Council endorses first food action plan for Halifax Regional Municipality

Kjipuktuk/Halifax - Today, Halifax Regional Council endorsed the JustFOOD Action Plan for the Halifax Region: Part A. The JustFOOD Action Plan is the Halifax Regional Municipality's first food strategy and was developed by the Halifax Food Policy Alliance, a coalition co-chaired by the municipality and the Ecology Action Centre. 

“We need coordinated effort to improve our food system and increase access to good food," says Mayor Savage. “This includes innovative programs and bold policy interventions. The JustFood Action Plan is a long-range strategy to bring us together to achieve positive change towards a healthy, just and sustainable food system for the Halifax Region.”

The JustFood Action Plan represents a decade of work and is based on engagements with municipal and provincial governments, 29 community organizations and thousands of residents. Drawing on feedback and best practices, Part A of the plan puts forward a set of measurable recommendations to improve community food security, reduce food inequities, support inclusive economic growth, foster resilience in the face of climate change, and promote the well-being of all residents. 

“The JustFOOD Action Plan represents a significant investment in our future and in the health and sustainability of our communities,” says Maggy Burns, Executive Director of the Ecology Action Centre. “We know that climate impacts exacerbate pre-existing food access issues. The Action Plan recognizes that mitigation and adaptation efforts will build food security for those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and improve food system resilience. The Ecology Action Centre is therefore pleased to see Regional Council endorse the Action Plan, advancing critical improvements to our food system.”

The recommendations in the JustFOOD Action Plan are structured according to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), an international protocol for tackling food-related issues at the municipal level. Today’s endorsement is accompanied by Council’s support to make Halifax a signatory to the MUFPP, joining 250 cities across the globe in sharing best practices, experiences, advocacy and an established monitoring framework.  

Part B of the JustFood Action Plan will detail strategies needed to make the recommendations a reality and will include formal commitments on behalf of food system partners. It will be brought to Council in the fall of 2023. 

Visit justfoodhalifax.ca to learn more about the Action Plan and join our mailing list to become involved.

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