GUELPH, ON – A new initiative to help young people make healthy food choices was launched today as part of Ontario Agriculture Week.
Six by Sixteen is a new food literacy program developed by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) to teach young people how to plan and prepare six nutritious (and locally sourced) meals by the time they are 16 years old. OFA has created an online hub of resources for parents, health professionals and young teens to promote local food and healthy food choices.
“We’ve partnered with commodity groups to use the tremendous amount of materials already available to help Ontario’s younger generation learn how to make healthy choices,” says Don McCabe, OFA President. “When we teach our children to make good food choices, we prepare them for a lifetime of health.”
OFA, along with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) identified the importance of food literacy in the National Food Strategy, a vision for food and agriculture in Canada that is meant to guide policy development in the food system. OFA’s launch of Six by Sixteen is part of the organization’s efforts to strengthen food literacy. OFA strongly believes food literacy contributes to lifelong wellbeing, a sustainable health care system and supports our agri-food sector.
“Having knowledge of local food and supporting the industry that grows local food helps strengthen our communities, supports a sustainable environment, creates jobs and boosts our local economies. Industry initiatives, such as the Six by Sixteen campaign, are positive ways to create awareness of both healthy eating and the good things that grow, right here, in Ontario,” says Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organization in Ontario, representing 37,000 farm families across the province. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.
Source: OFA