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B.C. food and local food literacy

Last updated on March 13, 2025

Find resources for incorporating B.C. foods into school food programs and providing local food literacy opportunities.

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About Feed BC in B.C. schools

Feed BC is a provincial government initiative to increase the use of B.C. food in B.C. public institutions. As part of the Feeding Futures program, the Province is working with school districts and food supply chain partners to include Feed BC in new and expanded school food programs.

This work supports the Feeding Futures Guiding Principles to support B.C. foods to grow local communities, economies and food system resilience. 

Feed BC is supporting school food programs to:  

  • Increase the use of B.C. foods in school food programs over time, with a goal of working towards 30% B.C. food purchases
  • Incorporate learning opportunities about local food, agriculture and food systems into food programs 

​Defining B.C. food

Feed BC defines a B.C. food as a final food product that is produced and/or processed within B.C.  

B.C. produced foods

 Raw food products that are grown, caught, harvested or raised within B.C.

B.C. processed foods

 Foods that have undergone at least one of the following activities:

Local B.C. squash being cut and prepared.

Physical alterations

For example: 

  • Chopping
  • Grinding
  • Shredding

Frozen B.C. berries on a conveyor belt ready for packing.

Extension of shelf life

For example:

  • Freezing
  • Canning
  • Drying

Woman taking baking sheets out of the oven to cool.

Combining ingredients

For example: 

  • Mixing salad greens 
  • Baking muffins
  • Blending juices

Note: Cleaning, washing, bagging, packaging and/or wrapping are not considered food processing unless combined with one of the three food processing activities listed above.

B.C. food examples

B.C. food

  • Tofu processed and packaged in B.C.
  • Fruit from California that is washed, sliced and packaged in B.C.
  • Bread, muffins or cookies mixed and baked in a B.C. bakery, grocery store or other commercial facility, even if made with ingredients from outside of B.C.
  • Soup made from scratch by a caterer in a commercial facility in B.C. and sold to a school

Not B.C. food

  • Beef that is raised, processed and frozen in Alberta, and re-packaged in B.C.
  • Fruit from California that is washed and packaged in B.C. (but does not undergo slicing or other processing activity in B.C.)
  • Soup that was made in Ontario, and portioned and sold by a B.C. caterer

Read Feed BC's Guide to Tracking B.C. Food Purchases in K-12 School Food Programs (PDF, 2.5MB) for more details and examples.

Benefits of choosing B.C. food

More B.C. food in school food programs increases students’ access to local food and supports the local economy. With a wealth of B.C. food producers and processors in the province, B.C.’s food and agriculture sector:

  • Creates jobs
  • Supports economic development in all regions of the province 
  • Builds the provincial food supply and food system resilience 

Every British Columbian is connected to the food system, whether by growing food, processing food, gathering traditional foods or enjoying the meals on our plates. 

Bringing B.C. food into school programs helps students, schools and communities by: 

Strengthening regional food systems

  • Helps B.C. businesses grow and adapt to local needs
  • Gives schools some flexibility to customize their food programs
  • Can help schools stay resilient if global or national supply chains are disrupted

Building the economy

Increasing students’ food systems knowledge and connections

  • Fosters relationships between schools and community
  • Creates educational opportunities for students to learn about food skills, agriculture, food systems, climate and culture

Sourcing and tracking B.C. food

B.C.’s agriculture, food and beverage sector is one of the most diverse in Canada, with a wide range of price competitive everyday food products.

Find helpful information and resources to source and use B.C. foods for school food programs in Feed BC’s introductory Guide to Sourcing B.C. Food in K-12 School Food Programs (PDF, 2.2MB). 

You can also:

Tracking food purchases helps to measure and recognize progress towards B.C. sourcing goals, to better understand food purchasing decisions and identify opportunities to source more B.C. foods.

Learn about the five key steps to start tracking B.C. foods in Feed BC’s Guide to Tracking B.C. Food Purchases in K-12 School Food Programs (PDF, 2.5MB).

Local food literacy

Local food literacy is the understanding and appreciation of local food. This includes:

  • How it is grown, processed, distributed and shared
  • Its impact on society and the environment

It’s about fostering a positive relationship with local food and making informed choices to support local and sustainable food systems, ultimately contributing to food security. 

Benefits of local food literacy

Developing local food literacy helps students form a meaningful connection to where their food comes from and the people behind it. This equips them with the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to actively contribute to resilient local food systems. 

Local food literacy in K-12 schools

The BC curriculum supports food literacy in K-12 schools. For ideas on how to incorporate local food literacy into the classroom, check out Farm to School BC and BC Agriculture in the Classroom.

Find more local food literacy resources on the Feed BC in K-12 webpage.

Contact Feed BC

We’re here to help! Email us at FeedBC@gov.bc.ca to get support for:

  • Sourcing and tracking B.C. foods
  • Local food literacy at your school

Are you a food business interested in selling to school food programs? Visit the Feed BC website.