Food Forward Hopes Wynne Can Champion Ontario Food Policy

Feb 25, 2013

Toronto-Based Organization Wants Premier Wynne to Review the Local Food Act

If you thought agriculture and food were only topics that rural and small-town Ontarians cared about, you thought wrong.

A Toronto-based non-profit organization dubbed ‘Food Forward’ that seeks to act as a united voice for good food and good food jobs, is calling on Premier Wynne to work towards developing a meaningful food policy. The group hopes that with the right food policy that it would spur job creation while making way for a healthier Ontario. Wynne has taken on the role of Minister of Agriculture and Food in addition to being Premier.

“There is a growing need to have a minister dedicated to the defence of our food system, which is struggling to generate good income for farmers and workers growing local sustainable food, and provide access to food for all,” said Darcy Higgins, Executive Director of Food Forward.

In a press release, the organization says that despite the Premier’s error in having to re-do her oath as Minister of Agriculture and Food, after forgetting “Food” during the first swearing-in; the organization is pleased with her willingness to take on this portfolio.

“Food is our biggest job provider province-wide, and has the ability to generate more opportunities, especially for young people, immigrants and low income people” said Higgins.

Food Forward would like Wynne to keep her promise that she made during her campaign to not only reintroduce the Local Food Act, but review it again to look at ways to strengthen it with am enhanced jobs focus. During the campaign, Wynne sent a letter to Food Forward promising that a Local Food Act would be a priority if elected.

More information about Food Forward can be found on their website.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.