Question Period Note: A FOOD POLICY FOR CANADA

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The Food Policy for Canada seeks to create a healthier and more sustainable food system in Canada; one that builds on the Government’s ambitious agenda to support the growth of Canada’s farmers and food businesses. The Food Policy brings a coordinated approach to dealing with food issues in Canada by building stronger linkages across existing federal initiatives that affect food. During Food Policy consultations, food security was identified as a priority issue that required greater government attention. The Food Policy includes the following four near-term action areas, to address key gaps:
1. Help Canadian communities access healthy food;
2. Make Canadian food the top choice at home and abroad;
3. Support food security in Northern and Indigenous communities; and,
4. Reduce food waste.
As part of the Government of Canada's Food Policy for a healthier and more sustainable food system in Canada, the Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF) was created, a 5-year, $70 million initiative ending on March 31, 2024.
The fund supports community-based, not-for-profit organizations to improve their food systems through investments in infrastructure that are directly related to addressing food insecurities and increasing the accessibility of healthy, nutritious, and ideally, local foods within their community.
Since inception, there have been five intake periods, each with differing characteristics. A total of 897 projects were funded under the first four intake periods, representing $54.7 million in AAFC funding. Projects ranged in funding size from $5,000 to $500,000 and spanned across all provinces and territories.
AAFC is finalizing the negotiation of agreements under the latest intake period. Results are expected to be announced in December.
Food Loss and Waste
Food loss and waste is a complex, dynamic challenge facing global food systems, including in Canada. Food loss occurs at the earlier parts of the food supply chain, including production, processing, transport and distribution. Food waste occurs at the consumption stages, including retail, food services, institutions and households. The term “food waste” is often used to refer to food loss and food waste collectively.
• The UN estimates that 14% of total global food production is lost between harvest and distribution, and 17% is wasted in retail, food service and households.
• In Canada, it is estimated that more than half of Canada’s food supply is lost or wasted annually, and nearly $50 billion worth of food that is disposed of could be avoided each year.
• Food waste represents the single largest percentage (23%) of Canadian municipal solid waste disposed.
There are a multitude of reasons that food loss and waste is generated throughout the food system, including lack of awareness and quantification, operational inefficiencies, relationships among supply chain partners, quality standards, inadequate transportation and storage, inaccurate forecasting and inventory management.
Where prevention is not feasible, there are missed economic and social opportunities when food, as a resource, is discarded, as well as environmental consequences such as landfill methane emissions.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Approach to Reducing Food Loss and Waste
The department works with stakeholders across the country to identify effective solutions for reducing food loss and food waste.
Since 2019, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has implemented:
• Food Waste Reduction Challenge
o The Challenge, launched in November 2020, aims to deliver high-impact solutions to food waste in Canada. The Challenge is divided into two streams, the Business Models Streams and the Novel Technologies Streams.
o Business Model Streams
 On June 16, 2022, Minister Bibeau announced the 12 finalists selected under the Business Model Streams of the Food Waste Reduction Challenge to find new solutions to food waste.
 The Business Models Streams (Streams A & B) support innovators with business model solutions that can prevent or divert food waste at any point from farm to plate.
 Each finalist received $400,000 and moved on to the final stage of the Challenge. Over the past 12 months, finalists have accelerated and scaled up the commercialization of their solution. Finalists are competing to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1.5 million in grant funding. The winners will be announced in early 2024.
o Novel Technologies Streams:
 The Novel Technologies Streams (Streams C and D) of the Food Waste Reduction Challenge focus on novel technologies that can extend the life of food or transform food waste into new foods or value-added products.
 Eighteen (18) semi-finalists were selected for the Novel Technologies Streams in January 2022. Each semi-finalist received $100,000 and competed in the prototype development stage of the Challenge. They built or completed an existing prototype of their technology and reported on their solution’s effectiveness.
 In Fall 2022, six finalists were selected to receive up to $450,000 each.
 In the final stage, finalists have one year to advance their prototypes and test them in an operational environment with at least one implementation partner. Finalists are competing to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1 million in grant funding. The winners will be announced in mid-2024.
• Surplus Food Rescue Program
o $50 million in funding to address the urgent COVID-19 related surplus of food that could not otherwise be routed through the supply chain due to disruptions, including the closure of restaurants and other food service- and hospitality-related businesses.
o The program aimed to rescue surplus food that would otherwise have gone to waste and to ensure the food reached at-risk populations in Canada.
o Through the program, AAFC awarded contributions to eight organizations that leveraged existing food redistribution and recovery networks and agencies, resulting in over 7 million kilograms of surplus food and 1 million dozen eggs being redistributed to food banks and community food organizations due to COVID-19 disruptions.

• The Government of Canada is working to ensure all Canadians have access to safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food.
• As part of the Government of Canada's first-ever Food Policy, we made significant investments to strengthen Canada’s food systems and address unique challenges faced by communities throughout Canada.
• The Food Policy for Canada included a $70 million Local Food Infrastructure Fund to support community-based initiatives to improve food security.
• We are committed to further support the Food Policy for Canada and to strengthen Canada’s food system by:
o Working to develop a National School Food Policy and to work toward a national school nutritious meal program; and
o Creating a No-Waste Food Fund to help all players along the food supply chain commercialize and adopt ways to eliminate, reduce or repurpose food waste.