Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
Canada’s current food system, including how our food is produced, processed, procured, distributed, consumed, and disposed of, is not aligned with Canada Food Guide and the Food Policy for Canada, and is jeopardizing the health of millions of Canadians;
Unhealthy food, including known carcinogens, that both the Canada Food Guide and the World Health Organization warn against (like red and processed meat), are still being procured and served to Canadians in federal, provincial and municipal institutions (including hospitals, schools, and workplaces), and to vulnerable Canadians who might not know the risks;
The updated Canada Food Guide promotes a diet based primarily on plant-based food, and the Food Policy for Canada does not address or include these recommendations;
The federal government in 2019 allocated $134 million over five years to support the first ever Food Policy for Canada, with no specific funding for a National School Food Program, the commitment to help all Canadians access healthy food that aligns with the food guide is far from being reached; and
During a pandemic, when food security is top of Canadians’ minds, it is imperative that Canadians have access to an abundance of affordable and healthy plant-based food.
We, the undersigned, supporters of Nation Rising, call upon the Government of Canada to direct a minimum of $390 million over three years (2021-23) (10% of funding allocated to supply managed animal agriculture industries in 2019) to operationalize the Canada Food Guide and the Food Policy for Canada, including relevant funding to implement a National School Food Program, and overhaul Canada’s food system to a plant-based one.