Question Period Note: National School Food Program

Food Policy for Canada - National School Food Program Update

• As part of the Government’s Food Policy for Canada, the government announced its intention to work with provinces and territories towards the creation of a national school food program.

• This commitment supports the action area under a Food Policy for Canada to help Canadian communities access healthy food.

• The federal government has engaged provinces and territories, along with stakeholders to understand the existing school food programs across the country.

The Food Policy for Canada
The Food Policy for Canada is the product of consultation and collaboration with Canadians across the country. The Government of Canada heard from more than 45,000 Canadians, including food producers and processors, experts in environment, health and food security, Indigenous groups, non-government organizations, and community advocates.
The vision for the Food Policy for Canada developed through these consultations is: All people in Canada are able to access a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious and culturally diverse food. Canada’s food system is resilient and innovative, sustains our environment, and supports our economy.
Food Policy of Canada initiatives include:
• the creation of a Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council that will bring together the expertise and diversity needed beyond government to address the challenges of today, as well as the future of Canada’s food system;
• the launch of a five-year, $50 million Local Food Infrastructure Fund, designed to support community-led projects that improve access to safe, healthy and culturally diverse food;
• a new Canada Brand and Buy Canadian promotional campaign that will aim to increase pride and consumer confidence in Canadian food;
• support for community-led projects like greenhouses, community freezers, and skills training that address food challenges and food insecurity in Northern and isolated communities;
• a challenge fund to support the most innovative food waste reduction ideas in food processing, grocery retail, and food service;new funds to help the Canadian Food Inspection Agency crack down on food fraud – the mislabeling and misrepresentation of food products – to protect consumers from deception and companies from unfair competition; and
• to take the first steps to work alongside provinces and not-for-profit organizations towards the creation of a National School Food Program.
• The Food Policy for Canada aligns with the objectives of initiatives across the federal government, such as the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Heathy Eating Strategy, and the Poverty Reduction Strategy, among others.

• The federal government has engaged with the provinces and territories, along with non-profit organizations to understand existing national school food programs.

• On June 17, 2019, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, launched the Government’s first-ever Food Policy for Canada.

• The Food Policy is supported by an investment of $134.4 million over five years, with $5.2 million per year ongoing, as announced in Budget 2019.

• There are four action areas under the Food Policy, including helping Canadian communities access healthy food. Under this action area, the Government announced its intention to work with provinces and territories towards the creation of a national school food program.

• The new Food Policy for Canada says that the Government of Canada is “taking the first consultative steps alongside provinces and not-for-profit organizations towards the creation of a National School Food Program, to help improve the overall health of our children as they learn, leading to better futures for them, and ultimately for our country.”