CPMA applauded the federal government’s announcement detailing the various initiatives forming the Food Policy for Canada. The national food policy funding of $134.4 million over five years, beginning in 2020, was confirmed in March as part of the government’s budget 2019 announcement.

This past month Member of Parliament Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food, outlined the four short-term action areas of the Food Policy for Canada, including:

• Helping Canadian communities access healthy food
• Making Canadian food the top choice at home and abroad
• Supporting food security in Northern and Indigenous communities
• Reducing food waste

CPMA President Ron Lemaire, member of the National Food Policy Working Group, was on site for the announcement and said, “It is a great privilege to have worked closely with our government in forming the groundwork for a successful Food Policy for Canada. CPMA looks forward to continuing in the development and implementation of this policy in order to improve the health and well-being of Canadians and to grow the fresh produce industry.”