City departments
- Parks, Planning, Office of Emergency Management, SDFA, SSHA and TCHC, Purchasing
and Procurement - should also be considered for inclusion.
The Emergency Food Table could evolve into a Table post-pandemic that engages the
City more deeply on food system issues. The idea of a Food Systems Table within city
structures has long been a part of the City’s agenda to create more resilient food systems
in the City.
3) Develop a public communications strategy around food; suggest to the Mayor, the Chair
of the Board of Health and Members of Council to communicate more frequently on food
issues and how residents can support emergency food access.
4) Include information on emergency food on the City’s website and communication portal,
both for people in need and for people who may want to engage the issue through
volunteering and donating. Review and enhance the opportunities of the 211 platform and
the City of Toronto website for community outreach and food information sharing.
55) Engage the faith communities in a more thoughtful manner. There is much untapped
social capital in their staff, religious leadership, communal spaces, and outreach ability.
6) Include people with lived experience of food insecurity in any tables or groups that are
created and in any decision-making around programs and services (“nothing for us
without us”).
II. Pandemic-Related Operational Issues
The general perception was that the City coordinated emergency food organizations and
programs well, pivoting when necessary (eg inviting the Toronto Public Library (TPL) into the
strategy), and bringing monetary and non-monetary resources to the table when possible. The
City took on the key role of convenor and facilitator of community agencies and City of Toronto
ABCD’s in its Emergency Food Response. The TPL in particular was appreciated for stepping
outside their regular programming, with their local union support, by providing 12 local libraries
for food distribution and the central library warehouse for food storage. Two TPL locations
continue to operate to provide food bank services.
Emergency food support for homeless and socially isolated people is best delivered when there
is a developed plan, known in advance and implemented accordingly. During Phase One, several
Drop In programs and Food Bank locations had to shut down for social distancing reasons. Food
hampers and gift cards replaced residents visiting food banks and student nutrition programs.
Community agencies, networked through the United Way Cluster groups, and social service
agencies networked through the weekly check-ins with the City, did an amazing job pivoting.
When one location was forced to close, another location opened or a different strategy was
employed to distribute food.
The City and community agencies were working at their cooperative best. Community hubs in
particular, grounded as they are in neighbourhoods, were well positioned to shift resources and
merge emergency food provision with mental health supports and other services. A number of
these service organizations, however, report that volunteer numbers have decreased, as have
donations, and staff are over-extended. This will affect their ability to respond in a Phase Two
situation.
The closure of Drop-In Centres/Programs, the Peter Street Referral Centre in mid-March, and the
shortage of beds in Shelters (real or perceived), compounded the difficulties experienced by the
homeless community. Adding to their difficulties was that restaurants and coffee shops, often a
place to use washroom facilities, were also closed. This caused a certain panic in the homeless
communities who did not know what to do or where to turn. The encampments were a natural
result of these processes. The City’s response of closing water fountains in parks and refusing to
6provide water trucks, while understandable, raises certain ethical and human rights issues: Does
the right to water and sanitation trump the City’s obligations to maintain its park spaces?
Food workers, especially migrant food workers, and their struggles present a whole set of issues
that need addressing - poor and crowded housing, constrained and sometimes dangerous
working conditions, poor meals, no path to permanent residency - is not working. Longer term
food justice even in Toronto needs to connect with migrant food worker justice.
RECOMMENDATIONS re: Pandemic-Related Operational Issues
1) Provide better mapping of emergency city and community resources to better prepare
the City for Phase Two. This mapping could include:
a) Emergency food storage spaces, especially large refrigerators and cold storage.
b) Designated alternative relocation spaces if social distancing requirements means
current operations need to close. Institutional capacity for community service
organizations may become a factor depending on the ferocity of Phase Two.
2) Consider the potential of the community hub model, in linking emergency food with local
community development, for on the ground work and connectedness. For future
planning local food access opportunities should be considered when expanding hubs
along the Finch West corridor and along the Golden Mile in Scarborough to start.
3) Consider the provision of PPE (including maks, shields, plexiglass and barriers) and for
organizations, their staff, volunteers and clients. Its availability and cost is more than
some can manage.
4) Staff and volunteers could use food handler training in a pandemic environment.
