The Niagara region’s Vineland Research and Innovation Centre has kicked off a new “Local Food” project with the goal of supporting and directly linking local growers, producers and suppliers with buyers.
The plan, announced Monday with the launch of a Niagara Local Food pilot project, is meant to improve the public’s access to high-quality, locally grown food, whether through local grocery stores, restaurants or farmers’ markets.
In identifying the value of locally grown food, Vineland’s stakeholder advisory committee set up a subcommittee to start and handle the
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“Locally based food production and distribution systems are important for
several reasons,” Jim Brandle, the non-profit centre’s CEO, said in its release. “They provide the public
with access to fresher, more nutritious foods, promote local agriculture by
keeping food production close to home, support and create local jobs in
agriculture and food processing, and build stronger local economies and
communities And they minimize our ‘carbon foodprint’ through the reduction of
fossil-fuel used in the trade and transportation of food.”
The Vineland Growers Co-operative, the Canadian Federation of Independent
Grocers, ZeroFootprint, OnTrace Agri-food Traceability, Green
Rewards, the Niagara Culinary Trail and the Regional Municipality of
Niagara will also support the Niagara pilot project, the centre said.
Fifteen local growers as well as St. Davids Hydroponics have already
committed to participating in the program by signing up for certification
under the Local Food Plus program. Vineland said it has committed to handle the
pilot project and will retain a co-ordinator responsible
for the administration of Local Food Plus grower certification.
Local Food Plus, a Toronto-based non-profit organization, maintains a system of standards relating to production (chem-free, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, GMO-free), labour conditions, humane care for livestock, protection of habitat and biodiversity and reduced consumption through minimal packaging, local sales, recycling and energy conservation.
