A Food Policy For Canada

Transcription

1 A Food Policy For Canada Presentation to the Conseil des industriels laitiers du Québec October 14 th,

2 A Food Policy for Canada will set a long-term vision for the health, environment, social, and economic goals related to food, while identifying actions we can take in the short-term. is a way to address issues related to the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food along the full value chain. Minister s Mandate Develop a food policy that promotes healthy living and safe food by putting more healthy, high-quality food, produced by Canadian ranchers and farmers, on the tables of families across the country. Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Mandate Letter,

3 A policy development approach which builds upon international and domestic best practices The most effective policies appear to: cover all aspects of the food supply chain from production to consumption of food, including access and food waste; promote a whole-of-government approach to ensure greater policy and program coherence; enable collaboration among governments, stakeholders, and consumers; and focus efforts in the key areas of food security, health, environmental sustainability, and growth of the agriculture and food sector including fisheries and aquaculture, which also reflect priorities of key food policy stakeholders in Canada. 3

4 Themes of A Food Policy for Canada 1. Increasing access to affordable food: Improving Canadians access to affordable, nutritious, and safe food. 2. Improving health and food safety: Increasing Canadians ability to make healthy and safe food choices. 3. Conserving our soil, water, and air: Using environmentally sustainable practices to ensure Canadians have a long-term, reliable, and abundant supply of food. 4. Growing more high-quality food: Ensuring Canadian farmers, fishers, and food processors are able to adapt to changing conditions to provide more safe and healthy food to consumers in Canada and around the world. 4

5 Increasing access to affordable food Canada ranked 8 th out of 113 countries on food affordability, availability, and quality and safety. Almost 1.1 million households experience food insecurity in 2011, and over 800,000 individuals used a foodbank last year (36% of them children) Food insecurity among onreserve First Nations households is four to seven times higher than non-indigenous households. 11.5% 8.3% 13.6% 8.1% RATES OF FOOD INSECURITY IN INDIGENOUS HOUSEHOLDS 29 to 47% Of on-reserve households in ON, MB, BC and AB ( ) 8.1% 36.5% 7.9% 8.2% 22% Of off-reserve households across Canada ( ) 8.1% 10.1% (NB) 15% Of Metis households across Canada ( ) 8.3% of Canadian households or almost 1.1 Million Households experienced food insecurity in % (NL) 10.3% (PE) 11.8% (NS) 64% Of Inuit in Nunavut and Nunatsiavut (2008 to 2009) 5

6 Theme: Increasing access to affordable food Food security is a very complex issue shaped by diverse factors a persistent and significant challenge particularly for remote, northern and Indigenous communities a key social determinant of health, with long-term implications for socio-economic outcomes A one-size-fits all approach/solution will not be viable unique needs and circumstances need to be considered a people-centred/holistic approach is required to ensure decisions about food systems are made by those who rely on them no single government/organization has the mandate, resources and/or capacity required to address the issue of food security on their own close collaboration with a variety of stakeholders is required (territorial, provincial and Indigenous governments; institutions of public government; industry; non-profit organizations; research organizations; and community organizations that support local access to food) 6

7 Improving health and food safety Canadian life-expectancy has risen dramatically over the past several decades. Canadians are increasingly exposed to unhealthy dietary choices, which is a primary risk factor for obesity and chronic diseases, reducing the quality of life and placing a significant burden on our health care system. CFIA s current efforts for modernization include: o Safe Food for Canadians Regulations: Regulations reflect consistent, internationally recognized requirements for all food imported, exported or traded inter-provincially o Food Labelling Modernization: launched in 2013, with a goal to develop a modernized approach to regulations, service delivery, policy and program delivery, and roles and responsibilities. 7

8 Launched the Healthy Eating Strategy in October 2016 Vision: Make the healthier choice the easier choice for all Canadians Better nutrition information Improve food quality Protect vulnerable populations Improve food access & availability Modernize Canada s Food Guide Improve Food Labels Front-of-Package Labelling Less Sodium in Food Prohibit Industrial Trans Fat Restrictions on Marketing of Unhealthy Food & Beverages to Children Expand and update Nutrition North Canada Meaningful impacts on long-term health outcomes for Canadians Road to success: Strong evidence-base, effective partnerships, engagement 18 8

