New National Food Policy Supported by #Budget2019
Posted: March 20, 2019
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites
from Lynn Roblin, MSc. RD, Senior Policy Consultant
Nutrition Resource Centre, Ontario Public Health Association
Sustain Ontario Board of Directors
The federal government introduces its first ever Food Policy for Canada and proposes to invest $134.4 million over five years beginning in 2019-20, with $5.2 million going towards a new suite of new measures.
$15 million over five years will support community-led projects as part of the Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund, to support community freezers, greenhouses, local food production projects and skills training for local and Indigenous food producers.
There are 4 areas for near-term action:
1) Help Canadian communities access healthy food;
2) Make Canadian food the top choices at home and abroad;
3) Support food security in northern and Indigenous communities;
4) Reduce food waste.
In addition to food waste, the government is also taking action on plastic waste.
Here are some highlights:
– The government intends to work with provinces and territories toward the creation of a National School Food Program, but funding is not mentioned;
– Local food infrastructure fund to support local food projects including at food banks, farmers markets and other community-driven projects;
– Buy Canadian promotion campaign;
– Tackling food fraud and food waste including taking action on plastic waste.