Ontario’s 2014 Budget: What is in it for Food and Farming?
Posted: July 21, 2014
Categories: GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Ontario / Ontario Food Policy / Policy News
By Toby Davine and Ravenna Nuaimy-Barker
The 2014 budget released last week is the same as the one introduced prior to the election.
This budget includes several specific food and farming-related items, including several that Sustain Ontario recommended in our pre-budget submission. The recommendations that Sustain Ontario gave which are reflected in this budget are increased support for food infrastructure, and continuing to increase investment in student nutrition programs.
The four main elements of the 2014 budget that relate to food and farming are:
1) $40 million a year to food processing
The government has committed to $40 million annual to a food processing stream under the Jobs and Prosperity Fund. Having challenged the agri-food sector to double its annual growth rate and create 120,000 new jobs by 2020, the new funding stream was created to help the sector achieve this goal.
2) Streamlining Biogas Digester Approvals
The budget also includes a plan to streamline approvals for on-farm biogas digesters, a renewable energy source derived from farm waste (manure).
3) Increased Funding for Student Nutrition Programs
Under the new budget, the student nutrition programs funding will expand from $20 million annually to $32 million a year by 2016-17. This will include 340 new breakfast programs for an additional 56,000 children in higher-needs elementary and secondary schools, including on-reserve First Nation schools.
4) Farmer Tax Credit
Initially proposed as an amendment to the 2013 Local Food Act, the tax credit for farmers who donate to community food programs is worth 25 per cent of the value of the agricultural goods donated and is meant to encourage farmers to donate to those in need.