Sustain Ontario’s 2015 Pre-Budget Submission
Posted: February 17, 2015
Categories: GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Ontario / Ontario Food Policy
Over the past several weeks, the Ontario Minister of Finance hosted pre-budget consultations with stakeholders across the province. We reached out to Members to inform Sustain Ontario’s 2015 pre–budget submission, sent to Minister Sousa on Friday, February 13th.
As in previous years, the alliance’s submission advocates for new and continued investment in strategic food systems programs and infrastructure, including inter-ministerial coordination to strengthen and prioritize food policy at the provincial level. This year’s letter focused on renewed spending to support the Local Food Act goals and continued support for food security work from the Healthy Communities Fund. Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:
“Over the past year, we have witnessed important new and expanded spending on key food systems issues, including:
- The implementation of the Local Food Act, including the recently announced goals around food literacy and the new Community Food Program Donation Tax Credit – which is encouraging farmers to donate more of their products to community food programs.
- Continued investments through the Local Food Fund, which is currently supporting 117 innovative local food projects across the province with a provincial commitment of over $17.4 million, as well as funding through the Greenbelt Fund to encourage and support the broader public sector in buying more local food.
- The creation of the new Food and Beverage Growth Fund, with a commitment of $40 million per year for strategic investments in the food and beverage processing and bioproduct sectors.
- An expansion of the Student Nutrition Program with $32 million in additional funding over the next three years to support 340 new breakfast programs in higher-need elementary and secondary schools, including on-reserve First Nations’ schools.
These significant investments, especially in a time of limited resources, demonstrate the province’s commitment to building a healthy, ecological, equitable and financially viable food system in Ontario. They also show the government understands that investing in food and farming generates a solid financial return. In Dollars and Sense: Opportunities to Strengthen Ontario’s Food System, a recent study commissioned by the Greenbelt Foundation, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and the Metcalf Foundation, it is estimated that for every dollar spent by the farming and food manufacturing sectors, an additional $1.24 and $1.47 respectively is generated in the broader economy, especially in rural communities where agriculture and food processing are often significant economic drivers. However, the returns are not only economic. A healthy, sustainable food system that provides for the needs of all of its members also creates social, environmental and health benefits, now and in the future.
We strongly encourage the Ontario government to continue to invest in these and other programs that support healthy food systems in the province. We also feel that there are some budgetary measures that will strengthen these commitments. We urge the government to consider the following recommendations to help develop and implement on-the-ground, innovative solutions that will build healthy, sustainable, equitable and economically-viable local and regional food systems in urban and rural communities across Ontario.”
See the full 2015 Pre-Budget Submission from Sustain Ontario.
For more information, read the 2014 Pre-Budget Submission sent on behalf of the alliance for healthy food and farming.
Did you send a pre–budget submission on behalf of your organization or business? We invite you to send us a copy along with an indication of whether or not you would like it to be shared publicly. We share a collection of related submissions from Members and allies on the Sustain Ontario website. See the 2014 Pre-Budget Submissions from Members and allies.