Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Holly McGarr
Supervisors: Dr. Anna-Liisa Aunio & Hugo Martorell
The Institute for Health and Social Policy - McGill University
Background
i Statistics Canada define a low-income neighbourhood as "one in which 30% or more of its residents have low
income," that is, an income below the threshold of the after-tax low-income measure.
ii Food insecurity is defined as consuming food of insufficient quantity or quality.
Table 1: Indicators of Childhood Food Insecurity in Montreal
A strategic plan sets out an overall direction for reaching defined goals and objectives and a
monitoring and assessment framework to measure progress. It is a planning tool that establishes
the framework to define policy and programs. Within the planning period, a strategic plan can
also serve to guide the mobilization and allocation of resources towards achieving the desired
results. Strategic plans and frameworks may be developed for use at the federal, provincial, or
municipal level. Below, the best practices for strategic planning related to food insecurity are
categorized into development, implementation, and evaluation.
Best Practices
• Identify vulnerable populations or priority groups within strategic plans and frameworks,
• and specify objectives or targets to reduce inequalities in relation to poverty and
nutrition.
• Provide tools or implement specific procedures for employees to support the use of
evidence in the development of strategies and frameworks.
• Use evidence-based models, algorithms, and other evidence-based tools such as nutrition
profile modelling, to guide policy development.
• Stipulate in policies, procedures or guidelines the requirements for the establishment of
a scientific or expert committee to inform policy development.
• Consider the municipal and school-specific context, ideologies, cultures and priorities
when developing strategic plans.
d) Involve Stakeholders
• Coordinate and communicate with stakeholders at all levels, including school personnel,
students, parents or caregivers, health professionals, the non-profit sector and industry.
Coordinating with stakeholders for the development of strategic plans has been shown
to help address policy challenges and facilitate acceptance, adoption and implementation
of policies.[5]
• Consider stakeholder views, concerns, priorities, and decision-making processes when
developing strategic plans.
• Recognize that potential outcomes can benefit different sectors.
• Train staff who have a role in developing strategic plans in engagement strategies for
dealing with stakeholders.
• Ensure that the messaging surrounding the strategic plan is coherent and consistent
across all stakeholders.
• Encourage stakeholders to provide support to maintain the strategic plan or policy as a
priority in the face of competing agendas.
In Quebec, there does not exist consistent nutrient criteria for school nutrition standards
concerning fats, salt, sugars and calories per portion size.[6] For example, the Going the Healthy
Route at School Policy Framework [7] offers only general recommendations on how to prioritize
foods of good nutritional value and does not specify food or nutrient targets.
In 2002, Quebec adopted The Act to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion. Notably, this legislation
was the first of its kind in North America to make the reduction of poverty and social exclusion
an explicit government priority.[8] It provides Quebec with strategic guidelines for implementing
the measures required to reach the Acts objectives concerning poverty and social exclusion.
The Quebec government has supported the creation of regional coalitions or roundtables to
improve cross-sectoral collaboration at the sub-provincial level.[9] The Pan Canadian Joint
Consortium for School Health published a literature review on stakeholder engagement
strategies to improve the development and implementation of school policies.[5]
Research by Atkey et al. [10] identified the lessons learned from the City of Hamilton in the
development, implementation and evaluation of their municipal healthy food and beverage
policy. A number of municipalities from across Canada have collaborated with the authors of this
research to develop a healthy food and beverage policy for their own community.[10]
McKenna [11] identified five policy options to support healthy eating in schools. These evidence-
based policy options can serve as a framework to guide the development of municipal-level
school nutrition policies.
Best Practices
• Build strong and visible political support for improving food environments, improving
population nutrition, and reducing food insecurity. To be successful in sustaining and
improving the health of their citizens, elected leaders need strong partnerships with
public health officials.[13]
• This support can include statements of intent, election commitments, budget
commitments, established priori
• ties and targets, demonstrations of support in the media, other actions that demonstrate
support for strategic plans and their implementation.
• When necessary, leverage political support to apply pressure in maintaining the
implementation of the strategic plan as a priority.
In Quebec, the Framework Policy on Healthy Eating and Active Living, entitled Going the Healthy
Route at School aims to assist schools in creating environments that encourage the adoption and
maintenance of healthy eating habits and physically active lifestyles.[7] This plan included
funding for implementation, an evaluation framework and timeline for implementation, but does
not include a specific implementation plan with dates.
