Letter – National Local Food Day
NFU urges passage of Bill C-281
The following letter was sent to Honorable René Cormier, Senate of Canada
Re: Bill C-281: An Act to Establish National Local Food Day
It is with pleasure that I write to you today on behalf of the National Farmers Union in order to lend our full support to the passage of Senate of Canada of Bill C-281: An Act to Establish National Local Food Day.
The National Farmers Union is a voluntary direct membership organization which advocates for small and medium scale farmers. Member families of our Union believe that through an organization that represents all food and commodities produced in Canada, it is possible to promote the family farm as the most appropriate and efficient means of agricultural production. Our goal is to work together to achieve agricultural policies which will ensure dignity and security of income for farm families while enhancing the land for future generations.
Our membership and organization are strong proponents of Food Sovereignty and believe all peoples have a right to healthy, culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods. Further, we believe that people have a right to define their own food and agricultural systems.
The establishment of a National Local Food day is a further step toward Food Sovereignty and codifies the importance of local food and farms within Canadian Society. Our local farms and farmers bring jobs and community to rural communities and help to build a resilient food system which feeds Canadians across the country. A National Local Food Day will help to underscore the need for Canadians everywhere to support local food and farms and help to ensure our rural communities are strong and vibrant, Canadians are fed and our environment is protected through sustainable and resilient stewardship of the land.
It is for these reasons that the National Farmers Union strongly supports the passage of Bill C-281 in the Senate of Canada. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Bill. Should you require additional information or would like to speak further on this topic I would be pleased to do so whenever may be convenient.
Sincerely,
Stuart Oke
Youth President
National Farmers Union
