OTTAWA, ON – The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) welcomes the release of Canada’s first National Food Security Strategy.
Today’s announcement is an important recognition of what FVGC has long advocated: food security depends on Canada’s ability to grow food here at home and support a strong, resilient and competitive domestic food production sector.
For several years, FVGC has been calling on the federal government to apply a stronger food security lens to policies, regulations and programs that affect Canadian fruit and vegetable production. Today’s strategy reflects growing recognition that food security is not only about access to food, but also about the ability to grow and process food here at home.
“Food security starts with the ability to grow food here at home,” said Marcus Janzen, President of the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada. “Canada’s fruit and vegetable growers are facing immense pressure, from rising fertilizer and fuel costs and labour challenges to extreme weather, pests, disease and market uncertainty. Growers have been clear that domestic primary food production must be treated as a national priority. Today’s strategy is an important step toward recognizing the role growers and processors play in feeding Canadians, strengthening supply chains and supporting a more resilient food system.”
Canada’s fruit and vegetable growers are essential to Canada’s Food Security Strategy. From field and orchard-grown crops to greenhouse production, growers provide Canadians with access to healthy, fresh and nutritious food, while supporting jobs, rural communities and the long-term strength of Canada’s food system.
The strategy’s focus on grocery competition is also an important step for growers. Fruit and vegetable growers produce the food Canadians rely on, but they often operate in a marketplace where large grocery chains hold significant negotiating power. A stronger, fairer and more competitive grocery sector is essential to ensure growers can remain financially viable while Canadians continue to have access to fresh, affordable produce.
FVGC is also encouraged by the government’s commitment to regulatory improvements, including recognition that growers need timely access to crop inputs such as fertilizers and pest control products to remain productive and competitive. These tools are essential to managing pests and diseases, maintaining yields, protecting crops, and growing food for Canadians. FVGC urges Members of Parliament to pass Bill C-30 and move forward with important regulatory changes that apply a stronger food lens to federal decision-making, including consideration of food production and food security.
“Growers support strong, science-based regulatory decisions that protect human health, food safety and the environment,” said Janzen. “At the same time, Canada’s regulatory system must also recognize the practical realities of food production and the importance of maintaining access to the tools growers need to produce food sustainably.”
The strategy’s focus on strengthening Canada’s year-round food supply is especially important for improving food security and reducing vulnerability in Canada’s domestic food system. Canada’s fruit and vegetable growers, including greenhouse producers and controlled environment agriculture operations, play a critical role in providing Canadians with access to fresh, healthy food throughout the year while supporting domestic production, economic growth, trade, and food system resilience.
FVGC looks forward to reviewing the full details of the strategy and working with the Government of Canada to ensure implementation reflects the needs of Canadian fruit and vegetable growers. While today’s announcement is an important step, the success of the strategy will depend on the actions that follow. FVGC will judge this strategy by its execution and by whether it leads to practical, measurable improvements for growers, including stronger domestic and processing production, fairer market conditions, timely access to crop protection inputs, and a more resilient year-round food supply.
“Today’s announcement must be the beginning of sustained action,” said Janzen. “A food security strategy will be most effective if it strengthens domestic production, improves fairness in the marketplace, supports year-round supply and ensures regulatory decisions are both science-based and informed by the realities of Canadian food production.”
Source : FVCG