CANADA NEEDS A LONG-TERM NATIONAL FOOD STRATEGY

Barry Devolin column (September 8/04)

Over the past few months, farmers have been telling me that Canada needs a long-term national food strategy, and that our federal and provincial governments need to make a commitment to our agricultural community.

During the recent federal election campaign, I promised farmers that I would create a Farm Council where they could provide me with information, offer me advice, and guide me on agricultural issues. In short, the purpose of the Farm Council is to help me do a better job as your MP representing farmers and the agricultural community.

On Monday September 30^th, I’m pleased to say that more than 25 people attended the first Farm Council meeting at the Bobcaygeon-area farm of Barbara and Lloyd Wicks – local milk producers and internationally recognized breeders and exporters of dairy cattle.

Members of the Farm Council offer an incredible variety of experience. As a group, they produce beef, veal, pork, sheep, poultry, deer and elk, foxes, wheat, grain and oilseeds, milk, goat milk, organic milk, potatoes, organic vegetables and maple syrup. Non-farmers on the council include a veterinarian, an implement dealer, a livestock exporter, livestock breeders, a farm supplier, an insurance broker, and an auctioneer.

I don’t have enough room here to list all of the different issues that arose during our two hour meeting. As you might expect, the most urgent topic for most was the impact of the international borders that have been closed to Canadian livestock as a result of BSE.

Even though I can’t relay all of the details, I do want to share with you a rather profound impression that I was left with as a result of the many comments and suggestions I heard.

We, as Canadians, must ask ourselves if it’s important to us that we maintain the capacity to feed ourselves 10 years from now – or 20 years from now – or 50 years from now. Do we value our capacity to grow food in this country? To turn the question around - are we comfortable with the notion of importing all or most of our food from other countries?

In my opinion, preserving the ability to feed ourselves should be a priority for every Canadian. This isn’t just about helping farmers or protecting family farms. This is an important issue of food security and national sovereignty.

We need a national food strategy in Canada, and we need to make a long-term commitment to our farmers and agricultural community. That’s what I’ll be working towards when Parliament resumes in October. 

Earlier this week, the local Federation of Agriculture sent me a license plate frame. It says “EAT TODAY?  THANK A FARMER”. I don’t think I need to tell you, it’s already on my truck. Thanks from me to all the farmers who put food on my family’s table.