Foodgrains bank commits $1.7 million
More than 60,000 people in seven countries will benefit from eight projects worth $1.7 million committed by Canadian Foodgrains Bank in May.
The projects are being implemented by the Mennonite Central Committee, the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, Presbyterian World Service and Development, and Emergency Relief & Development Overseas (ERDO), in collaboration with their local partners.
One project in Kenya, which is organized by ERDO, supports the efforts of female-headed households in the pastoral Marsabit community to recover from two recent droughts.
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This project, now in its fourth year and worth $179,000, is providing 100 widows a year with livestock and animal husbandry training. They raise their livestock, and the first female offspring is then passed on to another needy widow in the community.
Another project, through Presbyterian World Service and Development in Guatemala, is also responding to severe drought. It provides emergency food to 4,240 families, or 21,200 people, in 43 communities for two months.
Other projects committed in May include:
- An agriculture and livelihoods project in Cambodia through the Mennonite Central Committee. It is worth $175,000 and benefits 20,500 people.
- A food assistance project in Ethiopia through the Evangelical Mission Church of Canada, with financial support from the United Church of Canada, is worth $94,000 and benefits 3,500 people.
- A nutrition project in Nicaragua through Presbyterian World Service & Development is worth $67,000 and benefits 1,360 people.
- An agriculture and livelihoods project in South Africa through the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada is worth $90,000 and benefits 600 people.
- An agriculture and livelihoods project in South Africa through the Mennonite Central Committee, with financial support from the United Church of Canada, is worth $195,000
- A food assistance project in Syria through the Mennonite Central Committee is worth $323,000 and benefits 12,500 people.
The federal government supports projects through the Foodgrains Bank.
CFIA proposes food label changes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is seeking feedback on options to change food labels and the food labelling system.
Specific options, such as revising the format of best before dates, expanding food class names and changing the required contact information for food dealers are proposed in an online survey for comment.
The survey will be available until June 30.
The proposals have been grouped into four themes:
- Food labelling regulations, including best before dates, ingredient class names, legibility and information placement, enhancing dealer name and address, highlighted ingredients and amending and updating food standards.
- Service delivery, which includes the online labelling tool, access to guidance documents and availability of technical expertise.
- Policy development, which includes alignment with international standards-trade partners and on-going government-industry collaboration.
- Roles and responsibilities, including increased leadership by industry, access to regulators and determining who is responsible for consumer education.
The questionnaire can be found at www.inspection.gc.ca/labelling.
Open Farm Days
Manitoba has scheduled its Open Farm Day for Sept. 20.
The deadline to register to host during this year’s event has been extended to July 10.
More than 8,000 people visited 47 farms across the province last year, to learn about producers and farming.
Benefits to a host farm include:
- Free advertising and promotion of the farm through the Manitoba Agriculture website, printed materials and word of mouth.
- An opportunity to educate visitors.
- A chance to be an ambassador for agriculture in Manitoba and Canada.
- An opportunity to test the market by offering a farm’s activities and products.
- An opportunity to potentially gain a larger client base.
Applications can be emailed to Jacqueline.simpson-cleaver@gov.mb.ca or faxed to 204-239-3180.
