Ontario Agriculture Minister announces local food act

By Debora Van Brenk, London Free Press September 18, 2012 

The number of food-processing plants in Ontario could double in the next five years under a strong Local Food Act, says the head of Ontario’s largest farm group.

Ontario Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin announced at the International Plowing Match near Ayr on Tuesday that the provincial Liberals will soon introduce the Local Food bill, which would promote Ontario food.

“It’s a good thing,” said Elgin County farmer Mark Wales, who heads the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

“Anything that supports more consumption of local (food) and more processing of local is good.”

McMeekin told The Free Press he hopes the bill can be introduced before the end of this year.

“We promised in our last election campaign that we would introduce a Local Food Act, most pointedly to make sure we find and take advantage of that great Ontario food,” McMeekin said.

Wales is hopeful that signals a new emphasis on agriculture. “It highlights the most important economic driver in Ontario,” one that’s more important than auto production, said Wales. “You can drive a used car, but you want your food fresh.”

The bill will help grow and promote the local things Ontarians grow, make, serve, sell and eat.

That opens the door to a range of potential options, Wales said, including reversing the trend of food processors that have shut their doors: among them, vegetable canners Omsteads in Wheatley and the Smucker’s cucumber plant in Dunnville. For canning tomatoes, only Heinz remains of what were once several area canners.

“When you lose the processors, sooner or later you lose the growers,” Wales said. ”I would love to see a doubling of food processing in the next five years.”

For years, Ontario farmers have asked for more co-ordinated provincial support in their efforts to bring their goods to consumers in Ontario and abroad.

For years, processors have asked more attention be paid to developing their industry, which buys about 65% of what Ontario farmers grow.

And for years, Ontario consumers have asked for more access to quality, affordable food grown near their homes.

Drafted well, this bill could satisfy all those interests, Wales said.

McMeekin said an important aim of the ag ministry is to strengthen the relationship between producers and processors. The Local Food Act would help farmers, processors and users connect, he said.

“It’s very much looking at the whole value chain.”

Ontario has about 3,000 small and large food and drink processors, the Association of Ontario Food Processors said in a report released last week. They range from breakfast cereal and beer giants with hundreds of employees to small tortilla bakeries with only a few staff.