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Local Solutions to Global Challenges - Global Greenbelts Conference Proceedings

Conference Attendees

As you may know, the Friends of the Greeneblt Foundation hosted the Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto, Canada from March 22nd to 24th 2011. The conference brought together a dynamic mix of people from around the world and had successul exchange of information through preseation sessions and discussion regarding to greenbelt issues.

The conference proceedings highlights some of the most prominent themes that emerged from the conference. These themes are aptly expressed through the stories of a number of different greenbelts. You can download a copy at the bottom of this article. 

The conference also resulted in a call to action to establish a Global Greenbelts Network, which will be useful for sharing research and tools, successes, challenges, and good proactices and solutions.

If you would like to see what the Global Greenbelts Network is all about, check out the yahoo group found here:http://yhoo.it/iOy4sQ 

You can also subscribe and stay connected with what's happening in the Network by emailing globalgreenbeltsnetwork-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Downloads

The Greenbelt Foundation is

  • Creating Greenbeltfresh.ca, the leading electronic marketplace to source local, Greenbelt foods from over 600 producers

  • Bridging farming and hiking interests to acknowledge environmental progress by farmers

  • Funding policy changes to encourage more local food to be sold in Durham

  • Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO

  • Funding the Holland Marsh Growers’ transition from an export, commodity focus to one that serves the local market with value- added products

  • Supporting development of action plans for a variety of agricultural areas and commodities

  • Contributing $2.65 million to Greenbelt farmers to improve their operations (leveraging millions of dollars from federal sources), and to employ the opportunities of the Green Energy Act

  • Partnering with Harbourfront Centre to tell the story of Ontario’s Greenbelt to 12 million people via a year-long, outdoor photography exhibit

  • Engaged Hamilton schools to switch to Greenbelt food for their students

  • Hosted the first ever Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto in March 2011 with speakers and delegates from over nine countries

  • Convincing Peel school boards to buy Greenbelt food for students

  • Funding visionary planning processes such as the new Cootes to Escarpment Park Management Plan, and a massive reforestation plan in Rouge Park

  • Supporting the creation of new multi-cultural crops and development of ethnic local food guides in Toronto and York Region

  • Supporting the creation of an award-winning Greenbelt granola bar

  • Supporting interested Greenbelt Farmers to Go Organic

  • Successfully merging social welfare initiatives with environmental concerns

  • Enhancing Farmers’ Markets, increasing sales for farmers in the Greenbelt and beyond

  • Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara

  • Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter

  • Engaging with over 170 million Ontarians directly through our marketing, events and communications activities

  • Creating a network of Farmer’s Markets to help improve our local food economy

  • Funding research and analysis on greenbelts around the globe which concluded that Ontario’s Greenbelt is the most robust in the world, with a strong legal and policy framework

  • Identifying barriers to opening markets for Greenbelt farmers and proposing solutions

  • Supporting the Credit Valley Conservation Authority to protect and restore wetlands

  • Supporting the development of multi-cultural crops and training new Canadian Farmers

  • Participating strategically in growing the Greenbelt by working with Toronto, Peel, Halton, and Guelph

  • Supporting changing the City of Toronto policy to adopt a local food purchasing bylaw for city facilities

  • Assisting in designing new policies to protect Lake Simcoe through timely research

  • Reaching over 75 million by placing 220 permanent highway and regional road signs to ensure Ontarians and visitors know about this valuable protected area

  • Bringing thousands of Ontarians out into the Greenbelt each year through grantee activities and the Annual Tour de Greenbelt cycling event

  • Hosting the successful Tour de Greenbelt to promote Ontario’s Greenbelt as a tourism destination

  • Increasing amount of Greenbelt food in food share program 140%

  • Securing local food procurement commitments for Peel, U of T. City of Toronto Facilities and Markham

  • Securing local food procurement commitments for Peel schools, City of Toronto, City of Markham and others

  • Supporting the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance to foster strong Greenbelt Plan implementation at the municipal level

  • Building a local food economy from developing new markets to enhancing distribution channels

  • Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas

  • Providing grants and support to significantly increase sales at farmers’ markets

 
Learn more about what the Greenbelt Foundation has done for you »

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