The Process

Food First NL supports communities to carry out Community-Led Food Assessments which generate local solutions to food security challenges

 

St. John’s Community-Led Food Assessment: A Milestone Accomplishment

Food First NL successfully completed a comprehensive food assessment of St. John’s, building on the Our Food NL model of Community-Led Food Assessments, while incorporating elements from the City-Region Food Assessment Programme.

As we proudly reflect on this process, we echo the belief that:

“People understand their community’s strengths and know where things need to improve, and they’re best equipped to develop solutions that will work locally.”

 

Key Phases of the St. John’s Food Assessment:

  • Environmental Scan: We gathered comprehensive data on food security and the food system in St. John’s, including policies, programs, and relevant health, environmental, and economic indicators.

  • Asset-Gap Analysis: Community members identified the strengths and pinpointed gaps in programs, services, and policies. A report, “Eat the City: What We Learned About Food Systems in St. John’s” was compiled and shared with community members.

  • Priority Setting: Through in person and virtual gatherings, people shared their priority areas for action in both programs and policies. To ensure a truly community-led approach, the process was supported throughout by a network of Food Animators, who:

    • Were recruited from each of the five wards in St. John’s and represented diverse interests and skills;

    • Received training to facilitate engagement and food-based programming.

  • Action Planning: In the summer of 2022 we launched a food action plan for St. John’s to guide food systems work through to 2025!

Our efforts have left a lasting impact, empowering the city and its residents to continue advancing food security.

Outcomes of the St. John’s Food Assessment:

  • Increased awareness and engagement with food security issues in St. John’s.

  • Strengthened collaboration and coordination in advancing food security within the City of St. John’s.

  • Successfully embedded food security considerations into the City of St. John’s strategies, programs, and policies.