5) Re-think the current approach to the provision of water and basic sanitation to homeless
folk in encampments; relatedly, can large facilities like the Better Living Centre and the
Metro Convention Centre be used during periods when a high level of social distancing is
required.
6) Develop a framework to protect food workers and pay them adequately, particularly
during a pandemic, and to advocate to the province to do the same.
III. City as Good Food Facilitator and Systems Navigator
7Several food system change advocates pointed out that the City lacked an emergency food
strategy; and, the strategy that emerged was too reliant on community organizations and public
goodwill which may not be as present in Phase Two. It is difficult to evaluate an Emergency Food
strategy against something that did not exist.
Farmers Market and Good Food Market organizers and Community Gardens facilitators strongly
argued that the City needs a paradigm shift in how they are seen in terms of Emergency Food
security. The City is an active player in energy systems, sanitation systems, housing systems,
transportation systems, etc. However, in the area of food, particularly in understanding the
structure of the existing system, its strengths and weaknesses, the City’s knowledge and activity
is in its infancy, except for a few departments, and even here departments and agencies struggle
with staff resourcing. Hence, its ability to intervene during emergencies is weakened. The City
needs to increase its knowledge and institutional capacity to be effective during times of food
emergencies.
Advocates of food system reform felt that the City saw their work and programs during the
pandemic as largely occasions for social encounter and community building, and therefore risky
in terms of social distancing. It is important to note that there were close to 150 farmers markets
in the city providing a vital lifeline of food to many households, and 50 Good Food Markets
providing fresh, affordable, culturally appropriate food to low income communities. There are also
81 Community Gardens and 12 allotments gardens operating in the city. It is time to naturalize the
idea and sight of food growing in the public domain. The 50 Good Food Markets are a different
kind of market inasmuch they operate on a not for profit basis, buy food from the Ontario Food
Terminal, are okay with sourcing food from abroad to serve different cultural tastes, and build
markets in economically vulnerable communities focused on affordability rather than proximity.
This expanding but fragile system is the best of what a sustainable and affordable food system
encompasses with its shorter supply chains, links to vulnerable communities, and links to local
agriculture. Nonetheless, the processes at the City to receive approval for a pandemic-safe way
of operating were multiple and complicated. To receive all the permits for a new Farmers Market
requires multiple processes with a variety of departments that sometimes work at cross
purposes. As a result, for example, many of the Good Food Markets still have not re-opened. The
City and its agencies acted more as a gatekeeper rather than a facilitator. In the meantime, there
is a massive pent-up demand for expanded markets and urban agriculture. Thankfully, there are
now community garden and farmers markets protocols in place that can be used for existing
markets in a Phase Two. Re-opening all the Good Food Markets still need work, especially in
their relationship with the TCHC. City support for expanding these systems is desperately
under-resourced.
RECOMMENDATIONS re: City as Good Food Facilitator and Systems Navigator
81) Consider a designated singularly-focused City person/office that can act as an Emergency
Food Coordinator to break down silos within and outside City Hall and to connect
resources and organizations.
2) Designate Markets (Farmers and Good Food) and Community Gardens as essential
services; waive city fees for Farmers Markets similar to the way the City waived fees for
CafeTO. Review the permitting processes for Markets on public lands, especially their
designation as “special occasions.”
3) Facilitate the expansion of Markets and Community Gardens, with a designated staff
person or office that is able to coordinate the city pieces to start and maintain Community
Gardens, Good Food Markets, Farmers Markets and other community-based food related
initiatives.
4) Facilitate the re-introduction and expansion of Good Food Markets, especially in TCHC
buildings, given TCHC’s links to low income communities, affordable food and their
community development approach. Help the TCHC develop a system-wide set of
protocols that would permit Good Food Markets continuity during periods of social
distancing.
5) The work of Number 1 to 4 could be a stepping stone to the longer term task to position
the City as a facilitator of urban agriculture: identifying public, government agency and
private lands for new gardens, providing basic gardening tools and infrastructure for new
gardens, supporting balcony gardens in high rises through equipment and soil, providing
free seeds, and acting as a clearing house if new pandemic protocols are required.
