Item - 2011.GM5.13
Tracking Status
- City Council adopted this item on July 12, 2011 with amendments.
- This item was considered by Government Management Committee on June 28, 2011. It is being forwarded to City Council without recommendations. It will be considered by City Council on July 12, 2011.
GM5.13 - Local Food Procurement
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Amended
- Wards:
- All
City Council Decision
City Council on July 12, 13 and 14, 2011, adopted the following:
1. City Council adopt the Local Food Procurement Policy as presented in Appendix A to the report (June 14, 2011) from the Director, Toronto Environment Office, with the Policy amended by revising the third sentence in the section headed "Implementation" to read:
More specifically, all RFPs and RFQs to purchase food for City operations will include language indicating that it is a policy objective of the City to increase the percentage of food that is grown locally when all factors, including costs, quality and availability are equal.
2. City Council forward this report to the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and request that OMAFRA amend the Foodland Ontario processed food definition to require only that the following two criteria be met:
a. products be made with a majority of Ontario ingredients (51% or greater); and
b. 80% of the direct processing costs be returned to Ontario,
thereby acknowledging the economic importance of local food processors and the impact they can have on increasing local food procurement.
3. City Council, in order to support local economic activity in the food sector, request the Director of the Toronto Environment Office to re-negotiate the work plan under the existing funding agreement for the Local Food Procurement Project with the Greenbelt Fund in order to help achieve lower costs in the City's provision of meals to its clients and to improve customer service through better quality food and response to dietary needs by:
a. purchasing equipment to process fresh local food, which will reduce labour costs; and
b. training staff to identify local food options when making purchases and to operate new processing equipment.
4. City Council direct that a copy of this Item be forwarded to the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee (GTA-AAC).
Background Information (Committee)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/gm/bgrd/backgroundfile-39120.pdf
Communications (City Council)
(July 12, 2011) Petition from Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, Ward 32 - Beaches-East York, containing the names of approximately 1,652 persons, respecting a local food policy (CC.New.GM5.13.2)
Motions (City Council)
That City Council adopt the recommendations contained in the report (June 14, 2011) from the Director, Toronto Environment Office, amended to now read as follows:
1. City Council adopt the Local Food Procurement Policy as presented in Appendix A to the report (June 14, 2011) from the Director, Toronto Environment Office, with the Policy amended by revising the third sentence in the section headed "Implementation" to read:
More specifically, all RFPs and RFQs to purchase food for City operations will include language indicating that it is a policy objective of the City to increase the percentage of food that is grown locally when all factors, including costs, quality and availability are equal.
2. City Council forward this report to the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and request that OMAFRA amend the Foodland Ontario processed food definition to require only that the following two criteria be met:
a. products be made with a majority of Ontario ingredients (51% or greater); and
b. 80% of the direct processing costs be returned to Ontario,
thereby acknowledging the economic importance of local food processors and the impact they can have on increasing local food procurement.
3. City Council, in order to support local economic activity in the food sector, request the Director of the Toronto Environment Office to re-negotiate the work plan under the existing funding agreement for the Local Food Procurement Project with the Greenbelt Fund in order to help achieve lower costs in the City's provision of meals to its clients and to improve customer service through better quality food and response to dietary needs by:
a. purchasing equipment to process fresh local food, which will reduce labour costs; and
b. training staff to identify local food options when making purchases and to operate new processing equipment.
Vote (Amend Item (Additional)) Jul-14-2011 2:24 PM
| Result: Carried | Majority Required - GM5.13 - McMahon - motion 1 |
|---|---|
| Total members that voted Yes: 37 | Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Frank Di Giorgio, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Mary Fragedakis, Doug Holyday, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Giorgio Mammoliti, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam |
| Total members that voted No: 2 | Members that voted No are Norman Kelly, John Parker |
| Total members that were Absent: 6 | Members that were absent are Mike Del Grande, Mark Grimes, Peter Milczyn, James Pasternak, David Shiner, Karen Stintz |
That City Council direct that a copy of this Item be forwarded to the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee (GTA-AAC).
Vote (Amend Item (Additional)) Jul-14-2011 2:25 PM
| Result: Carried | Majority Required - GM5.13 - Lee - motion 2 |
|---|---|
| Total members that voted Yes: 40 | Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Mike Del Grande, Frank Di Giorgio, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Mary Fragedakis, Doug Holyday, Norman Kelly, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Giorgio Mammoliti, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam |
| Total members that voted No: 1 | Members that voted No are John Parker |
| Total members that were Absent: 4 | Members that were absent are Mark Grimes, Peter Milczyn, James Pasternak, Karen Stintz |
Vote (Adopt Item as Amended) Jul-14-2011 2:26 PM
| Result: Carried | Majority Required - GM5.13 - Adopt the item as amended |
|---|---|
| Total members that voted Yes: 40 | Members that voted Yes are Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Mike Del Grande, Frank Di Giorgio, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Mary Fragedakis, Doug Holyday, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Giorgio Mammoliti, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Peter Milczyn, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, Gord Perks, Anthony Perruzza, Jaye Robinson, David Shiner, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam |
| Total members that voted No: 1 | Members that voted No are John Parker |
| Total members that were Absent: 4 | Members that were absent are Mark Grimes, Norman Kelly, James Pasternak, Karen Stintz |
GM5.13 - Local Food Procurement
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Without Recs
- Wards:
- All
Committee Recommendations
The Government Management Committee submits this item to City Council without recommendation as the motion to adopt the item lost.
Origin
Summary
This report is submitted in response to a direction from the Government Management Committee from August 2010 to the Director of the Toronto Environment Office, in conjunction with the General Managers of Children's Services, Long-Term Care Homes and Services, Shelter, Support and Housing Administration (Hostel Services), Real Estate Services and Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to report back in Spring 2011 on the results of a consultant's report on strategies to achieve a 50% local food target in the City's provision of food services.
While this report does not carry substantive recommendations for short-term action on the City's part to increase the percentage of local food served at City facilities, the mid- and long-term development of increased local food content will provide greater economic and business opportunities for farmers in Ontario and food processors in Toronto and other urban centres in Ontario.
In December 2010, the City of Toronto was awarded a $225,000 grant from the Broader Public Sector Investment Fund: Promoting Ontario Food, to assist with additional strategies to increase the amount of local food served in our facilities. Approximately $87,000 from this grant was used to fund a consultant's study into the use of local food in City food services.
The research undertaken by the consultants, fsSTRATEGY Inc., finds that achieving a 50% local food purchasing target for City-owned facilities is unattainable at this time due to constraints and limitations of the local food system to supply local food. The consultant has also indicated a number of strategies that could be used to progressively increase the amount of Ontario grown food in City food service operations. Those strategies are highlighted in this report.
The remaining funds from the grant will be used for other projects including the development of quantity cooking recipes using seasonally available Ontario produce, a case study of the City's successes and challenges with procuring local food and the development of information to assist food service supervisors in choosing Ontario produce when cost, quality and availability are equal.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2011/gm/bgrd/backgroundfile-39120.pdf
Speakers
Councillor Mike Layton, Ward 19 - Trinity-Spadina