Sustainable Funding & Community Capacity Building: Support Black-led, Black-serving and Black-mandated food organizations to effectively serve and respond to community food insecurity through providing access to sustained operating funds, service navigation support, expert advice, and capacity to lead long-term food system transformation, community learning and the tracking of progress on outcomes.

1. Social Development, Finance and Administration Community Funding Unity in partnership with the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to increase community resilience in times of crisis and support emergency food relief through the implementation of a Black Mandated Funding Framework that prioritizes Black-mandated food organizations to ensure adequate annual operating funds are deployed to address Black food insecurity. SDFA-CFU, SDFA-CABR

2. Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unity to develop and fund a Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Circle to position community leadership as a central driver of the Plan, facilitate Black residents to identify and track progress toward targets, and to lead ongoing engagement with Black-led, Black-serving organizations and Black communities for effective implementation. SDFA-CABR

3. Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unity and the Poverty Reduction Office in partnership with the Equity Diversity and Human Rights Division to contribute to the development of protocols related to the collection of baseline data, monitoring and evaluation to measure and report on food security outcomes through CABR’s Black Health Services Coordination Strategy. SDFA-CABR, SDFA-PRSO, EDHR

4. Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unity to facilitate and fund an annual community-led Black Food Sovereignty Conference to foster opportunities for knowledge sharing, community networking and learning to better understand Black food insecurity and support evidence-based interventions to advance a local and global Black food sovereignty movement toward the realization of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent. SDFA-CABR

5. Social Development, Finance and Administration’s Tower and Neighbourhood Revitalization Unit to consult with Solid Waste Management Services to apply learnings and success in urban agriculture from the Community Reduce & Reuse Programs to inform the creation of local community knowledge networks to share learnings gained from COVID-19 digital urban agriculture programming in neighbourhoods with large Black populations, including how to build resident leadership, share and connect Black residents with local employment opportunities, and increase access to growing space in tower renewal and revitalization communities. SDFA-CABR, SDFA-TNR, SWMS

6. Social Development, Finance and Administration Community Funding Unity and the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit in partnership with Parks Forestry and Recreation to improve access to urban agriculture funding opportunities at the City through targeted outreach and promotion of the Urban Forestry Community Grants, the Incentive Program and Community Funding Programs to Black communities, with a focus on 2SLGBTQ+, francophone and continental African populations. SDFA-CABR, SDFA-CFU, PF&R

7. Parks Forestry and Recreation to continue to provide and strengthen technical support training, service navigation mentorship and social incubation to organizations and resident leaders involved in community-based urban agriculture. PF&R

8. Parks Forestry and Recreation to work closely with the Indigenous Affairs Office and Social Development Finance and Administration CABR Unit to continue to build community capacity to lead land-based youth leadership and urban community-based agriculture initiatives to support Black and Indigenous youth. PF&R, SDFA-CABR, IAO

9. Social Development, Finance and Administration Poverty Reduction Office work with Parks Forestry and Recreation Business Services Branch and the Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Committee to support the compiling and distributing of key learnings and outcomes from existing urban agriculture projects the development of new Black-led urban agriculture initiatives, including learnings from the development of the Black Creek Community Farm, the Community Engagement Entrepreneurial Development (CEED) Market Gardens and other projects. SDFA-PRSO, PF&R

10. Solid Waste Management Services to continue sharing advice, learnings and insights from the Community, Reduce & Reuse Programs as it relates to creating and sustaining community capacity to lead close-loop food waste loss and food waste reduction programs which help support local food security in neighbourhoods with high Black populations, and help develop self-sustaining community-led food initiatives and Reuse Programs. SWMS

11. Toronto Water to advance the implementation of Black Food Sovereignty urban agriculture sites through providing operational advice and input for water access on growing sites as needed. TW

12. Strategic Partnerships Office to coordinate with Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit and consult with Solid Waste Management Services on their expertise with community resource Sharing and Reuse programs in neighbourhoods with high Black populations, to increase the capacity and sustainability of the Black Food Sovereignty Plan by identifying appropriate corporate and institutional funding and resource partners to advance capital projects, including sponsorships and tool donations for new community gardens and to expand initiatives like the Garden Tool Lending Program. TOP, PF&R, SDFA-CABR, SWMS

