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While we know that farmers are crucial to this province, we continue to do little to protect the land that is so central to the food we eat. Only 5% of this province’s land mass is suitable for growing food, and even less (just 0.5%) is prime farmland, of which Ontario is losing 350 acres every day. Thus, it’s imperative that Ontario commit to halting the loss of prime farmland and making healthy food accessible to all Ontarians.
Limited access to high quality food is not only an issue of decreasing farmland, but also one of poverty. People in Ontario continue to lack the financial well-being to purchase nutritious food for their families. Last year, Ontario food banks saw a 20% increase in new users, yet the issues of malnutrition and equal access to natural resources are rarely discussed at Queen’s Park.
It is unacceptable that people go hungry in a province as wealthy as our own, especially when we continue to waste a staggering amount of food. Most studies indicate that Canadians throw out roughly $31 billion in food each year. This waste is bad for our economy, our environment, and our citizens.
The GPO remains committed to supporting local, sustainable food, and ensuring that all Ontarians are able to enjoy it.