by PAT CURRIE
Keeping agricultural land in production, establishing a retirement fund for retired farmers and developing policies to encourage the younger generation to take up farming are among top priorities for the People’s Food Policy, a national organization launched Monday in Ottawa.
"These are all huge issues," said Amanda Sheedy, co-ordinator of the Montreal-based grassroots-driven organization that wants the federal government to address what the PFP sees as "crucial gaps" in Canada’s food system.
It wants action on pressing health, hunger, climate and agriculture issues facing the country.
"Our food system is failing us," said Sheedy. "Close to 2.5 million Canadian don’t have enough to eat, thousands of family farms are disappearing,, one in four Canadians is considered obese and the environment is being pushed to the limit."
Sheedy said the PFP held more than 250 meetings with farmers and fishers and four major farm organizations across the country before formulating its program. It’s the first time that those who deal directly with food security have joined to push a national food policy, she said.
Sheedy wants all candidates in the May 2 federal election to tell the public what they would do to address problems "and put a food policy in place that reflects the realities of the average Canada.
Other key recommendations include: Localizing the system so that food is consumed close to where it is produced; a broad shift to ecological production; federal programs on poverty elimination and prevention, creation of a national program on children and food strategy and ensuring public input into decisions. BF
Comments
Finally, Canadian people are becoming more aware of the food supply rather than just expecting it to always be on the store shelf at a reasonable price. Consumers should be concerned about the generational transfer of land and attempting to grow the interest in the next generation to become food producers.
But you have realize the land will always be farmed; it may be by the next generation or it may be by a large/expanding farmer who treats farming like a business as opposed to a life style. At the end of the day, the food will be produced, thats what we do.
Roy Bailey
Milden, Saskatchewan
If we support bio fuels and ethanol,solar-turbines we can't be real concerned about food supplies,,more concerned about the thoughts " how much more money can I get and what is good for me"...in latest e-mail B J Crewes ,OFA president wants too help new farmers enter the ag sector ,, when you look at quota ,land prices and demand for rental ground it doesn't look like there is a shortage of farmers or ones wanting too enter ...heard same story for 40+ years that won't be any young farmers coming ,ect...but you look at size of grain farms,greenhouses,livestock,ect. with technology available you won't need many farm operators--will need farm laborers-employees...unless you are born with or inherit a farm it will be like UK or Europe and pretty much impossible too start up and farming like we know it to-day will not be recognizable in 20 years or so...I fully expect the 30 something ones will be the last so called "family farms" that supply labor ,capital,ect. on there own...look at veg. or dairy production in California -grain farms in Central Illinois -feedlots in west -Smithfield -Tyson meats...we may not like that but it is the future of Agriculture world wide--have a safe spring--kg kimball
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