13.Economic Development and Culture to continue to support Black arts, culture and food festivals through existing resources to ensure the sustainability of African, Caribbean and Black-led food and culture programming and to increase opportunities for Black food businesses and Black entrepreneurs. EDC

14. Economic Development and Culture to work with the Black Food Sovereignty Unit to encourage Black food businesses to participate in food and beverage events and trade shows that help to promote the Black leadership in the food & beverage sector in Toronto. EDC

Access to Growing Space: Reimagine public land as an opportunity to advance an inclusive reparative economy approach to build increased community resilience, land-based learning initiatives and healing through identifying, returning and repurposing land to promote stewardship and urban agriculture initiatives.

15. Parks Forestry and Recreation to work with Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to update the Community Garden Action Plan and the Community Garden Policy using the CABR anti-Black racism operational framework to identify and mitigate barriers to access and develop actions to expand community garden and growing spaces to be used to their full potential. PF&R, SDFA-CABR

16. Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Circle to prioritize requests for community gardens and allotment gardens in underserved parks in neighbourhoods with high Black populations including Jane and Finch, Little Jamacia, and Lawrence Heights. PF&R

17. Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to consult with Economic Development and Culture to increase community food access and ownership among Black communities by identifying at least two pilot sites for “community land sharing and community land trust models” supported by a Black-led food agency. Other site uses may also include: Black food markets, Black food business initiatives, cultural food festivals and other food programs. Land under consideration can include City facilities, Heritage Toronto properties, Create TO, TRCA, Toronto Hydro, and underutilized museum lands. SDFA-CABR, EDC

18. City Planning in collaboration with the Housing Secretariat and Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to: a. Identify opportunities for community growing space for food (including vegetables, and/or fruit, nut trees) in development applications in neighbourhoods with high Black populations; and b. Identify where site specific zoning permissions may be required to permit market gardens in Tower Renewal sites. CP, HS, SDFA-CABR

19. The Housing Secretariat, in collaboration with Transportation Services, CREM, Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit and the TDSB to identify opportunities for community growing space for food, (including vegetables, and/or fruit, nut trees), on new affordable housing and supportive housing sites, school properties, and surplus city land, in neighbourhoods with greater density of Black populations. HS, TS, CREM, SDFA-CABR, TDSB

20. Environment and Energy Division to improve community food security and access to green space in Black Food Sovereignty neighbourhoods through prioritizing Community Planting and Stewardship and Pollinate TO grants and other relevant climate action funding applications from Black-led, Black serving organizations to increase the overall number of Black-led funded projects. EED

21. The Social Development, Finance and Administration Youth Development Unity, Indigenous Affairs Office and Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to build and strengthen Black and Afro-Indigenous youth leadership development by using an ABR lens to inform existing and new place-based food and growing programs, delivered in partnership with Black-led, Black-serving organizations, to address Black youth outcomes as they relate to community violence, mental health, and food security. Specific interventions would include: a. Co-develop and shape new and existing educational initiatives with Black-led community food partners that change historical narratives and connections between land, slavery and colonization through the incorporation of Indigenous land stewards and knowledge keepers and African-centred cultural content into land-based wellness and learning; b. Provide container growing workshops to promote and support urban agriculture growing opportunities in tower communities in Black Food Sovereignty neighbourhoods; and c. Secure access to underutilized green space to support the creation of safe mental health and wellness space for Black youth, in partnership with Community Health Centres, Toronto Community Housing and community partners agencies. SDFA-CABR, SDFA-YDU, IAO

22. The Indigenous Affairs Office and the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to work collaboratively to advance shared goals for Black and Indigenous food sovereignty in the city and to proactively in the city and to proactively identify opportunities for engagement and dialogue with treaty and territorial rights holder, Indigenous land stewards and residents of African, Caribbean and Black descent, when developing new land stewardship and land use opportunities for Black farmers and gardeners. SDFA-CABR, IAO