6) Undertake a mapping of various aspects of the food system as soon as possible. Such
mapping could include: groceteria and food processing plants, community gardens,
farmers markets, good food markets, larger cold storage facilities, food distribution and
warehouse facilities (city and non-city), community agencies, available faith community
buildings, community kitchens. A mapping exercise could identify and then use this
information at a moment’s notice.
7) Advocate to the province to fund an emergency power supply at the Ontario Food
Terminal, a key asset for food across the GTA and Eastern Canada. Major food retailers
should also be encouraged to develop back up power across their retail and storage
facilities.
9IV. Integrating Emergency Food Aid into a Broader Food Systems
Reform Approach
Organizations and community leaders appreciated the City’s single-minded focus on getting
emergency food out to people in need. Food insecurity becoming a “bigger problem than most
people thought” was an oft repeated refrain. The city and civic society undertook a huge pivot
and many organizations saw the need and took up the call to respond. Toronto’s network of
social service agencies and civil society, in particular, need to be commended for working well
beyond the call of duty.
Looking forward, the question is whether this Emergency Food work can become more complex
and nuanced. Can this work actually contribute to long term food resilience in Toronto while
addressing an emergency in food access. Can we “tick more boxes” in how we develop
emergency food systems, while also contributing to local economic development, stronger local
community engagement, shortening the food supply chain, and building stronger urban-rural
networks that promote better nutrition and sustainable farming? Can Emergency Food work be
leveraged into two-for-one and three-for-one” opportunities that provide benefits in multiple
directions (for example, direct emergency meal support that also builds in local hiring as food
deliverers and purchases meals from ethnically-based restaurants)?
During Phase One of the pandemic, the Toronto Food Policy Council was not invited to
participate at any table. Furthermore, farmers markets and community gardens were rapidly
closed down while large groceterias and food processors were quickly permitted to re-open as
an essential service. A number of respondents commented that it was as if the community-based
urban agriculture sector was not seen as a part of a possible emergency food response and
could not be trusted to open with appropriate social distancing protocols. British Columbia,
Thunder Bay, and Ottawa were pointed to as examples of jurisdictions that made different
decisions. In the case of Toronto, local food production and farmers markets could have been
supported as a part of the emergency response while also contributing to longer term food
system reform. The strong feeling is that the pandemic set back the Farmers Markets, the Good
Food Markets, regional farmers and suppliers and the urban agriculture movements in Toronto,
while the larger grocery stores were big winners.
Toronto Community Housing’s approach to emergency food during Phase One had mixed
reviews. Some locations had building managers and programs of supports; others shut down
their common rooms and communal dining programs and went silent. Tenants seeking affordable
housing also seek food security, and the TCHC is ideally placed to facilitate some good work.
Community dining programs (i.e. Out of the Cold, Drop-in community hubs) are about food AND
developing social connections. A strategy and a note of encouragement to have them return as
soon as it is practical is needed.
10In 2019 the University of Toronto's PROOF and FoodShare Toronto published research that
showed Black residents are 3.5 times more likely to experience food insecurity then White
Canadians. Black Children were almost 34% more likely to experience food insecurity compared
to 10% of White children.
The Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit (CABR) led consultations with Black focused
organizations responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Early insights from these consultations revealed
that food insecurity disproportionately impacts Black communities during COVID-19. As result, it is
clear that this is an important moment for a robust, policy-driven response to chronic food
insecurity compounded by racism and poverty in Black communities.
RECOMMENDATIONS re: Integrating Emergency Food Aid into a Broader
Food Systems Reform Approach
1) Develop a City of Toronto Emergency Food Plan beforehand that can be rolled out when
an emergency hits. Food relief has to be integrated into the planning and work of many
departments and not relegated to a single one. Beyond this immediate pandemic crisis,
the City’s Emergency Preparedness Plan needs to be updated and include a strong
section on food security. The City’s Official Plan also needs updating to include food
access.
2) Include food system change advocates in any emergency food planning and execution.
3) Designate Markets (Farmers and Good Food) and Community Gardens as essential
services; waive city fees for Farmers Markets similar to the way the City waived fees for
CafeTO. Review the permitting processes for Markets on public lands, especially their
designation as “special occasions,” assist TCHC to develop an overall framework of
protocols that will permit Good Food Markets’ continuity during periods of pandemic
social distancing.
