Press Release
For immediate release
After many years of calling for government to implement a local food policy to support New Brunswick agricultural production, the National Farmers Union in New Brunswick is thrilled that MLA David Coon has presented a Local Food Security Bill to the Provincial Legislature on Wednesday, February 11. This bill provides a strong regulatory framework that would support New Brunswick’s local food economy, including a baseline assessment to fully understand how much food is currently produced in our province and how much of that food is consumed by New Brunswickers.
Food is one thing that all New Brunswickers require on a daily basis and food security is an issue that affects and unites all people. The NFU-NB believes that the implementation of a provincial food system that encourages food production and procurement from within the province will help create a more stable economic outlook for our farmers, as well as further generate rural employment and sustain rural economies. This bill calls for a labelling system that will identify New Brunswick produced and processed foods with a minimum of 80% of ingredients produced or harvested in NB. This will recognize the work of our farmers and make it easily identifiable by consumers whether they buy their food in the grocery store or at the farmers market.
The National Farmers Union in NB is calling on all MLAs, and in particular Honourable Rick Doucet, Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries to stand up and say yes to New Brunswick farmers and the future of food in our province.
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The National Farmers Union in NB is one of two general farm organizations representing New Brunswick farm families in all agricultural commodities. NFU members believe that the problems facing farmers are common problems, and that farmers producing diverse products must work together to advance effective solutions. The NFU works toward the development of economic and social policies that will maintain the family farm as the primary food-producing unit.
Contacts:
Jean-Eudes Chiasson, President, NFU-NB (506) 775-6033
Amanda Wildeman, executive director, NFU-NB (506) 260-0087
Download the PDF version here. EN/FR
