The report was compiled at the request of an informal network of organizations in food and farming, civil society, and philanthropic and academic sectors.
Its recommendation follows discussions held by various stakeholders since the federal government announced this past spring that it plans to create a national food policy.
That policy is expected to set out short- and long-term goals for Canada’s food system under four themes: increasing access to affordable food; improving health and food safety; conserving soil, water and air; and growing high-quality food.
Prof. Evan Fraser
More than 40,000 Canadians have taken part in government-sponsored consultations intended to help shape a national policy, including a forum held at U of G.
Those discussions repeatedly called for a national group to support government and a Canadian food policy, the report said.
The proposed council would include members from government, civil society, academia and the private sector, and would monitor and advise on implementation of the national food policy.
“Equally important, a national food policy council will help build collaboration, elevate and coordinate programs, and drive change among these diverse stakeholders to accelerate progress toward the food policy’s objectives,” said Fraser, who spoke earlier this year to the House of Commons standing committee on food and agriculture.
“A national food policy requires thinking and rethinking about everything related to food,” he said, citing such issues as healthy eating, poverty and food security as well as environmental impacts of farming.
A Canadian policy must also consider economic opportunities, including food exports and digital technologies, notably big data and artificial intelligence, he said.
“Aligning actions, expertise and new programs with the national food policy, and establishing appropriate governance mechanisms, is also critical.”
Source: University of Guelph