Healthy, High-Quality Canadian Food for Canadians: National Food Policy in Agri-Food Mandate Letter
Posted: November 18, 2015
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Ontario / Policy News
On Friday November 13th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released the federal mandate letters, describing the duties and responsibilities his ministers need to fulfill. An exciting highlight is the Agri-Food mandate letter including promising language of a national food policy that promotes healthy living and Canadian-grown foods.
Not only is this a tribute to governmental transparency, it also reveals the duties and responsibilities all the Cabinet Ministers. Regarding food, the Agri-Food Mandate Letter that Prime Minister Trudeau issued to Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay the following directions:
- “Develop a food policy that promotes healthy living and safe food by putting more healthy, high-quality food, produced by Canadian ranchers and farmers, on the tables of families across the country.”
- “…As Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, your overarching goal will be to support the agricultural sector in a way that allows it to be a leader in job creation and innovation. You will implement our government’s plan to help Canada’s agriculture sector be more innovative, safer, and stronger. Canada’s farmers, ranchers and food processors are the foundation of our food sector. Government must use its policy and financial tools to support the agricultural sector in its vital work. This includes helping the sector, including getting product to market, water management, research and innovation, food safety and export support. …”
According to Food Secure Canada, who led a national coalition in the Eat Think Vote Campaign on the need for such policy: “The mandate letters make Ministers accountable for a collaborative style of leadership within the federal government and with other levels of government, and state an important commitment to renewing a nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples.”
Further Reading
For an overview of all the federal mandate letters related to food, read “Food Policy on New Federal Government Agenda” with analysis by Kathleen Gibson (FSC Board) and Diana Bronson (FSC Executive Director).
In 2014, the Government of Ontario released its mandate letters for the members of Premier Wynne’s Cabinet. Read our blog post covering their relevance to food and farming in Ontario.