Let's do lunch: Ottawa launches multiple school food programming funds in N.L.
Funds will support not-for-profit organizations working to improve food security across the country
The federal government hopes the country's children will be a little less hungry after a pair of announcements in Newfoundland this past week.
On Friday, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced the launch of a new school food fund and the renewal of a food infrastructure fund to improve food security in Canada's most underrepresented communities.
"You're dealing with the next generation of people that are going to lead this country in one way or another," MacAulay said during Friday's announcement in St. John's.
The new $20.2-million School Food Infrastructure Fund will support the infrastructure needs of not-for-profit community organizations that address food security in classrooms. This money could go toward equipment that would boost student access to food, like irrigation systems, solar panels for greenhouses and food delivery vans. Eligible organizations have until Oct. 4 to apply.
MacAulay also announced the renewal of the existing Local Food Infrastructure Fund, which the government says has already supported over 1,000 projects across the country to date. The $42.7-million renewal is intended to continue to support both small-scale and large-scale community food security projects.
The $62.9-million funding announcement comes two days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Andrew Furey announced an agreement of $9.1 million over three years to improve school food access for students in Newfoundland and Labrador. The province is the first to sign on this year.
"You have a very active group here in Newfoundland and Labrador, and this will just add to the programs that are now in place in order to enhance it and make sure we have more products for the people in need," MacAulay said.
This announcements come as data indicates that more and more people are food insecure.
Statistics Canada reports that 22.9 per cent of people in Canada's 10 provinces lived in a food-insecure home in 2023. Of those 8.7 million people, 2.1 million were children.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, 25.9 per cent of people couldn't access enough healthy food in 2023 due to financial constraints — the second year in a row since the pandemic began that food insecurity levels have risen throughout the country.
John Smee, CEO of Food First N.L., said the funding plans line up with the needs of community organizations in the province.
"There is some really interesting opportunity here for infrastructure that can be shared with communities, so that it boosts up school food but also other things that are happening around food at the community level," Smee said.
Smee said some of the infrastructure that grassroots food security organizations need most are delivery trucks and facilities for processing and packaging food.
Under the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, two funding streams make sure both small-scale and larger-scale projects get the attention they need. Whereas smaller projects might need funding for equipment like solar panels and delivery trucks, larger projects might focus on expanding output like upgrading soup kitchen capacities or connecting with local farmers, and increase their number of meals.
Registration for the federal Local Food Infrastructure Fund will be open from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31 for small-scale projects and between Jan. 13 and Feb. 28 for large-scale projects.
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With files from Abby Cole