Grow Food, Not Grass

I recently attended a sustainability forum where the number one issue was food security. People want to be able to know where their food comes from, how it is produced and to be less reliant on imported food. From back yard chickens to urban bee keeping , food security issues are becoming more main stream. The Mayor of North Vancouver, Darrel Mussatto, wants the citizens of his city to turn their lawns into gardens.  So often we are looking for the big solution to some of our more complex environmental problems but the mayors solution is quite simple. Use available green space to produce food. Turn our lawns into gardens and produce more of the food that we eat. City staff are being asked to produce an urban agriculture strategy. The city wants to prevent any impediments to people growing their own food.and to provide possible incentives. I know my garden will be a bit bigger next year. How about yours? Is it a good idea for local government to become involved in food security issues?