In 2008, the INSPQ published a knowledge synthesis on implementation processes for school
food policies.[14] This synthesis describes success factors and obstacles to implementing school
food policies and describes a systematic approach to implementation, both of which can be used
as a framework to create comprehensive implementation plans.
An article by McKenna [11] identifies barriers to the implementation of school food programs
which include a lack of support, the complexity of guidelines, and a top-down approach
(McKenna, 2010). Another article by McKenna [15] discusses specific issues to consider when
implementing school nutrition policies.
Strong political support can be found in media releases, speeches, pre-election policy papers, bill
introductions, and provincial-level strategic plans. For example, the press release for the
“Politique gouvernementale de prévention en santé” includes endorsement quotes by from five
Ministers, including the Minister of Health and Social Services.[16] The 2017 Action Plan for the
Montreal Policy on Children begins with an endorsement message from the Mayor of Montreal
at the time, Denis Coderre. The current mayor of Montreal, Valerie Plante, has also shown strong
and visible support for this policy with an announcement that the 2018 budget of the action plan
was increased from $1.5 million to $2.1 million.[17]
Best Practices
• Establish regular (every five years or less) monitoring systems that can assess the status
of food environments, nutritional intake levels, and progress on reducing health
inequalities. For example, this can include:
o Monitoring food environments against codes, guidelines, standards, or targets;
o Monitoring compliance with food provision policies in schools and early childhood
education settings;
o Monitoring nutritional quality of foods in schools and early childhood education
settings;
o and monitoring childhood nutrition statuses and intakes against specified targets.
• Stratify or separately analyze data for population groups with known health inequalities,
including Indigenous populations and those with low socio-economic status.
In 2014, the INSPQ released a monitoring report that examined the nutritional quality of foods
in primary and secondary schools in Québec.[18] A 2016 study examined the proximity of fast
food restaurants to schools in relation to student fast-food consumption using monitoring data
from the Québec Health Survey of High School Students.[19]
The evaluation assessment of the Montreal Policy on Children will be developed and carried out
by Interdisciplinary Research on Montréal (CIRM).[1]
Collinset al. [20] argue for an increase in evaluative research on municipal-level food-based
approaches. They argue that widespread support for local-level food-based approaches to
household food insecurity has impeded the critical judgement of these activities and that
comparative research is needed to ensure municipal actions are evidence-based.[20] For
example, research in Toronto by Kirkpatrick & Tarasuk [21] found no indications that the use of
food banks or children’s food programs had any impact on household food security status, which
challenges the presumption that community-based food initiatives are reaching those in need.
Kirkpatrick & Tarasuk argue that public health practitioners must critically examine the programs
they develop to assess theiractuale impact on food-insecure households.[21]
Food security at the community level is a complex issue that includes a broad set of economic
and physical factors, such as the environment and food system, that can impact food access and
food availability.[12] As a result, improving food security requires partnerships and inter-sectoral
cooperation, finding flexible and multidimensional solutions for complex problems, and
community participation.[12] In recognition of this, the United Nations promotes a
comprehensive and inter-sectoral approach to coordinating the development of food security
initiatives.[12]
Best Practices
Discussed by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) [22] in more detail, enablers of
successful intersectoral collaboration include the following:
The report “Crossing Sectors: Experiences in Intersectoral Action, Public Policy and Health” by
PHAC is part of the first phase of a Canadian initiative on intersectoral action for health. The
report provides an overview of approaches to intersectoral action, including at the community
level, and can be a useful resource for understanding intersectional collaboration and developing
action plans.[22]
The “Table Québecoise pour une saine alimentation” is a group that includes representatives
from over 35 organizations and ministries involved in the promotion of healthy eating. Their goal
is to strengthen the voice of groups who are working towardsthe promotionn, adoption, and
maintenance of healthy eating in Québec.[12]
Regarding policy sharing across jurisdictions, a number of municipalities from across Canada have
collaborated with the authors of the research article "Stories of Policy Change: City of Hamilton's
Healthy Food and Beverage Policy" to learn how to develop a healthy food and beverage policy
for their own community.[10]
Strategic Funding for Intersectoral Action
Definition and Scope
Sufficient funding for population nutrition is required to create healthy food environments and
to reduce childhood food insecurity. Financial resources can improve food security by supporting
policies and programs, and their related research, monitoring, and evaluation. Additionally,
funding can be used to strategically promote intersectoral collaboration. This section highlights
financial tools and mechanisms that may hold promise in supporting intersectoral action to
reduce childhood food insecurity.
