In a news release distributed today, the province has shared their established goals to increase food literacy, and ultimately increase consumer awareness and demand for local food. The province has said it will develop baseline statistics and performance measures to track and report on progress towards these goals.
The release states:
Buying and supporting local food creates jobs and economic growth in communities across the province. As part of the Local Food Act, 2013, the Province has established three goals to increase knowledge about local food. To encourage food literacy, the goals are to increase the number of Ontarians who:
- Know what local foods are available
- Know how and where to obtain local foods
- Prepare local food meals for family and friends, and make local food more available through food service providers
With food literacy an integral part of our action plan, we’re eager to see the province take these direct steps toward food education.
“Increasing knowledge of local, Ontario food supports our communities and helps grow our agri-food sector. By establishing food literacy goals and committing to measure progress, we are working to ensure that more Ontarians are able to identify, access and prepare food grown, harvested and made in Ontario,” shares Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Check out today’s release in full on OMAFRA’s website.