Surrey says no to setting up its own food charter
Published 10:30 am Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Surrey council has voted against setting up a dedicated food charter for this city, on city staff’s advice.
The vote was taken July 13 without debate, with Councillor Harry Bains opposed.
Ron Gill, Surrey’s general manager of planning and development, noted in a corporate report before council that given City of Surrey “strategic” documents already contain “extensive” food-related polices “it is recommended that the City does not develop a Surrey-specific food charter.
“Should a community or non-profit organization create a food charter, staff could review it for alignment with Surrey’s existing policies and provide recommendations to Council for consideration of endorsement,” Gill told council.
By way of background, Gill noted, cities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) employ food charters and related strategies in response to “challenges with food security” and to address gaps in the “modern food system”
involving production, processing, distribution, access, and disposing of food.
Surrey’s Agriculture and Food Policy Committee passed a motion in January recommending that council explore the feasibility of a setting up a food charter here and in response council in February directed city staff to explore this.
“In reviewing the viability of a Food Charter for Surrey, staff undertook a review of other municipalities’ programs and practices as well as a scan of Surrey’s current agriculture and food-related policies,” Gill reported.
He noted there already are several provincial, regional, and city hall policies that influence the food system here, among them the Agricultural Land Reserve, Metro Vancouver’s Regional Growth Strategy 2050, Surrey’s Sustainability Charter 2, the Surrey 2050 Official Community Plan, a zoning bylaw, Surrey’s Agriculture Plan and Agriculture Enhancement and Protection Strategy, Surrey’s Economic Strategy and the Surrey Chicken Keeping Bylaw.
“While provincial and regional policies establish the broader legislative and policy context, the
City’s policies provide the primary framework for municipal action,” Gill noted. “Based on the review of best practice in other municipalities, as well as a review of Surrey’s policy framework showing extensive food policy related content, staff do not recommend the development of a city-led, Surrey-specific food charter.”
Meantime, during a campaign presser on July 22 Safe Surrey Coalition mayoral candidate Doug McCallum promised, if he and his slate are elected on October 17, to set up a “Farm Local” plan aimed at tackling food price inflation by having the city grow its own supply.
“Go to any grocery store in Surrey and watch what families are putting back on the shelf,” McCallum said. “Middle-class families are struggling under food inflation. And here is what makes no sense. We are sitting on some of the best farmland in the country, and we are paying some of the highest food prices. That ends when I am Mayor. We are going to grow local and buy local.”
Gill noted in his report that current City-led initiatives that support the local food system include community gardens in city parks, a community food resource map, farmers markets and a food truck program.