441-02061 (Food and drink)

On June 17, 2019, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) launched the first Food Policy for Canada, a whole-of-government approach supporting the vision that “All people in Canada are able to access a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious and culturally diverse food. Canada’s food system is resilient and innovative, sustains our environment, and supports our economy.”

The Food Policy for Canada is an ambitious initiative, the product of consultation and collaboration with Canadians across the country. The Government of Canada heard from more than 45,000 Canadians, including agricultural producers and processors, experts in environment, health and food security, Indigenous groups, non-government organizations, and community advocates.

Recognizing the importance of helping communities access healthy food, AAFC is delivering the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, a Food Policy initiative with $70 million in funding to strengthen local food systems and to facilitate access to safe and nutritious food for at-risk populations.

To date, the Local Food Infrastructure Fund has committed $64.8 million to support over 1,100 vital food security projects across Canada, such as: community gardens and kitchens; refrigerated trucks and storage units for donated food; greenhouses in remote and Northern communities; and more.

The Government of Canada also delivered the $330 million Emergency Food Security Fund by providing funding to national and regional organizations, which in turn supported food banks and local food organizations across Canada. This emergency fund helped improve access to food for people experiencing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In British Columbia, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program (FMNCP) is supported by the Province of British Columbia, the Provincial Health Services Authority, and community donors. The Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund (HCCF) program, which was previously known as the Multi-sectoral Partnerships Program to Promote Healthy Living and Prevent Chronic Disease, supported a similar initiative with an investment of $1.5M from 2019 to 2025 to expand Community Food Centres Canada’s Market Greens initiative to 30 locations across Canada. The Market Greens initiative supports increased access to low-cost fresh produce markets and offers fruit and vegetable vouchers/coupons that can be used at participating local affordable markets.

The HCCF program supports projects that increase access to healthy foods through supportive food environments, which are important determinants of healthy eating behaviours. Projects such as FMNCP that address social and physical environments affecting the accessibility and types of healthy foods available to communities are eligible for funding through HCCF.

Through the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership, the Government of Canada contributes to cost-shared programming for provinces and territories to advance regional priorities, which can include nutrition coupon programs at farmers markets. For example, in 2023, a grant of $1.1M through the Province of Manitoba under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership supported Direct Farm Manitoba in delivering an expanded Manitoba Community Food Currency Program to empower Manitobans facing food insecurity to purchase locally produced fruit, vegetables, meat and processed foods at farmers’ markets.

Thank you for the sharing your proposal to improve Canadians’ access to healthy, local foods through farmers markets and FMNCPs. The Government of Canada remains committed to considering all opportunities to improve food security for Canadians and a vibrant, productive agriculture sector in Canada.