9 Conserving our soil, water, and air We re being called upon to demonstrate Canada s ability to balance the Government s goals of protecting the environment and growing the economy. These goals go hand-in-hand, and our future success demands we do both. Existing local and regional environmental issues, sector growth, and climate change risks call for continued and targeted efforts to maintain and further advance the sustainable production of our food. An estimated $31 billion of food is wasted each year in Canada throughout the value chain. 9

10 Growing more high-quality food The world s population is projected to grow from 7.3 to 9.7 billion by Canadian farmers, fishers, and food processors have the potential to produce more high-quality food. We need to identify and address the barriers to future growth. World s 5 th largest exporter & There are challenges now and ahead $56 Billion in export sales in 2016 Market and environmental changes; Aging population; and Access to labour. 1 in 8 Canadian jobs 2.3 million people $6.6 Billion 2016 fish and seafood exports $1 Billion in GDP generated by aquaculture in

11 We re starting from a position of strength, with many relevant initiatives underway Health Canada s Healthy Eating Strategy; Employment and Social Development Canada s Poverty Reduction Strategy; Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada s Nutrition North; Canadian Food Inspection Agency s Safe Food for Canadians Regulations; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada s Canadian Agricultural Partnership; and Innovation Science Economic Development s Economic Strategy Table on Agriculture and Agri-Food. A Food Policy for Canada will be designed to leverage and complement current federal initiatives, not duplicate them. 11

12 Engaging Canadians has taken many forms Consultations too place between May 29 th and September 30 th, ,000 responses to an on-line survey Food Policy Summit, June Regional Sessions Charlottetown (August 9) St-Hyacinthe (August 16) Vancouver (September 5) Yellowknife (September 8) Guelph (September 12) Winnipeg (September 29 Members of Parliament Town Halls (approx. 30) Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food More than 70 submissions from individuals and organizations to the food policy portal. AAFC spondored self-led engagement by National Indigenous Organizations (including the Assembly of First Nations, Native Women s Association of Canada, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami) It is anticipated that the food policy will be launched in the first half of

13 What we heard -- Priorities Food Security Promote income security and poverty reduction Establish food as a basic human right Improve the accessibility and affordability of nutritious food in isolated and Northern communities Promote and support local and community-based solutions to food insecurity Health (Chronic Disease and Food Safety) Increase and promote the availability of healthy food, and facilitate healthier food choices by Canadians Ensure that food in Canada is as safe as possible Prevent food products with misleading labels or deliberately altered content from entering the Canadian market Promote a systems-based approach to considering interconnections between health, environment, and food security 13

14 What we heard Priorities cont d Environment (Reducing Impact of Production, Processing and Consumption) Facilitate the adoption of sustainable production practices Make it easier for consumers to identify food that is consistent with their values (e.g., environmental stewardship of natural resources, animal welfare, etc.) Support natural resource management practices that recognize the importance of country/traditional food Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth Support new entrants to the agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors to help them establish successful operations Facilitate the adoption of sustainable food sourcing and serving practices by public institutions (i.e., public procurement) Help the agriculture and food sector innovate and adapt to changing production conditions and market demands In the North, promote, support and invest in capacity building for food production, processing, distribution and food system innovation, in a manner which builds resiliency and improves the social economy. 14

15 What we heard Priorities cont d Cross Cutting Priorities Improve food education and promote food literacy Support healthy and sustainable local and regional food production systems Strengthen knowledge extension and support innovation (technological, social and community-based) in the food production system Increase efficiencies throughout the entire supply chain, including in production and distribution, to reduce food loss and waste, and lower costs Ensure and maintain the availability of agricultural land and fishing zones for food production Harmonize standards on food imports to ensure that production methods abroad conform with Canadian standards. Improve quality of, and access to, data for indicators and better tracking of progress towards goals Develop a governance mechanism which promotes and supports broad participation in the ongoing development of the food policy, while broadly promoting its objectives. 15