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The Windsor Essex Food Policy Council produces and disseminates Food System Reports that assesses the state of the regions food system, including activities in production, distribution, consumption, waste generation and composting, nutrition and food assistance program participation and innovative food system programs.
In the fall of 2018, the Windsor-Essex Food Policy Council and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, with support from the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, initiated this Comprehensive Food System Assessment for Windsor and Essex County.
With a focus on the entire Windsor and Essex County region and beginning in September of 2018, an environmental scan, local research and broad stakeholder engagement were undertaken to inform this assessment. A total of 681 community connections were made through face to face community conversations, a community survey and stakeholder engagement sessions across Windsor and Essex County. Grounded in a knowledge of the local community, including both strengths and vulnerabilities, the assessment delved into assets, strengths, challenges, and opportunities in the local food system. The following provides a brief summary of findings across the various food system areas.
Windsor Essex Food Strategy
In 2024, the Windsor-Essex Food Strategy was created, building on decades’ worth of effort in food-related work in Windsor and Essex County. The Food Strategy is a tool to guide the direction of food system work across Windsor and Essex County. It will be reviewed, evaluated, and updated in regular intervals.
The following goals, recommendations and actions were developed by the residents of Windsor and Essex County. Through the Windsor-Essex Community Food Assessment (CFA)’s community engagement process, a total of 79 food system recommendations were determined. Members of the Windsor-Essex Food Policy Council took that information and were able to group common themes and determine 17 recommendations with 30 action items for the Food Strategy.
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