This text is part of the special section Municipalities
If the pandemic madness of gardening and homemade bread is gradually fading, buying local and the importance of food autonomy seem to want to take root in mentalities. What role can cities play?
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of food self-sufficiency, as supply chains have been severely disrupted by the virus. “Food self-sufficiency means having easy access to food, and being able to eat our foods from Quebec,” summarizes Julie Bourdon, Mayor of Granby. Mme Bourdon will speak at the conference Putting our regions on our plates, the challenges of food autonomy at the next meeting of the Union des municipalités du Québec.
If winter is a major obstacle to the availability of fresh and local products 12 months a year, avenues can be explored to move towards this ideal, as proven by the Serres Toundra established in Saint-Félicien in Lac-Saint-Jean. The vice-president of sales and business development, Caroline Fradet, will also speak at the conference on May 12.
The three roles of municipalities
Producers and businesses, provincial and local governments: everyone has a role to play in promoting the food self-sufficiency of a city, region or province. To support the food autonomy of their territory, the municipalities can exercise their role on three poles, specifies Mr.me Bourdon: regulations, actions, promotion and awareness.
The city can act on its regulations to facilitate the establishment of feeder projects: on its zoning, first, to protect agricultural land, but also to authorize the establishment of greenhouses in its industrial zones. But cities can also promote projects on multiple scales, as Granby did by allowing front gardens and urban hens. “A city could pass bylaws to allow rooftop gardens or beehives,” the mayor gives as an example.
RCMs can also play an important role in promoting and showcasing local products, for example by establishing links between restaurateurs and producers. The Haltes Gourmandes network in Haute-Yamaska, for example, wants people to discover the diversity of the region’s products (berries, wine, honey, meat, foie gras, etc.) through a map and a website.
Direct actions
Cities can also take certain direct actions. In Granby, public works have been planting edible species in public parks rather than flowers for several years. “It doesn’t cost any extra money, we just change the varieties planted,” says Ms.me Bumblebee.
The City is also investing in its collective gardens, providing equipment and support. Two people are paid to organize the gardens, but also to educate and raise awareness among the population. “People take care of the garden all summer and separate the vegetables. It breaks the isolation of single people, in addition to contributing to their food security and making them independent,” adds Ms.me Bumblebee. At the end of the season, the crops are processed into a group. At the same time, the City offers a course to support people who would like to learn to garden.
An innovative project is also underway in Granby, that of planting a nourishing forest in one of the municipal parks, next to a community garden and an elementary school. “It was the citizens who carried and chose the project”, specifies Mme Bumblebee. The City has decided to double the initial funding for this inspiring project, from $25,000 to $50,000. The proximity to the school will make it possible to develop an educational component.
These actions must be brought together under a clear vision. “In Granby, we are working on a development plan for the nurturing city, which will ensure networking between partners and the community, to improve the food security and self-sufficiency of citizens,” explained Mayor Bourdon. The challenge for this city, which is made up of more than 50% agricultural land, is to create short circuits and promote the many producers already in place. The City has obtained financial assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which will allow it to make a real diagnosis. “We have to see the lacks and the needs, and make sure that we don’t forget any”, underlines Mme Bumblebee. The plan should be filed by 2023.
Local cucumbers year round
The origin of Les Serres Toundra dates back to a project by the former mayor of Saint-Félicien, who dreamed of setting up a park of greenhouses in his city. After the project fell through, Caroline Fradet and her partner Éric Dubé worked for two years to design a viable greenhouse model. “Today, you need to be able to produce on a large scale for food chains. Production must be recurring, and high volume,” notes M.me Fradet. Open since December 2016, Serres Toundra specializes in cucumbers, and wants to occupy 80% of the cucumber market thanks to contracts with all the major chains in Quebec. “Yes, we are in a remote region, but our cucumbers travel less than Ontario products,” she notes.
The City of Saint-Félicien has given great support to Serres Toundra, in particular thanks to the establishment of infrastructures to provide the services necessary for the operation of a greenhouse project. “The City is not necessarily there to invest public funds, but rather to provide infrastructure, which will ultimately bring in taxes and revenues, not to mention the economic spinoffs for the city,” believes Ms.me Fradet.
The entrepreneur thinks that a good part of the population is ready to pay a little more for quality: “People deserve to eat good products. Mexican cucumbers are cheaper, but the quality is not there,” she observes.
There is still education to be done, even if “the pandemic has raised awareness of buying local in general. Some started coming to the public market in the city center, people appropriated it, ”says Mme Bumblebee. Because public awareness and education remain crucial challenges. “Cooking to eat better, gardening to know where our food comes from, is not just an economic issue; these are public health issues,” she concludes.