A Local Food System

The pandemic has shone a harsh light on the fragility of the global food system as store shelves emptied, and we learned that we import 90 percent of our vegetables and fruits. If we want to increase our ability to feed ourselves, we need to make sure farmers can earn a decent living, help young farmers to get into the business, and expand markets for local food. To minimize agriculture impact on the environment, a local food strategy needs to be grounded in climate friendly, ecological, humane practices.

A Green government would:

• Set targets to reduce food imports, and a standard logo to identify NB grown and produced foods. 
• Remove barriers to small- and medium-scale food production, processing and distribution, while maintaining food safety.
• Set targets for organic food production and support farmers to transition from conventional to organic farm systems.
• Provide training programs for new farmers.
• Support marketing cooperatives and supply management systems, while exempting direct-to-customer sales from supply managed quotas.
• Prevent speculators and corporations from buying farmland.
• As part of a climate change action plan, develop a program to make agriculture a net carbon sink.