About
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The Southwest BC Bioregion Food System Design Project was a four year, multi-disciplinary research project initiated by ISFS to provide regionally specific, data-driven information about:
- The potential to increase Southwest BC food production and processing for local markets
- Whether and to what extent increasing local food production could improve food self-reliance, benefit the provincial economy, and create jobs
- The potential to reduce some detrimental environmental impacts from food production in Southwest BC.
The project modelled a number of future food system scenarios that represent possible outcomes of choices we face. When compared to our current situation, these outcomes can be used to help identify and understand the impacts of decisions we might make, the options and outcomes that we could seek to achieve.
Project Reports
Our full project report presents all project findings in a non-technical format appropriate for a wide range of non-expert audiences. Research briefs present project findings specific to each of the project indicators in greater detail and include an explanation of the research methods. Peer-reviewed publications are the most detailed level of reporting available from the project. Some peer-reviewed publications are forthcoming so please check back for updates.
Full project report
Research briefs
- Delineating the Southwest British Columbia Biorgion for Food System Study and Design
- Food Self-Reliance Status of the Southwest BC Bioregion in 2011
- Modeling Future Capacity for Land-Based Food Self-Reliance in a Regionalized Food System
- The Ecological Footprint of Food Consumption in a Regionalized Food System
- Economic Impacts of a Regionalized Food System in the Southwest British Columbia Bioregion
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Food Production in a Regionalized Food System
- Carbon stocks and the Impact of Agricultural Expansion in a Regionalized Food System (forthcoming)
- Wildlife Habitat and the Impact of Agriculture on Biodiversity in a Regionalized Food System (forthcoming)
- Nutrient Balance in Baseline and Future Scenarios of Food Self Reliance in Southwest British Columbia Bioregion (forthcoming)
Peer-reviewed publications
Project Support
This project was made possible thanks to the generous support of our major funders:
We grateful to the following local governments that endorsed the project and provided funding:
- Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
- City of Burnaby
- City of North Vancouver
- District of Maple Ridge
- Township of Langley
- City of Langley
- City of New Westminster
- District of Squamish
- White Rock
And to the following local governments and organizations that endorsed the project:
- Metro Vancouver
- Sunshine Coast Regional District
- Bowen Island Municipality
- City of Abbotsford
- City of Pitt Meadows
- City of Port Moody
- City of Port Coquitlam
- City of Richmond
- City of Vancouver
- Corporation of Delta
- District of North Vancouver
- District of Mission
- Resort Municipality of Whistler
- Village of Pemberton
- BC Agricultural Land Commission
- Small Scale Food Processor Association
- BC First Nations Agricultural Association
- BC Food Systems Network
- Bowen Agricultural Alliance
- Delta School District
- Farm Folk City Folk
- Fraser Health
- Food Matters Chilliwack
- Invest North Fraser
- Langley Community Farmers Market Society
- Langley Environmental Partners Society
- Richmond Food Security Society
- Surrey Board of Trade
- The New Westminster Community Food Action Committee
- The Surrey/ White Rock Food Action Coalition
- Vancouver Food Policy Council
- White Rock Surrey and Naturalists’ Society
- Whistler Centre for Sustainability