COPE on food costs: a public grocery pilot, an edible food recovery law, free school meals
COPE would start a public grocery pilot in the neighbourhoods with the most need, pass an edible food recovery law for big box stores and chain restaurants, and use the city's buying power to buy food in bulk from local farmers. It also backs universal school breakfast and lunch.
FIGHT FOR VANCOUVER · PAGE 14
Make Groceries More Affordable: what the Fight for Vancouver says
COPE treats the price of groceries as something city government can act on. Its platform says 46% of food in Canada is wasted while almost 1/4 of BC residents lack secure access to healthy food. The party's first step is an edible food recovery law aimed at big box stores and chain restaurants, so that food they would throw away goes to people.
COPE would also start a public grocery pilot project in the neighbourhoods with the most need, protect affordable community grocers from rent hikes and sell-offs, and use the city's buying power to buy in bulk from local farmers. That food would be sold at a discount to community grocers, non-profits, public grocers and school meal programs. The party would bring back the city's Food System Planner jobs to carry out the work.
Other items expand community food: linked community gardens, community kitchens, seed sharing, food storage and public food distribution networks run with community groups. COPE also wants a universal breakfast and lunch program at the Vancouver School Board, citing US research that grocery prices fell where such programs exist. Council would act on most of this, while school meals are a School Board program that depends on provincial school funding.
THE PARTY'S NUMBERS
Figures in this chapter
Share of food in Canada that the platform says is wasted
The party's figure, page 14Share of BC residents the platform says lack secure access to healthy food
The party's figure, page 149 COMMITMENTS
What the party says it would do
An edible food recovery law
COPE would stop food waste with an edible food recovery law aimed at big box stores and chain restaurants, so that edible food is given to people in place of being thrown away.
- Who has the power
- City Council The platform presents this as a city law, which Council would have to pass. It does not say which city power the law would rest on.
Protect affordable community grocers
The party would protect affordable community grocers from rent hikes, sell-offs and rising prices, and invest in the local businesses that it says hold communities together.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council can support grocers through zoning, city land and its budget.
A public grocery pilot project
COPE would set up a public grocery pilot project to provide affordable groceries in the neighbourhoods with the most need.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council can fund a city pilot through its budget and offer city-owned space.
Reinstate Vancouver's Food System Planner roles
The party would bring back the city's Food System Planner jobs and make sure the department has enough staff and support to do its work.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council decides city staffing through the budget.
Coordinate the network of community gardens
COPE would link and coordinate community gardens to grow local food and increase access to growing space.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Some community gardens sit on city land and some in parks, so Council and the Park Board would both be involved.
Public food distribution networks
The party would partner with community groups to fund and create public food distribution networks using publicly owned spaces and community kitchens.
- Who has the power
- City, with others The city can offer funding and space, and community groups would run the networks.
Universal breakfast and lunch at Vancouver School Board
COPE would make sure no child is hungry with a universal breakfast and lunch program at the Vancouver School Board. The platform cites US research that grocery chains cut prices for everyone in areas with universal school meals for elementary students.
- Who has the power
- School Board The School Board runs Vancouver's public schools, and school funding is set by the Province.
Use the city's buying power to buy from local farmers
The party would use the city's buying power to buy in bulk from local farmers and sell the food at a discount to affordable community grocers, non-profits, public grocers and school meal programs.
- Who has the power
- City Council Council sets the city's purchasing rules and budget.
Expand meal programs, community kitchens and gardens
COPE would expand healthy and affordable meal programs, set up community kitchens, expand community gardens, seed sharing and food storage, and support skill sharing and training, working toward what it calls food justice and food security.
- Who has the power
- City, with others Council can fund these programs, while gardens in parks are managed by the Park Board.
WHO WOULD HAVE TO ACT
Where the power sits for this chapter
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Questions about make groceries more affordable
What is COPE's public grocery store plan?
COPE would set up a public grocery pilot project to provide affordable groceries in the Vancouver neighbourhoods with the most need (platform, page 14).
Does COPE want a food waste law in Vancouver?
Yes. COPE would pass an edible food recovery law aimed at big box stores and chain restaurants, so that edible food goes to people in place of being thrown away (platform, page 14).
Does COPE support free school meals in Vancouver?
Yes. COPE backs a universal breakfast and lunch program at the Vancouver School Board. The School Board runs the schools, and school funding is set by the Province (platform, pages 14 and 20).
How would COPE lower grocery prices?
COPE would use the city's buying power to buy in bulk from local farmers and sell the food at a discount to community grocers, non-profits, public grocers and school meal programs. It would also protect affordable community grocers from rent hikes and sell-offs (platform, page 14).
Who would run COPE's food programs?
Council could fund the grocery pilot, the bulk buying and the Food System Planner jobs through the city budget. Community groups would run the distribution networks, and the School Board would run school meals (platform, page 14).
ON THE BALLOT
The COPE candidates behind this
Sources
Every commitment on this page comes from the party's own material, marked SAYS SO ITSELF. It proves what the party says it would do. Who holds each power is our own addition, from the sources listed after it.
- Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 Platform (PDF) SAYS SO ITSELFCOPE · pages 14 · checked