Two Ontario farm coalitions formed 14 years ago to promote the good production practices and safety of food produced by Ontario farmers have decided to unite into a single voice.
Agricultural Groups Concerned about Resources and the Environment (AGCare) and the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) will amalgamate Jan. 1. Members of both groups voted to unite at a special meeting in Guelph, Ont., Aug. 26.
“An amalgamation of two Ontario agricultural coalitions will become the first of its kind in Canada, bringing together the crops, horticulture and livestock sectors,” said an Aug. 31 announcement from the two groups.
“This new organization will be better able to answer consumer questions about food and farming in the years to come.”
AGCare is a coalition of farm groups representing 45,000 crop farmers. It was created to promote the safety of Ontario produce and defend the environmental and food safety record of Ontario farmers. Among its mandates is responding to criticisms of pesticide use and arguments against use of genetically modified seed varieties.
OFAC is a coalition of livestock and poultry farmers that defends food safety, farming methods and animal welfare practices.
The name of the new organization will be announced in the autumn.