Promising Practices
• Provide financial allocations exclusively for intersectoral action, with clear criteria on
what does or does not constitute intersectoral action. In certain situations, the allocations
can be combined with regulations that provide legal instruments to enforce intersectoral
action.
• Use intersectoral action as a condition of funding to require sectors to work
collaboratively in addressing difficult issues related to food security.
• Use cost-sharing or resource pooling of financial contributions by a range of government
and non-government organizations for a specific population or issue that aligns with the
organizations’ mandates, such as childhood food insecurity.
• Use in-kind arrangements between organizations to contribute non-financial resources
(such a, people, information, expertise, physical space and technology) to support shared
objectives related to improving childhood food security. These agreements can offer
greater flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of intersectoral work in the different
stages of policy development, implementation, and evaluation.[22]
• Provide incentives for joint working. These can include financial incentives, flexible
decision-making, and reduced administrative and reporting burdens.
The Government of Canada uses the approach of requiring intersectoral action as a condition of
funding for the Population Health Fund, which provides grants and contributions to advance
policy and program objectives related to children, seniors and other population groups.[22]
In 2007, the “Act to establish the Fund for the promotion of a healthy lifestyle” was established
at the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux to fund activities, programs and projects that
foster healthy eating and physical activity, to promote social norms that encourage a healthy
lifestyle, and to support innovation and the transfer of knowledge.[25]
Operational Policy Options for Municipalities
This section identifies three operational policy options to reduce childhood food insecurity that
relate to the routine functioning and activities of a municipality. These policy options improve
the food environment through urban planning policy, public service venue regulations, and
transportation planning. While it is recognized that local governments have a key role in
encouraging and facilitating community food programs and services such as urban agriculture,
school food programs and farmers markets, this section does not focus on the best practices of
such programs and services.
Municipal governments have the power to implement urban planning policies that support the
availability of healthy foods and limit the availability of unhealthy foods in communities and
commercially. There is consistent evidence that links better access to healthy food in
neighbourhoods to the likelihood of healthier eating, and vice-versa.[4] A recent report by the INSPQ
reported that students attending a school with a fast-food restaurant within 750 metres were
more likely to consume junk food at lunch.[12] In Quebec, 37% of schools have at least one fast
food restaurant within 15 minutes walking distance, and 62% have at least one convenience store
within 15 minutes walking distance.[26] Zoning laws and urban planning policies provide
mechanisms for municipal governments to place limits on the density or placement of fast-food
restaurants and to encourage the availability of outlets selling fresh fruit and vegetables.
Best Practices
The Health Network for Quebec’s Cities, Towns and Villages (RQVVS) includes nearly 200
municipalities representing more than 70% of Quebec’s population. Its mission is to promote and
support the sustainable development of healthy living environments throughout Quebec.[24]
The Quebec public health association (ASPQ) and RQVVS conducted action research in the three
municipalities of Baie-Saint-Paul, Gatineau, and Lavaltrie. This research identified municipal
policy options and best practices to improve the food environment surrounding schools using a
customized approach that includes: analyzing the local situation, identifying support, evaluating
regulatory options, and identifying the procedure for the by-law modification.[26]
PolicyLink published a report titled “Promising Strategic to Improve Access to Fresh, Healthy Food
and Transform Communities” which provides recommendations surrounding four policy options
to increase access to healthy food. These options include developing new grocery stores,
improving small stores, starting and sustaining farmers markets, and connecting local farmers to
low-income consumers.[27]
In 2016, the city council of Montreal’s Saint-Henri neighbourhood unanimously adopted a zoning
change by-law that prevents new restaurants from setting up within 25 metres of an existing one.
