Consultations provide opportunity to discuss Canadian food production
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Farms.com
You may recognize chef Michael Smith from Chopped Canada or one of the shows he hosts on Food Network Canada, such as Chef Michael’s Kitchen, Chef at Home and Chef Abroad. However, he is also voicing support for genetically modified foods in consultations on Canada’s Food Policy.
By the year 2050, the world must be able to produce enough food to feed 10 billion people, Smith emphasized in a CBC News article yesterday.
"This debate over whether GMO is something that we should or shouldn't do is frankly disingenuous, first world problems," said Smith to CBC. "We need that tool in our tool kit.”
“Michael Smith has always been such a great supporter of healthy eating, Canadian food and farmers,” Kelly Daynard, executive director at Farm & Food Care Ontario, said to Farms.com this morning.
“I agree with his statement that we’re going to need all tools available to us if we’re going to meet the challenges that come with a growing population.”
Advocates such as Smith will help encourage consumers to learn more about complicated issues in order to make educated purchasing decisions, Daynard believes.
Smith did, however, suggest that the government needs better labelling for genetically modified food.
In addition, Smith, who is also the food ambassador for Prince Edward Island, suggested that processed foods should be taxed to discourage their consumption in Canada.
Producers still have time to express their thoughts on Canada’s Food Policy, too.
Canadians have until August 31 to complete the online survey to provide input into the policy.