Photo: Mark Ungar
Zsuzsanna and I always enjoy a trip to the local farmer’s market. Whether here in Ottawa or visiting markets on our travels through Canada, people we meet always express the same sentiment: they want, and appreciate, access to healthy, safe food.
We want our food to be produced in a sustainable, environmentally responsible way. And we want to support our farmers, who produce the healthiest, safest, highest quality food in the world.
That’s why earlier today, at a local farm in King Township, Ontario, I announced that a Liberal government will implement Canada’s first comprehensive National Food Policy. This policy has five principle areas of action:
The first is healthy living which aims to support farmers markets, access to home-grown food, and healthy food promotion, education and labelling. The second ensures that we have safe food by applying tough domestic standards to food imports. The third, sustainable farm incomes, will help Canadian farmers keep on producing the highest quality food in the world over the long-term. Fourth is environmental farmland stewardship, to help farmers benefit from clean energy opportunities while protecting farmland. Fifth and finally, we need international leadership to promote Canadian food to export markets and help foster food security in the world’s poorest nations – especially in Africa.
Rural Canada matters to the health and economy of our country. After a tough year, where the economic crisis hit our farmers and agri-food sector hard, this crucial part in Canada’s economy is calling for new solutions and approaches. Liberals answered this call today – and more details on our proposal are available here. I hope you’ll take a look and let me know your thoughts.
Our commitment to introducing a National Food Policy is possible because of what I announced at Canada at 150. We would take the $5 billion to $6 billion a year the Conservatives are planning to give to large corporations in tax cuts at a time when our country simply can’t afford them, and invest in deficit reduction and economic initiatives like the National Food Policy, which will have lasting, tangible benefits for Canadians from all walks of life.
We’re committed to working from the “farm-up” instead of Ottawa-down to build farm programs that will make this country healthier. I hope you’ll take a moment to share your thoughts on this policy on Facebook and join me on May 5th to discuss it in detail during an online town hall.
Michael Ignatieff
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