Item B: Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan Meeting Date: September 29, 2010 Agenda Item Number: B Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Ethan Nelson www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5224 ISSUE STATEMENT In a February 9, 2009, work session on Eugene Sustainability Commission Recommendations, the City Council directed the City Manager to undertake a scoping and resource plan for development of a food security plan in conjunction with community partners. This agenda item summary (AIS) and presentation is a report back to the council on this effort. BACKGROUND Food security is defined as a strong, sustainable, local and regional food system that ensures access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate fresh food for all people at all times. It is a condition in which all community residents obtain a safe, nutritionally adequate diet through a food system that promotes community self-reliance and social equity. A number of local groups, researchers, and government agencies had previously worked on initial elements of a Community Food Security Plan. This project brought together these stakeholders as a community advisory committee to help coordinate and capitalize on the work already accomplished, identify planning gaps, and gain broad support for the final document. For the purpose of this project, the advisory committee agreed that the goal of a Community Food Security Plan is to promote and enable a secure local food system. The final City of Eugene Food Security Scoping and Resource Plan (Resource Plan) was provided to the council in April and incorporated the edits and comments from the community advisory committee, City internal Sustainability Board, and the Sustainability Commission. The plan included a number of short- term achievable actions and longer-term recommendations. Resource Plan Short-Term Recommendations Short-term action items include: 1.The completion of a local food market analysis. Status: A collaborative study was conducted by the Community Planning Workshop at the University of Oregon; funding was provided by the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), Lane County, and the City of Eugene with matching funds provided by a U.S. Economic Development Agency grant to the University of Oregon (UO). The study was completed in August 2010. 2.Dedicate City resources to increase the level of neighborhood scale urban agriculture activities. Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100929\S100929B.doc