Here's a collection of resources organized by chapter of the Community Food Assessment Toolkit. Each section will include:
- a case study related to each chapter
- other toolkits that support the goals of each chapter.
- additional resources related to the ideas presented in each chapter
Step 1: Learn about Community Food Security
Step 1 Case Study (PDF)
A. Related Toolkits
Health Canada – Eat Well and Be Active Education Toolkit
Healthy Food in Your Community: A Toolkit for Policy Change – Center for Science and Democracy
The Economics of Local Food Systems Toolkit – USDA
B. Additional Resources
Food Reports and Assessments
Household Food Security in Canada, 2014 – PROOF Food Insecurity Policy Research
The Research to Identify Policy Options to Reduce Food Insecurity (PROOF) produced a report on food insecurity in Canada (2013). The document provides useful statistics on the current status of food security across Canada
Hunger Count – Feed Nova Scotia
Annual hunger counts report, which provides information on the use of food banks throughout Canada.
Food Counts: Halifax Food Assessment – Capital Health and Halifax Food Policy Alliance
A report on the current food landscape in Halifax Regional Municipality; this document is the result of an in-depth analysis of the current food landscape in Halifax that provides information and statistics on the various indicators of food for the region.
Food Security
Food Security Review – Population and Public Health, BC Ministry of Health.
An informational tool that provides information on food security. The document provides background and information on food security, the health implications of food security, factors that influence food security, as well as national and international approaches to food security.
Alternative Food
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center: Urban Agriculture – United States Department of Agriculture
A collection of resources on urban agriculture.
Breakfast Programs – Halifax Regional School Board
An online resource for further information on breakfast programs in schools in HRM.
Community Farm Programs – Farm Folk City Folk
A collection of resources and considerations on community farming
Cooking up the Community: Nutrition Education in Emergency Food Programs – Why Hunger
A resource designed to provide information on improving charitable food programs and to ensure that communities have adequate access to nutrition education.
Improving Cooking and Food Preparation Skills: A Profile of Promising Practices in Canada and Beyond – Health Canada
An online report that profiles 13 successful Canadian programs that are aimed to improve cooking and food preparation skills in families.
Just Us!
An organization based in Nova Scotia that seeks to raise awareness of ethical
Making the Case for Healthier Food Donations in Brown County – Beyond Health
A document designed to help promote food drives and charitable food resources in your community.
Making the Business Case for Good Food Box Programs - Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition
A background on food box programs, and then provides education tools on developing the program such as marketing, management and staff, training and education
Proof: Food Insecurity Policy Research
An online document that acts as a large collection of resources for community food security and charitable food resources
Nipen, A.
Profiles the available area for setting up Urban Agriculture in Halifax.
Urban Agriculture Policy, Planning, and Practice – City of Hamilton Report
A planning and informational document on urban agriculture. Topics such as benefits of urban agriculture, best practices, zoning considerations, etc.
Urban Farming and Gardening Resources - Beginning Farmers.org
A Collection of urban farming and gardening resources
Step 2: Gathering Information
A. Related Toolkits
Community Planning Toolkit – Community Engagement
Engaging your Community Toolkit – John Snow Inc.
Mapping Local Food Webs Toolkit – CPRE – Food system mapping, planning, community engagement, tools
B.Additional Resources
ACORN
An organization that seeks to facilitate information exchange between food organizations and the community. It also operates an online tool where the user can search for organic food services and business and be linked to a list of relevant resources in their chosen area.
Ontariofresh.ca
A website that is designed for food services and businesses where they are able to create a profile to promote products to their communities. Community members are able to use their search tool to find local food resources in nearby communities.
Buy Local Nova Scotia
An online food resource tool that allows local businesses and services to register their information, which is then placed in a database. Community members are able to select a number of criteria to be given a list of local businesses and services that match those criteria.
Example Food Maps
Campus Food Map - Wisconsin University
South Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Network Map
Step 3: Analyzing Food Security in Your Community
A. Related Toolkits
Assessing Community Needs and Resources – Community Tool Box
Community Food Systems Toolkit – University of Wisconsin-Extension
The Good Food Toolkit – John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
B. Additional Resources
Community Food Security – Positions of Dietitians in Canada
An information document on food security and the food system, touching on different issues of food insecurity.
Land-Use and Zoning Resources:
Municipal Planning Strategies and Land Use By-Laws – Halifax Regional Municipality
Halifax has a large number of community planning strategies and LUBs. This online tool allows navigation by Core Plan Areas and the communities within the region.
Step 4: Choosing Tools & Taking Action
A. Related Toolkits
Alternative Food
School Year Gardens: A Toolkit for High Schools to Grow Food – Richmond Food Security
Farmer’s Markets and Local Food
Growing a Healthy Economy with Local Foods Toolkit – NC State University
Healthy Food Systems: A Toolkit for Building Value Chains
Local Food Organizational Toolkit – Iowa State University
Policy and Planning
Event Planning Toolkit – Event Planning Toolkit
Food Security Communications Toolkit – FAO
Good Laws, Good Food: Putting Food Policy to Work In the Navajo Nation – Harvard Food Law Policy Clinic
Toolkit for Food Security – PVPC
B. Additional Resources
Richmond Foodland Asset Report – Richmond Food Security Society
An example of an assessment undertaken for a community looking at various facets of food in the community.
Toolkit, Guides, and More - New Brunswick Food Security Action Network
A large collection of toolkits and guides about food. These toolkits cover materials such as food skills, alternative and community food programs, healthy eating, program planning and delivery, food education and much more.
Nova Scotia Food Policy Council
An organization that operates as a non-partisan citizen group that works with communities, organizations, and governments to help develop policies and programs that ensure an equitable, healthy, and sustainable food system that meets the needs of all Nova Scotians.
Planning for Food Security in the Commonwealth – Commonwealth Foundation
A document providing a variety of food related issues
How other Cities/Regions are Enacting Food System Change
Fresh: Edmonton’s Food & Urban Agriculture Strategy - City of Edmonton
A food strategy document titled, which is designed to explore the current state of urban agriculture and local food in Edmonton. The report provides an overview of the food landscape in Edmonton, and then covers topics such as strategy building, public consultation and municipal goals, food system frameworks, strategic directions and recommendations, and finally enacting the strategies that have been outlined.