"We need more health, not necessarily more health care. Health prevention, health education. We're the only party with a national food policy to put more Canadian food on Canadian plates and get the salt, fat, and sugar down. That's how you get better value for your health care dollar."
Feel like you wish your government was more concerned about the food that you eat?
Some Americans would feel that government shouldn't be involved any more than necessary with a wobbly definition of what "necessary" means.
But if you are looking for a government that is interested in what is going on in the food supply, Canada might be your answer.
As readers of our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com, are fully aware of, there is a federal election coming up on May 2.
The quote at the top came from Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff at the English language debate last week. The Liberal Party is the most pro-active of the parties on the topic during the campaign, but each of the five major parties has policies that separate food from agriculture in their platforms.
Some of the Liberal Party highlights include education programs, improved food labels, and restrictions on trans fat and sodium. The Liberal platform calls for a mass review of Canada's entire agriculture structure, something desperately needed in the United States.
Among the parties with current MPs (sorry Greens), the New Democratic Party has the strongest platform on food issues. Okay, so the NDP isn't going to win the prime minister's chair, but they could have influence over who is the next prime minister, especially if the new government is also a minority.
The NDP pushes food security/sovereignty, emphasizes local food networks, and wants a food school to teach kids how to create nutritious foods.
Even the Conservatives, the party currently in charge of the minority government, have provisions to create an "Agriculture Innovation Initiative, to support local farm-based research and development projects." And the Conservative budget contains $100 million over five years to increase capacity in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Yes, that's right, conservatives funding increased food inspection.
Canada isn't exactly all that progressive on the topic, unlike, say, European countries. Thanks to NAFTA, Canada is overrun with glucose-fructose (i.e., high-fructose corn syrup). The efforts are small, so far, but at least no matter which government runs the next Parliament, there will be some progress (pronounced PRO-gress) in Canada on a somewhat stronger food policy. Then the new prime minister can come to Washington to talk to Congress and tell them to wake up on creating a stronger food policy.
- Breakdown of the five party platforms (courtesy of the Globe and Mail).
Comments