4) Encourage organizations undertaking emergency food work to “tick multiple boxes” that
contribute to food system realignment. A list of practical suggestions could be
developed.
Some suggested ideas:
a) Support the development of a “market bucks” program, where families and
organizations can purchase farm fresh foods, regionally sourced at Farmers Markets and
11Good Food Markets. Jurisdictions like Calgary, Montreal and British Columbia are already
undertaking this kind of program. A portion of any financial food aid from various orders
of government could be directed to such a program.
b) Organizations that are purchasing meals could consider bulk restaurant purchases in
local neighbourhoods that can contribute to local business vitality and diverse, culturally
appropriate cuisine.
c) Support balcony gardens through the provision of containers, soil and seedlings;
Develop a City program to distribute vegetable seeds to agencies. Use the four
production greenhouses of the city for seedling production (the work for 2021 needs to
begin in the Fall of 2020).
d) Support Toronto Community Housing to develop a broad-based food access plan in its
buildings.
e) Link Emergency Food preparation and delivery to employment and skills development,
especially in NIAs.
f) consider a pilot program to permit food-based businesses at home (as is currently being
done in Los Angeles with good success).
5. Provide immediate core and program support and funding to Black-led and
Black-focused organizations to sustain operations in the recovery period and beyond to
provide culturally-appropriate food Black communities and foster inclusive economic
growth in the food sector
a) Fund community kitchens that support Black community residents and
agencies to support culturally-appropriate meals
b) Support community grocers and accessible markets that provide an affordable,
accessible and cultural specific food pipeline to Black communities
c) Provide small-scale Black Food Sovereignty grants for organizations that aim to
transition their COVID-19 Black food emergency response in to more sustained
food support for Black communities
V. Imagining the Longer Term
During times of crisis, people naturally want to bring sources of food closer to them. Long supply
chains and rumours of border shutdowns could have seen shortages of foodstuffs and a deeper
market panic. Is it the City’s role to protect the City’s food system? Should the City be
considering and supporting some food being locally produced? Should the City have a role in
regional work with southern Ontario farmers to build stronger shooter supply chains? The
12experience of the pandemic affirms the need to re-think food in an urban context. The City
cannot take food for granted.
As proposed in a number of City Council resolutions and commitments (Toronto’s Food Charter,
The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, The C40 Good Food City Declaration), the City already has a
broad Urban Food Strategy into which an Emergency Food Response might fit. The issue for the
City is moving from high level support for a broad and noble vision and set of goals, to a practical
set of implementable tools and programs, with strong city staff engagement, to support the
vision.
Longer term food resilience is about multiple things. These include: diversifying the actors in
food growing and production, shoring up urban agriculture, bringing food insecure people to the
decision-making tables, supporting neighbourhood-based food hubs, promoting shorter supply
chains, understanding supply chains and how domestic producers bring food to the market. The
City brought very few of these considerations to the table in Phase One. Some global cities that
are being cited as best practices of engaging emergency food work while also looking at
systematic change include: Paris, Kyoto, Medellin, and, in Canada, Victoria and Montreal. They
are worth a deeper study.
A key area over the medium term that the City may want to explore is in its role in food
procurement. Currently, the City purchases directly and indirectly much food through four
programmes: long term care facilities, child cares facilities, homeless shelters and the student
nutrition program. These areas represent the strongest opportunities both to enact and model a
more resilient food system that will serve the City better during periods of food emergency.
RECOMMENDATIONS re: Imagining the Longer Term
1) Develop a multi-departmental team tasked to implement the City’s Food Strategy.
2) Increase the city resources to city food systems and urban agriculture initiatives; partner
with the TFPC and other community partners in a more dynamic manner.
3) Support community food hubs that promote food justice.
4) Support productive urban farming and teaching spaces in neighbourhoods with high
African, Caribbean, and Black populations. For example, the Black Creek Community
Farm was established and led by the City. Central to this work is the promotion of Black
urban farming land ownership.
5) Develop a long-term Black food sovereignty systems change plan that provides a
comprehensive framework to increase community food assets (including, but not limited
13to access to land, local economic development opportunities and food security in Black
communities).
6) Focus on one food system area with transformational potential, perhaps procurement, as
a concrete intermediate project.
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