Feedback from the consultations will provide the federal government with a better understanding of Canadians’ priorities when it comes to food-related issues. The results will help inform key elements of a food policy, including a long-term vision and identifying actions to take in the near term.
Ottawa has formally launched public consultations around its promised food policy for Canada after months of speculation. The policy was included in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mandate letter to Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, who made the announcement in Toronto during a speech at the Canadian Association for Food Studies Conference.
An online survey is now open at www.canada.ca/food-policy and Canadians are encouraged to share their input to help shape a food policy that will cover the entire food system, from farm to fork. Canadians can share their views on four major themes:
- increasing access to affordable food;
- improving health and food safety;
- conserving our soil, water, and air; and
- growing more high-quality food.
A Food Policy for Canada will be the first-of-its-kind for the Government of Canada, and is a new step in the government’s mandate to taking a collaborative and broad-based approach to addressing food-related issues in Canada.
The online consultation is the first of a number of engagement activities planned with a wide range of participants to inform the development of a food policy. Feedback from the consultations will provide the federal government with a better understanding of Canadians’ priorities when it comes to food-related issues. The results will help inform key elements of a food policy, including a long-term vision and identifying actions to take in the near term.
The consultations were welcomed by Food Secure Canada, which has long championed the idea of a national food strategy. “Every Canadian should be able to put healthy, affordable, sustainably grown food on their table. This is our chance to take concrete actions to reform our food system, from farm to fork. Our members across the country are excited to make their voices heard,” Diana Bronson, the group’s executive director, said in a release.
