Our Mission & Aspiration

We are passionate about local food and helping markets, farmers and small businesses grow so local food continues to thrive. Our mission is to support, develop and promote farmers’ markets in British Columbia.

 

Who we are

We are a registered BC society that is committed to developing and strengthening the capacity of farmers’ markets in all regions of British Columbia. Our key areas of focus are:

  • Providing education and training to market boards, managers and vendors
  • Helping promote farmers’ markets to the public and key industry stakeholders
  • Educating the public to choose healthy British Columbia grown agricultural products to ensure a secure food system, to reduce the carbon footprint and to ensure the viability of farming into the future
  • Initiating and managing research and development activities
  • Delivering a unified industry voice for all British Columbia farmers’ markets

 

What we aspire to

BCAFM strategic goals in the next 5 years 2026 to 2030 include:
  1. Farmer Focus: BCAFM will strive to strengthen the success of farmers and support farmers’ markets to do the same.
  2. Advocacy: BCAFM will strengthen and focus its advocacy to ensure farmers markets and their vendors have the advocacy tools they need to build and maintain supportive and sustaining relationships with all levels of government, including First Nations. 
  3. More Investment: BCAFM will work to increase public financial investment in farmers markets and farmers as essential drivers of local food systems, community health and economic well-being across BC. 
  4. Farmers’ Markets’ Capacity: BCAFM will ensure Farmers’ Markets and their vendors are stronger and able to benefit from a network of sustaining operational supports that work across regions to meet diverse needs. 
  5. Sector Sustainability: In order to ensure our FM sector and members are sustainable and thriving, BCAFM as the sector representative needs to have the capacity to be thriving and viable.
In pursuit of these goals, BCAFM is committed to applying and advancing all of our guiding principles as well as our commitment to Indigenous Reconciliation and the interconnections between farmers markets and thriving Indigenous communities.
EQUITY, JUSTICE, DECOLONIZATION STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
BCAFM is committed to knowledge sharing for the gathering, raising and growing of food, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and works towards eradicating poverty and inequitable gatekeeping. BCAFM is committed to also approaching these through a decolonization lens. BCAFM is committed to Indigenous Reconciliation and Indigenous Food Sovereignty in BC and the interconnections between farmers markets and thriving Indigenous communities. BCAFM will focus its EJDI actions to actively engaging in movements to ensure all BC residents have sufficient income and resources so they can afford to buy healthful and culturally appropriate foods; prioritize dismantling systemic barriers that restrict access to spaces and knowledge for growing, raising and gathering food.

Our guiding principles

Our guiding principles reflect both our current and aspirational vision, and are meant to support us in realizing our mission.

Resiliency

We aim for farmers’ markets to support diverse local communities and livelihoods to support local economies, and endeavour to have an active role in addressing climate change in building a just and sustainable local food system.

Connection

We are rooted and connected to our food, communities, the land, our shared history and collective future. We foster diverse relationships between farmers, growers, food processors, artisans and farmers’ market communities as part of an interconnected system.

Innovation

We embrace adaptability, diversity, and locality. We encourage members to leverage their unique strengths and attributes, and seek opportunities for BCAFM and its members to evolve in an ever changing food system.

Equity, Social Justice & Decolonization
We acknowledge that centering equity, social justice and decolonization is imperative to address food system inequities, and recognize the intersections of local food systems, colonialism, and systemic racism. We work towards achieving food justice where every person has equal access to diverse local foods and participation in the farmers’ market sector. This includes an ongoing commitment to Indigenous Reconciliation.

Empowerment

We nurture organizational and member capacity and recognize the need for diverse perspectives and strategies to participate in the farmers’ market sector. Through our member centred approach, we develop and promote tools and best practices that seek to empower members to realize their own self-determination.

Joy & Celebration

We believe in the sustenance and vitality that farmers’ markets bring to their communities and the local food sector. We encourage members to celebrate the various and dynamic ways that farmers’ markets nourish us and bring us together.

Mission Statement

To support, develop and promote farmers' markets in British Columbia.

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