23. Economic Development and Culture Section to provide increased access to green space for Black and Indigenous-led food sovereignty and fresh food access initiatives. Initiatives include providing event support for farmers’ markets in City-permitted lands, and continued support by the local BIA for the Afro-Caribbean Farmer’s Market in Little Jamaica. EDC

24. Solid Waste Management Services to provide advice and input to the Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Circle on how circular economy principles may support the reimaging of public land based to increase land access for Black communities based on its research findings on material flows in Toronto’s food system from the Baselining for a Circular Toronto study. SWMS

25. Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit will work with Divisions across the City of Toronto to strengthen the City’s tree canopy in neighbourhoods with high Black populations to increase future opportunities for community-managed “food forests” and harvesting opportunities from local fruit trees. SDFA-CABR

Accessible Infrastructure: Improve access to assets that drive economic and social benefit in Black communities, including but not limited to community and incubator kitchen spaces and other facilities to expand equitable access to development and community food education opportunities.

26. Economic Development and Culture and Social Development, Finance and Administration Tower and Neighbourhood Revitalization Unit to work with Parks, Forestry and Recreation to develop partnership and support permit access for Black-led, Black serving food programs to use community kitchen space in Community Recreation Centres and at other community-based facilities (ex. Community Health Centres, community arts centres, and museum kitchen spaces. EDC, SDFA-TNR, PF&R

Black Food Hubs, Procurement and Cultural Markets: Create an enabling environment for community wealth building initiatives and collective Black economic prosperity to emerge through the establishment of food supply chains that support resilient and sustainable Black-owned and Black operated food businesses to advance procurement, workforce development and improve cultural food access.

27. Economic Development and Culture Sector Development Unit to develop partnerships to fund organizations and provide workforce development and business training supports for Black businesses, and facilitate priority access to kitchen space and industrial food production facilities for Black Torontonians, Black entrepreneurs and Black-owned and Black-operated food businesses. EDC

28. Social Development, Finance and Administration Poverty Reduction Strategy Office Anchor TO Black Vendor Initiative and Environment and Energy Division to consult with Solid Waste Management Services to develop a Black Food Sovereignty Food Vendor Initiative to provide Black farmers and Black owned and operated businesses with a priority designation – denoting their status serving the Black community and meeting circular economy outcomes and sustainable food system best practices to increase access to City procurement opportunities. SDFA-PRSO, EED, SWMS

29. Economic Development and Culture to work with Social Development Finance and Administration’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit and other key Black community stakeholders to develop a Black Food and Cultural Business promotional plan, using Black focused social media and influencers to highlight food initiatives and businesses with African, Caribbean and Black communities. EDC, SDFA-CABR

30. Social Development, Finance and Administration Poverty Reduction Strategy Office Anchor TO Black Vendor Initiative and Environment and Energy Division to consult with Solid Waste Management Services to develop a Black Food Sovereignty Food Vendor Initiative to provide Black farmers and Black owned and operated businesses with a priority designation – denoting their status serving the Black community and meeting circular economy outcomes and sustainable food system best practices to increase access to City procurement opportunities. SDFA-PRSO, EED, SWMS

31. Economic Development and Culture to work with Social Development Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to provide targeted support and improved access to opportunities for Black-owned and Black-operated businesses impacted by the pandemic, by connecting and increasing the number of Black food entrepreneurs and businesses on the City's vendor list, access to procurement initiatives and participation in existing City-led food service opportunities, such as the City’s new North York Food Hall project, Café TO and Fine Dining Scarborough. EDC

32. Economic Development and Culture, Social Development Finance and Administration and Parks, Forestry and Recreation to encourage and help develop food start-ups, micro-enterprises and Black-led, Black-serving Farmers Markets by providing an equitable amount of (city-owned) space to Black retailers and social enterprises, using creative approaches like, below market rental rate agreements and permits. EDC, SDFA-CABR, PF&R

