Apr
13
Submitted by Darcy Higgins on Wed, 04/13/2011 - 15:33
For the first time national food policies, from GM seeds to school lunches, are part of five parties' platforms.
By Colleen Kimmett, Yesterday, TheTyee.ca
Voters are hungry for food policy. All five federal political parties apparently think so, given that each of them has made a national food strategy part of their platforms this election. It's a first, and food advocates across the country are pleased to see it.
Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was out front, and now the NDP, Conservative, Bloc Quebecois and Green parties have followed suit with their own promises to support a Canadian food policy in some form or another.
Many developing countries, after all, including Brazil, India and Bangladesh already have long-term policy goals and plans around food security.
Last year the governments of Britain and Australia committed to developing national food strategies and the call for a similar plan here in Canada has been growing from a chorus of diverse interests: farmers, industry, consumers, social justice non-profits, environmental NGOs and academics.
They all agree on one thing: in the face of global food shortages, climate change and a growing world population to feed, Canada needs to have a national discussion about food. What is much less clear is what should be included in a national food strategy, and how the federal government should pursue it.
