Toronto Food Policy Council Conference April 30 2009

Building the Building the Infrastructure for Local Infrastructure for Local Food in Ontario:Food in Ontario:Creating public/private Creating public/private partnershipspartnerships

Donald J. P. ZiraldoChairman, Vineland Research and Innovation Center

To examine the what, when, why and how of building the infrastructure needed to revitalize and sustain Ontario’s rural and urban food economies.

ObjectivesObjectives

Appellation d’Origine Controllee (AOC).

Origins of AOC date back to the 15th century, in Roquefort, France.

……….(yes, the cheese).

First law for the protection of the place of origin: May 1919.

The Origin Of ‘Terroir’The Origin Of ‘Terroir’

TERROIRTERROIRThe concept of “terroir” has always been the

domain of the vintner.

VQA

France; AOC- 1935 first introduced through legislation. Châteauneuf-du-Pape -was first wine appellation.

Italy; DOC – 1963 Denominazione di origine controllata.

Germany; QMP-1971 Qualitätsweine mit Prädikat.

Canada: VQA – 1989 Vintners Quality Alliance, legislated in 1999.

Appellation Of Origin Appellation Of Origin

Listening CarefullyListening Carefullyto what the soil is saying in each

vineyard/land parcel

Organic / BiodynamicSlow FoodCulinary tourism / agri-tourismoRespect for the landMimic nature Sustainability of farmersEnviro-stewardship:(Greenbelt)Reduce fuel milesFamily farm Provenance of food

““Terroir” / LocalTerroir” / Local

The Provenance of The Provenance of FoodFood

“People these days want fresh local produce, the provenance of food is becoming an ever more important aspect of the food we eat.”

Chef Jamie Kennedy

Prudhomme’s Landing

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre - a public / private partnership

Suppliers:

Certified Standards

Internet Portal Transactional Management

Traceability

Loyalty Program

Farm Tax and Carbon Credits

BUYERS

Grocers, Restaurants,

Farm Markets, etc

Niagara Local Food PilotNiagara Local Food Pilot

Research & Innovation

Dairy Farmers,

Flowers Canada,

Vegetables, Beef, etc

Niagara Region Ag Task Force

• 5 Regions and soon to cover Ontario• Foodland Ontario( Min of

Agriculture)• Savoir Ontario (Min of Tourism)

Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance

Local Food Labelling

Truth in labeling; Made in Canada?

Appellation systems…..”terroir”/local- Vintners Quality Alliance ( VQA )– Artisan Bakers Quality Alliance– Local Food Plus ( LFP)– Dairy Quality Alliance (DQA for cheeses)

- Pick Fresh ?

Old Industrial model

• Kraft, Maple Leaf• Centralized• Highly processed• Pesticides/hormones

• Highly mechanized• Corporate• Marketing Boards• Innovation in

packaging/marketing• 2-3% growth

• 5th Town Cheese, Baretta• Decentralized• Taste, ‘terroir’• Organic/biodynamic

• Artisan• Farm markets/farm gate• Farm to table• Environmentally

sustainable

• 30-40% growth

New local food economiesvs

*Source; Betsy Donald ( Martin Prosperity Institute)

Why?

21st century Agriculture (What)

• Holistic perspective for food economy• Solutions to the problems of obesity• Food safety and security• Revitalize declining rural communities• Environmental sustainability• Replace dependency on fossil fuels with alternative energy

(solar /wind/biomass) • Harmonize Greenbelt and agriculture…there has been no serious

effort to support farm sustainability once the greenbelt was established;

immediately form a Greenbelt Agriculture Advisory Council

• Ministry of Food ?

Infrastructure (How)

• New systems of distribution• Internet distribution…”Cloud computing”• Marketing Boards ‘Renaissance’ ...... breed mediocrity

and stifle entrepreneurship…they did serve a purpose and need to reinvent themselves in the 21st century agriculture model

• Farmers should have option to opt out; eg Pork producers / Pinque Prosciutto

• Regional, wholesale local food ‘hubs’• EVENTS: Feast of Fields, Royal Winter Fair, Cuvee,

Brickworks, Daily/weekly farm fairs and markets

Suppliers

Certified Standards

Tracability

Loyalty Program

Farm Tax and Carbon Credits

Ontario Local Food PilotOntario Local Food Pilot

Research & Innovation

Dairy Farmers,

Flowers Canada,

Vegetables, Beef, etc

Internet Portal Transactional Management

BUYERS

Grocers, Restaurants,

Farm Markets, etc

Government Policy (How)• Revise current commodity marketing boards to allow

farmers to “opt out” on voluntary basis

• Governments and municipalities need to revise value-added and secondary use agricultural activities and amend required tax policies

• Ensure convenient , safe access to local food and reduce systemic barriers

• THE AGRI-FOOD SUMMIT“Ontario institutions will buy locally produced food” Premier Dalton McGinty says

The Canadian Press  April 7, 2009

Education (How)• Urban Primary and secondary school food courses

……instead of taking away the chips and forcing the children to eat carrots, teach them the nutritional value, how they grow…how to grow them in their back yards.

• Rural Secondary school ag courses….eg NDHS

• We have rich institutional food training centers…. that not only use but encourage the use of local food as training grounds for new, aspiring young home grown chefs. George Brown, Niagara College, Humber

• School procurement programs in conjunction with above

• “ Stages”…..students could become valuable labour pool while learning about agriculture

• Agri-tourismo….farm vacations ( supports farmers, families and communities )

Sources• Metcalf Foundation

• From Kraft to Craft;– Betsy Donald ( Martin Prosperity Institite /Rotman Bus School)

• Bringing Local Food Home;– Maureen Carter-Whitney ( Greenbelt Foundation)

• Vineland Research Innovation Center - Local Food Initiative

• Niagara Region Ag Task Force report

Local Food Challenge  8.1 Million Golden Horseshoe residents

X

$10 of weekly budget on local foods and/or goods each week

=  $ 121.5 million* influx into the local economy each week

* Source; Dr. Lewis Soroka