2. Demand for Ethnocultural Vegetables (ECV) in the GTA
Huge GTA Demographic Changes since 1967
Our 2010 study: $61 million/month
Horticultural Opportunity: ~$800,000,000/year

3. Local Summer production
ECV Value Chains
Backyard
ECV Consumer
Farmers Markets
CSA /Home delivery,
Contract systems
Websites
Farmers
Market
SM /Chain Stores
Ethnic
Stores
Restaurants
Logistics &
Support services:
Transport
Processing
Packaging
Distribution
Storage
Advertising
Etc.
Direct Purchasing
Pick your own
ECV FARMERS
Ontario Food
Terminal
Direct
Importers
Input Supplies:
Seeds
Tools &
Equipment
Land
Labour
Finance
Insurance
Fertilizer
Agro-chemicals
Extension
Market information
Etc.
Small scale
(New)
Large scale
(Experienced)
Summer
Local production
Organic
Local Summer production
Outside
Canada)
Winter production
(e.g. Mexico)
Inputs
Inputs

4. Ongoing Research
VRIC, OFVGA, Univ. of Guelph, OMAFRA, etc. are promoting ongoing research on locally grown World Crops (Ethnocultural Vegetables) such as.
Okra
Smooth Amaranth (callaloo)
Yardlong Beans
Chinese greens, Bok Choi, etc.
Asian eggplant
Daikon radish,
Bitter melon, etc.

5. Are Ontario Farmers’ Markets Sufficiently Inclusive?
Affected by Farmers’ Crop Choices and Decisions About What to Sell at Their Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ Market Research Methods
Cross-over Impact of Ethno-cultural Vegetables is expanding

6. Community Shared Agriculture (CSAs) are becoming more open to supplying Ethnocultural Vegetables
More than 250 ON CSAs have developed along with the Local Food Movement as another alternative to the Corporate Food Regime
CSAs produce lots of ECV and can be very enabling for culturally appropriate food production and consumption while expanding the reach of ECV

7. Contradictions Exist Between
Cheaper industrial diet & healthy ethnocultural vegetables;
Corporate Food Regime and Local Food Movement;
Long and short distance ECV value chains;
Capitalist farmers & both super-exploited peasants abroad and local temporary foreign workers;
Industrial agriculture and small, organic ECV growers;
Between European descent horticulturalists and multi- ethnic immigrant wholesale and retail consumers.

8. Increasing Local ECV Production and Consumption
Change our Human Rights Code to require access to culturally appropriate food;
Make Farmers’ Markets and CSAs more inclusive;
Encourage more Food Hubs like Toronto’s ‘the STOP’;
Expand and disseminate (KTT) horticulture research into how to grow ECV locally.