Canada: Urban Agriculture Study posted online in Whitehorse
The city’s new Local Food and Urban Agriculture Study is complete and now available online, city council was told at its meeting on Monday.
By Chuck Tobin
Whitehorse Daily Star
October 6, 2020
Excerpt:
“The (study) provides a cross-departmental work plan that, through implementation, can help to lead Whitehorse towards a more food- secure future over the next 10 years, and beyond,” says the study’s executive summary.
“It identifies opportunities for the city to confirm its commitment to supporting a robust local food system that is sustainable, resilient, and accessible to all Whitehorse residents.”
Work on the study began in 2016 and involved numerous public engagements and two online surveys.
A draft of the study was made available in August and received 549 views during the one-month public review and comment period.
The study will help inform the current review of the Official Community Plan, council was told.
The study includes eight overarching goals and 67 potential actions.
“Many of the actions build on initiatives and themes that the city is currently working on, while others reflect new ideas, directions, and partnerships,” says the summary.
The study, for instance, identifies 31 action items directed at increasing local food production from backyard plots to commercial farms and on public lands.
There are nine action items to provide system-wide support to advance all local food components.
Four action items are aimed at increasing opportunities for distributing and retailing locally sourced food.
