Local Food Procurement

A buy Ontario food procurement policy will be a timely investment in the local food economy. Demand for local food is at an all-time high. Across Ontario, public interest groups, stakeholder organizations and food enterprises have been developing innovative ways to get local food to consumers.

Photo by Laura Berman – www.greenfusephotos.com

Targeted investment in local sustainable food production, processing and procurement will spur economic growth across the province, creating new green jobs. The Government of Ontario can create the conditions for Ontario producers to access new markets and stimulate food enterprise development.

“The Ontario government could help build an infrastructure for a regional food economy, a regional system to support diversified farming, shorten the food chain and reduce the carbon footprint.”
Betsy Donald, 2009, From Kraft to Craft: Innovation and Creativity in Ontario’s Food Economy, Toronto, Martin Prosperity Institute

On April 6th, 2009 the provincial government announced of $24 million to develop the logistics to get more Ontario-grown food into the province’s schools, hospitals, food service companies and other institutions.

In response to the 2009 announcement, Sustain Ontario recommends key investments over the next three years in local food infrastructure and programs that stimulate regional food economies across the province.

1. Encourage relevant ministries to co-operate on the development and execution of a province-wide local food strategy.
2. Support regional civil society groups, stakeholder organizations and enterprises to scale-up their local food and agriculture efforts, and develop innovative partnership models to build supply chains for local food.
3. Encourage the purchasing of local and local sustainable food in all public sector food procurement contracts. Provide transition funding for institutions to develop local supply chain linkages.
4. Re-establish infrastructure to support the local food economy by developing regional food processing, abattoirs and distribution facilities, and by enabling on-farm post-harvest handling and other value-added activities.
5. Support farmers to transition to meet the surging demand for local food, and encourage production practices that shorten the food chain and reduce the carbon footprint.

Sustain Ontario members recommend that the province of Ontario balance the investment of $24 million for local food procurement between the following priority areas:

• Developing and executing a province-wide local food strategy – $3 million.
• Transitional funding for farmers and institutions to develop local supply chain linkages – $7 million.
• Supporting civil society groups, stakeholder organizations and enterprises to scale-up their regional food and agriculture efforts, and develop innovative partnership models to build supply chains for local and local sustainable food – $7 million.
• Re-establishing infrastructure to support regional food economies across the province – $7 million.

A local food procurement policy will be an investment that comes at a critical time for farmers and food enterprises struggling to develop local food supply chains across the province, and is an opportunity to strengthen regional food economies and create jobs.

Sustain Ontario members who support this initiative include:

The Stop Community Food Centre
Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Kawartha Heritage Conservancy
Toronto Food Policy Council
Local Food Plus
FarmStart
Ontario Farmland Trust