Ontario PCs Aim to Strengthen Local Food Act through Proposed Amendments

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The Ontario Progressive Conservative’s MPP Ernie Hardeman, Critic for Agriculture and Food, announced that the PC Caucus has put forward amendments to the Local Food Act legislation. Hardeman says the PCs believe the act should be “strengthened” and should be “meaningful,” which he strives to do through several amendments.

One of the amendments would require the Minister of Agriculture and Food to work with agri-food stakeholders to establish industry targets. “The amendment also would require that the targets be real, rather than aspirational,” Hardeman said in a release. Currently, the legislation reads that the Minister ‘may’ set targets, which Hardeman believes isn’t persuasive enough in order to have a positive impact on promoting local food consumption.

Some of the PCs amendments include:

• Move Local Food Week so that it does not conflict with Ontario Agriculture Week;
• Establish a 25 percent tax credit for farmers who donate agriculture products to the province’s food banks;
• Include a component of food literacy into the school curriculum  

Progress on the creation of the Local Food Act has been stalled several times. The original bill died in Oct. 2012 when the legislature was prorogued. While the Ontario Liberals reintroduced the bill this spring, hearings have only recently been held on the legislation.