Tory Amendment Would Give Farmers a Tax Credit Who Donate to Food Banks

Tory Amendment Would Give Farmers a Tax Credit Who Donate to Food Banks

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives say giving a tax break to farmers who donate produce to food banks would address two societal problems – food waste and hunger.

Tory MPPs Bob Baily and Ernie Hardeman say farmers dispose an average of 25 million pounds of food a year, that they can’t sell, which could be given to those who need it. They have put forward an amendment to the Local Food Act which would give a non-refundable tax credit worth 25 percent of the wholesale value to farmers who donate their produce to food banks. The amendment would also allow unused tax credits to be used for up to five years.

“This tax credit will help ensure that local Ontario food gets to some of the people who need it the most,” said Hardeman, noting that people who use food banks should have access to more nutritious food.

Hardeman said the Local Food Act currently does nothing to boost local food consumption outside of government. This will be the second amendment the PCs have introduced - the earlier one was aimed at increasing food literacy education in schools.