The goal was to restrict commercial influence to ensure the food environment includes enough
grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stores, and bakeries for those who live in the area.[28]
Hospitals, schools and other public service venues such as after-school programs, child care centres,
and recreational facilities can create healthy food environments that include cafeterias and vending
machines. This is supported by clear evidence that shows increasing access to healthy food increases
healthy eating.[4] For example, an evaluation of the BC Healthy Food and Beverage Sales in
Recreational Facilities and Local Government Buildings initiative found that the project provided a
feasible approach to enhancing healthy eating environments in recreation centres.[4]
Best Practices
In British Columbia, the Nutritional Guidelines for Vending Machines in BC Public Buildings
requires that vendors provide healthy food choices in vending machines located in all provincially
funded public buildings across the province. Additionally, the Guidelines for Food and Beverage
Sales in BC Schools requires food and beverages sold in public schools to meet minimum nutrition
standards.[4]
Montreal passed a motion to phase out sugary drinks in city buildings. As contracts are
renegotiated with vendors, sugary drinks, including soda, sports drinks and other sweetened
beverages will be prohibited from being sold in from municipal settings such as libraries, arenas,
and pools.[29]
The Health Choices in the Recreational Setting Toolkit developed by Stay Active Eat Healthy
provides best practices that can be used as a resource for planning, implementing and evaluating
initiatives to create healthy food environments in recreation centres.[30]
Pamphlet 2 of the Quebec Framework Policy on Healthy Eating and Active Living provides
guidelines and evaluation tools to develop healthy vending machines in schools.[31]
In many low-income communities, there are limited options to purchase fresh and healthy food.
Studies have consistently shown that there are fewer supermarkets and retail outlets selling
affordable and nutritious food in low-income communities than in wealthier ones.[27]
Inadequate public transportation options can reduce a family’s access to healthy food choices,
especially for those who do not own a car. The lack of access to healthy food options creates
barriers for families to eat well and fuels childhood food insecurity. A Montreal study found that
63.6% of participants who experienced severe food insecurity reported difficulties in accessing
food due to transportation.[32] Improving transportation options to and from food sources using
transportation policies can increase community and family access to healthy foods and reduce
childhood food insecurity.[4]
Best Practices
• Identify areas in need of improved access to grocery stores. For example, data from a
census was used to locate zip codes in California with low income, low vehicle ownership,
and high population density in order to identify potential areas for supermarket shuttle
programs.[33]
• Improve transportation to food retailers in the target areas by creating new bus routes,
increasing service, or re-routing busses.
• Create joint ventures between grocery stores and the municipal government or a local
non-profit to organize and collaboratively fund supermarket shuttle services.
• Fund programs that allow small farmers to transport produce to institutional buyers like
schools and hospitals.
• Update transportation plans to include priorities that focus on improving access to
healthy food retailers.
In 2008, Montreal released their first Transportation Plan to improve its citizens’ quality of life
using public transit. This vision of this strategic plan is to “[meet] the transportation needs of all
Montreal residents by providing our community with a high quality of life and ensuring its role as
a prosperous and environmentally friendly economic powerhouse.”[34] However, there is no
mention of increasing access to food retailers for low-income communities within the strategic
plan.
In November 2018, the Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy launched a pilot program to address
food insecurity affecting students of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay Ontario. Students are
offered a free weekly grocery bus service that takes them from the school campus to two grocery
stores and the Thunder Bay Country Market.[35]
Gottliebet al. identified transportation strategies to improve access to healthy food in their
working paper titled “Homeward Bound: Food-Related Transportation Strategies in Low Income
and Transit Dependent Communities.".[36]
A policy brief by the Center for Food and Justice titled “Transportation and Food: The Importance
of Access” provides policy options to expand transportation opportunities for small farmers.[37]
Conclusion
Approximately one in ten Greater Montreal households experience moderate to severe food
insecurity, the highest proportion of food insecurity in Quebec.[2] In June 2016, the City of
Montreal launched its first Policy on Children which identified healthy eating and food safety as
priorities for intervention.[1] The objective of this literature review was to identify municipal-
level policy options that the City of Montreal can use to reduce childhood food insecurity. This
report identifies best practices of strategic and operational policy options from peer-reviewed
literature and provided relevant examples and resources for support in their use. The strategic
policy options include the development of strategic plans and frameworks, cross-governmental
and cross-section collaboration, and strategic funding for intersectoral action. The operational
policy options identified can help improve the food environment through policy involving urban
planning, public service venues, and transportation planning. In conclusion, municipalities have
an important role in address childhood food insecurity and the policy options identified by this
literature review can help equip the City of Montreal in developing policies to improve childhood
food security.
References
1. City of Montreal. Policy on Children 2017 action plan. 2017. Available from:
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