33. Social development, Finance and Administration Youth Development Unit and the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to work with People and Equity to connect Black youth engaged in land-based learning initiatives with opportunities for hyper local green infrastructure jobs with the City to create pathways for Black youth in the landscape/arboriculture industry with wrap around employment supports from entry until after competition. SDFA-YDU, SDFA-CABR, P&E

34. Economic Development and Culture Sector Development Branch and Social Development Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Units to work with the Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Circle to increase outreach and understanding of African, Caribbean and Black food business needs through improved data collection to improve customer service delivery, share economic initiatives and to effectively spotlight and promote Black businesses. EDC, SDFA-CABR

35. Social Development Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, with leadership from the Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Circle to increase research and understanding of historical and present day relationships and intersections between food sovereignty, economic empowerment and health outcomes, through the establishment of a Centre of Black Food Excellence facilitated by a research and information sharing partnership with universities and colleges, and with Black academics and policy professionals to develop an evidence-based approach to advancing research, advocacy and policy to realize Black food sovereignty goals. SDFA-CABR

36. The Social Development Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to advocate for economic development funding from the Provincial and Federal orders of Government to strengthen existing Black food networks and advance the establishment of Black food hubs, infrastructure in neighbourhoods with the greatest density of Black populations and high levels of food insecurity; and to improve Black food business’ access to capital through more targeted implementation of the Federal Black Business Entrepreneurship Loan Fund and Program. SDFA-CABR

37. The Social Development Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to advocate for good food jobs and improved standards of work for food workers, including the development of Federal agricultural training and funding programs tailored to meet the unique barriers and challenges faced by Black, Indigenous and racialized immigrant farmers. SDFA-CABR

38. The Social Development Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to advocate for the collection of disaggregated race-based data within Canada’s agricultural workforce as part of the annual Census of Agriculture to improve the understanding of inequity and gaps in Black land and farm ownership. SDFA-CABR

Culturally Rooted Community Health & Nutrition Programs: Cultivate and deliver African-centred nutrition, mental health and health promotion programs informed by African, Caribbean and Black communities’ distinct experiences, culture and needs, to deliver responsive, trauma-informed, holistic and supportive healthcare resources and services to address food and diet-related health disparities.

39. Toronto Public Health to work with the Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Committee to explore the mainstreaming of pan-African-centred, culturally appropriate food and education that works towards improving overall health outcomes and food literacy for Black children and youth across the City. TPH

40. Environment and Energy Division to work with the Black Food Sovereignty Advisory Circle, Black-led, Black-serving organizations and food businesses to profile and integrate African, Caribbean and Black cultural and ancestral foods in their existing seasonal eating educational campaigns that celebrate diverse Black food histories through the Live Green “Rethink Food” campaign and other outreach efforts. EED

41. Parks, Forestry and Recreation in coordination with Social Development Finance and Administration to continue to build more ethnically diverse and Black ancestral foods into existing community recreation programs and community gardening. This includes peer-learning initiatives, seed saving, vertical farming, aquaponics and garden demonstration projects. PF&R, SDFA-CABR

42. Solid Waste Management Services to share their knowledge on collection and redistribution of surplus fruits and vegetables from residents’ backyards with Black communities participating in the Community Reduce, Reuse Program to facilitate collaborative resident-led governance models that support food access and nutrition initiatives such as canning and preserving. SWMS

43. The Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to advocate to other orders of government for the fullest implementation of the right to food to promote and protect the right of individuals, including Black Torontonians, alone or in community with others, to feed themselves and their families, with adequate and culturally desirable food that is produced and consumed in sustainable ways. SDFA-CABR

44. The Social Development, Finance and Administration Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit to advocate that food security is a central issue and social determinant of health and that the Province of Ontario should include food security and prioritize equitable access to food as a pillar in the next five (5)-year anti-racism strategy. SDFA-CABR

45. Economic Development and Culture Museums and Heritage Services (MHS) Sector to work with Black history organizations, Black food researchers, Black nutritionists, Black chefs and Black academics to develop initiatives that increase knowledge, use, and celebration of African, Caribbean and Black ancestral food traditions and cooking culture through facilitating community education and cultural events and opportunities. EDC