Community-based research for food system policy development in the City of Guelph, Ontario

Abstract

Community-based research (CBR) has grown in popularity as a research approach, which aims to foster collaboration between academic researchers and community members or organisations. CBR is often initiated with the intention of creating constructive social change at the same time as generating knowledge or understanding of specific concerns raised by community members. The June 2011 Ontario Provincial Planners Institute Call to Action, entitled Planning for food systems in Ontario, identified the need for participatory planning for sustainable food systems in municipal policy planning. This article provides an example of one such planning process in Guelph, Ontario. Using principles of CBR, researchers from the University of Guelph partnered with a grassroots food security organisation in order to collaborate on food policy planning and make a contribution to the review process for the City's Official Plan. Bringing together best practices from literature, case study examples, and engagement with citizens through a focus group session, the process resulted in a submission of policy recommendations to City staff. This article aims to contribute to the practice of CBR by highlighting the benefits and barriers encountered in one CBR process.

Keywords:

• community-based research
• urban agriculture
• municipal food policy

Acknowledgements

Our special thanks to the staff at the ICES University of Guelph, the City of Guelph and the GWFRT for their roles in this project. The authors also acknowledge partial funding from the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs.