Green Propserity is a joint effort by 23 of Ontario's leading environmental organizations to outline an action agenda for the province that we believe will help make Ontario a world leader in green practices and programs. For more information on the groups involved, click here.

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

Canadian Environmental Law Association

Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy

Citizens Environment Alliance

Community Power Fund

Conservation Council of Ontario

David Suzuki Foundation

Earthroots

Ecojustice

Environment North

Environmental Defence

Forest Ethics

Great Lakes United

Greenpeace

Local Food Plus

Ontario Nature

Ontario Smart Growth Network

Ontario Sustainable Energy Association

Pembina Institute

Sierra Club

Toronto Environmental Alliance

Wildlands League

World Wildlife Fund

	Ontarians have a growing hunger for local sustainably produced food.

Wise investment is needed by the Government of Ontario to satisfy Ontarians hunger for local sustainable food. Relevant ministries must co-operate on the development and execution of a province-wide local sustainable food strategy. Government support needs to target infrastructure and systems that will enable greater processing and distribution of the food Ontarians increasingly desire.
 
Ontario consumers are purchasing more and more local sustainable food and are demanding more access to these healthier local foods. This means more consumer dollars are being kept in the local economy and Ontarians are eating food that is riper, fresher, tastier and more nutritious. However, there are barriers and gaps in food distribution and processing that hinder local sustainable foods from reaching Ontario families. The government should invest in both hard and soft infrastructure to enable continued growth in our local sustainable food system. This includes investment in on-farm post-harvest handling, regional food processing, abattoirs and distribution facilities, as well support for community and farm organizations that are working in innovative partnerships to build supply chains for local sustainable food.

Investing in local sustainable food can help Ontario achieve significant reductions in the food-related emissions that contribute to climate change, provide clean air and water, ensure food security, promote health and build a green economy that provides jobs now while enhancing future opportunities.

Further resources:

For more about local sustainable food, please visit www.localfoodplus.ca

Bringing Local Food Home: Legal, Regulatory and Institutional Barriers to Local Food - Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation / CIELAP

Good Things Grow Here, part of Ontario Nature's Your Greenbelt, Your Health series.

The No-Nonsense Guide to World Food by Wayne Roberts, published in Canada by New Internationalist Publications Ltd and Between the Lines, 2008, provides a global context and more detail about local sustainable food and ALUS.

Ontario's Wealth, Canada's Future:
Appreciating the Value of the Greenbelt's Eco-Services - David Suzuki Foundation