More than 50 organizations have called on Ottawa to create a National Food Policy Council after a recommendation for an advisory body from the House of Commons agriculture committee.
The alliance of food industry, agricultural and other organizations said in a Dec. 15 letter to Agriculture Minister Lawrence Macaulay that a council would include representation from government, civil society groups, academics and private sector stakeholders “to provide consistent monitoring, well-researched advice and broad stakeholder support for A Food Policy for Canada.”
The standing committee presented its study of a food policy to the House of Commons in mid-December. It contains 21 recommendations, from the most basic of recognizing that Canadians have the right to adequate nutrition to streamlining new biotechnology approvals and supporting the organics sector to measures such as ensuring sufficient labour for the agriculture sector.
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“The committee believes that this first food policy will bring producers and consumers closer together to help them produce food responsibly, in a manner that respects the environment and animal welfare,” said the study.
The recommendation for a national advisory group comes with the acknowledgement that implementing a food policy won’t be easy.
“Given that the food policy involves many stakeholders with distinct objectives, the policy must be founded in sound partnership in order to build a common vision, common priorities and common goals,” Diana Bronson, executive director of Food Secure Canada, said during committee testimony.
Stakeholders said governance is key to a successful policy, and several proposed a council.
Dave Carey, executive director of the Canadian Seed Trade Association, told the committee that food policy can’t be developed in a vacuum.
“The federal government currently has several initiatives underway that must be taken into account when designing a food policy,” he said.
“For example, Canada’s healthy eating strategy, the proposed safe food for Canadians regulations and CFIA’s plants and animals health strategy. There are a lot of moving parts that must be complementary or the results will be policies and initiatives that are misaligned and/or contradictory.”
The committee recommendation calls on the government to establish an advisory body from key government departments, the agriculture and agri-food sector, academia, Indigenous people and civil society.
The coalition now calling for a council established a working group early in 2017 comprising the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Food Secure Canada, Maple Leaf Foods and the McConnell Foundation. Since then the other organizations have signed on with their support.
They say a food policy council would help set Canada’s long-term direction for the food system. It would work to build consensus, provide research and hold conferences and workshops.
