Three Ontario groups praise Local Food Act

Mar 26, 2013

Groups say Local Food Act is a “step in the right direction”

Local food gets a boost from the Government of Ontario with the introduction of the Local Food Act.

Three Ontario groups released a joint statement on Monday - Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and Gordon Food Services (GFS) saying that the Local Food Act is welcomed.

“Ontario farmers are eager to meet consumer demand and preferences for local, fresh food,” says Mark Wales, OFA President. “This Act will help create more opportunities but to be truly effective Ontario also needs to focus on food literacy in our schools and improving access to nutritious food for all Ontarians. We look forward to working with the government to better develop these food priorities.”

Ontario has one of the most diverse agricultural systems in the country, with more than 200 commodities, including fruits, vegetables, and a variety of livestock and greenhouse products available.

The OFA is the largest general farm organization in the province representing farmers in the province. The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation oversees 1.8 million acres of farmland, forests, and wetlands and seeks to protect natural resources. Gordon Food Services is North America’s largest foodservice distributor.

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Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.