OFA engages election candidates on food security and supply chain resilience

Ontario’s provincial election campaign is now in full swing, and across the province, candidates are engaging with voters in hopes of capturing their support at the ballot box. In turn, voters want to know where candidates stand on the issues that matter most to them.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has been meeting candidates from all major parties for the last several months now in both urban and rural ridings to help build awareness of food, farming and how supporting economic investments in agri-food and our rural communities will provide benefit to the entire province.

As a farmer who lives in a mostly rural riding, I welcomed the opportunity to sit down and meet with candidates from urban ridings in the Greater Toronto Area. It was a chance to share the election priorities of farmers and rural communities with them, but it was also interesting to learn about what matters to their constituents – and how what we need to thrive and support economic growth will provide benefit for all Ontarians.

Agriculture is one of Ontario’s main economic drivers, contributing more than $47 billion a year to the provincial economy and supporting close to one million jobs across the province. There’s no doubt the industry will also have a vital role in our post-pandemic economic recovery, contributing to employment and growth – and government is a key partner in helping to make that happen through policy, legislation and investment.

Source: OFA