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NFU supports Ontario Buy Local Food Act

September 23, 2010, St.
Marys, Ont. – The National Farmers Union is pledging its support for the
proposed Government of Ontario Buy Local Food Act, a private member’s bill that
was introduced recently by NDP leader Andrea Horwath in the Ontario
legislature.

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}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 16pt; font-family: Times; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }September 23, 2010, St.
Marys, Ont. – The National Farmers Union is pledging its support for the
proposed Government of Ontario Buy Local Food Act, a private member’s bill that
was introduced recently by NDP leader Andrea Horwath in the Ontario
legislature.

The bill will require
all provincial government ministries to put local food first.

“For many years, the
National Farmers Union has called on the Government of Ontario to support
initiatives to increase the production, marketing and consumption of local
food,” said St. Marys area farmer and NFU board member Ann Slater.

In addition to requiring
provincial ministries to buy local food, the Government of Ontario Buy Local
Food Act sets targets for local organic/local sustainable food. The targets are
five per cent local organic/local sustainable food beginning in 2015, and 10
per cent local organic/local sustainable food by 2020.   

“The NFU’s Sustainable
Agriculture Policy encourages efforts by farmers, governments and the public to
build a more sustainable local and organic farming system,” said Sean McGivern,
Grey County farmer and NFU Region 3 (Ontario) coordinator.

In 2005, the NFU
published a paper for the ministers of agriculture conference, which identified
the root causes of the ongoing farm income crisis and providing a list of
solutions.

“Market development for
local organic and local food was on that list,” said McGivern. 

The NFU is urging all
parties in the Ontario legislature to support the government with the Ontario
Buy Local Food Act.

“The NFU believes our
food system should be economically viable, socially just and ecologically
sound,” said Slater. “We are asking all members of the provincial legislature
to support this bill, and show leadership in moving towards such a food system
along with providing farmers with a market for locally-produced food and
locally-grown organic and sustainable products.”