[BCFSN] Price per pound for rhubarb?

[seflett at telus.net]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but the Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) that Alberta and BC signed precludes any subsidy or favouring of "local" products. In particular, the bullet point "To provide an increased and stable demand for local food through public sector organization purchasing" appears to be in direct violation of TILMA.

This agreement was signed by the premiers of the two provinces with no legislative review. Disputes are decided by a special panel of "industry experts" that are exclusively business leaders. Decisions are not subject to court review.

We have to do away with oppressive trade agreements, too. Or else one disgruntled ag producer could bring a dispute to the panel that would result in $15 million in penalties against the offending province, with no public input nor court or legislative review.

On 2015-07-06, at 09:00, food-request at bcfsn.org wrote:

> From: Abra Brynne <abra at peelingtheonion.ca>
> Subject: [BCFSN] Fwd: Local Food Act introduced at first sitting of new govt in Alberta
> Date: 6 July 2015 08:53:20 PDT
> To: BC Food Systems Network <food at bcfsn.org>
> 
> 
> Hello all,
> please see below for a wonderful news piece about Alberta's food policy, thanks to Carolyn Young of Sustain Ontario.
> in good food,
> Abra
> 
> --
> Abra Brynne
> PO Box 684, Nelson, BC V1L 5R4
> phone: 250.352.5342
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Carolyn Young <carolyn at sustainontario.ca>
> Date: 6 July 2015 at 07:34
> Subject: Fwd: Local Food Act introduced at first sitting of new govt in Alberta
> To: 
> 
> 
> FYI--Alberta is following Ontario's lead!
> 
> 
> Great news from Alberta!
> 
> At the first sitting of Alberta's new government, Ms Estefania Cortes-Vargas (ND) M.L.A for Strathcona-Sherwood Park, introduced Bill 202 - the Alberta local food act!  This bill passed the first reading!
> 
> 
> Highlights of Bill 202
> 
> Local means" foods produced or harvested in Alberta AND subject to any limitations in the regulations, food and beverages made in Alberta if they include ingredients produced or harvested in Alberta"  
> 
> Purposes 
> To ensure a resilient, sustainable and strong local food economy and agricultural land base in Alberta
> To improve and maximize economic return and food security by maintaining agricultural land for the purposes of farming and supporting the development of local food infrastructure for processing and distributing food;
> To provide an increased and stable demand for local food through public sector organization purchasing
> To increase public awareness of local food in Alberta, including the diversity of local food;
> To promote sustainable farming practices
> To attract new generations into the farming profession;
> Following an assessment of the local food landscape a local food strategy will be developed. This strategy will include:
> 
> -Recommendations aimed at overcoming barriers and optimizing opportunities identified in the local food assessment. 
> 
> -Long-term, mid-term and annualized targets on increasing local food production, local organic food production, local food processing, local food distribution, local food marketing, and local food procurement;
> 
>  -A public website including all targets, recommendations and related data and information assessments 
> 
> Thank goodness Alberta has a school food strategy that includes at its core support for sustainable regional  food systems.
> 
> And more good news - a recent survey of Alberta school principals revealed that more than 60% of then supported a universal school food strategy.
> 
> Kudos to the team at  the Alberta Policy Coalition For Chronic Disease Prevention (including Kayla Atkey who forwarded this to me) and to our Regional leads in Alberta Susan Roberts and Catherine White who have surely been advocates persons with all of this
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Carolyn Young
> Program Manager and Policy Advisor
> Sustain Ontario – the Alliance for Healthy Food and Farming
> 365-401 Richmond Street West
> Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8
> 
> e: carolyn at sustainontario.ca
> t: 647.348.0235
> c: 647-839-4030
> 
> Stay in touch
> Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
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> 
> Become a member and work with us to transform Ontario’s food systems
> Devenez membre et faites partie des bonnes idées sur l'alimentation en Ontario
> 

:::: Current farmers, who have become mere operators of machines and mixers of chemicals, may not have the skills to develop a local, sustainable agriculture. A new generation of farmers, numbering in the tens of millions, will need to be trained and relocated to rural communities. -- Pat Murphy
:::: Jan Steinman, EcoReality Co-op ::::