Jim Smith, Food Purchasing, PDSB
Soni Craik, Acting Executive Director, EcoSource
Sima Patel, EcoSource Youth and Local Food Coordinator
Setting the Stage EcoSource’s Youth and
Local Food (YLF) Program
How does YLF Program complement and support Environmental Education
YLF Program takes a multi-pronged approach to education for sustainability
Prong One: Complying with New Policies PDSB Environmental
Policy, approved April 2009
Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow, 2009
School Food & Beverage Policy, 2010
Prong Two: Importance of EducationYouth and Local Food
(YLF) Program: Classroom workshops Farm trips Sourcing local
sustainable food Culinary arts program Teacher education
Prong 3: Board-wide Food Procurement Contracts Importance of choice for
students
New RFP Proposals
Introduce LFP
What is Local Food Plus?We are an award-winning
non-profit organization that nurtures regional food economies by:
Certifying Ontario farmers and processors for local sustainable food production and
Helping them connect with buyers of all types and sizes, including institutional buyers
Why Local Sustainable Food? Water pollution
Soil degradation
Loss of biodiversity
Climate change
Urban sprawl
LFP Certification Standards LFP Certified Farmers and Processors:
Employ sustainable production systems
Provide healthy and humane care for livestock
Provide safe and fair working conditions
Protect and enhance wildlife and biodiversity
Reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases
Past Experience with Institutional Partners
The University of Toronto
The Town of Markham
What Does It Cost?The estimated increased cost in food is 1%, based on a
10% local sustainable food buy.
Various options exist to offset this increased cost: Non-traditional use of revenue streams designated to
achieve the school board’s sustainability goals Consumer absorption School Board and consumer-shared absorption
LFP Supports Local Sustainable Food Policies By: Language for Requests for
Proposals (RFPs)
Support in setting appropriate targets
Independent verification for local sustainable food
YEAR OVER YEAR MEASURABLE RESULTS BASED ON TARGET-
SETTING
Moving Forward Each School Board will
have their own unique way of implementing a local sustainable food policy.
There are networks of support for schools to transition
RFP for PDSB Contract released Summer 2010
EcoSource Local Food Plus (LFP)Soni Craik Lori StahlbrandActing ED [email protected]@localfoodplus.ca
Sima Patel Erin ShaperoYouth and Local Food Institutional [email protected]@localfoodplus.ca
