MLA Lana Popham introduces the BC Local Food Act

Dear Friends, today I stood in the BC Legislature to introduce a Bill named British Columbia Local Food Act, 2016. 

This legislation advances five initiatives that would benefit us all by strengthening the agricultural sector and farming communities throughout BC:

(1) Eliminate the two-tier ALR created by the current government by transferring all ALR areas currently categorized in zone 2 into zone 1 and eliminating the zone 2 designation.

(2) Establish a legislative standing committee on food and agriculture which will have a voice in determining the chair and other members of the Agricultural Land Commission.

(3) Mandate this committee to prepare, in consultation with the Agriculture Minister, a plan to increase local food production, marketing and processing. The plan would set targets and initiate policies to meet those targets, which would be reported annually to the Legislature.

(4) Implement a comprehensive strategy to increase how much local food is purchased by hospitals and other public institutions.

(5) Reintroduce the successful Buy BC program.

The BC Local Food Act defines many of the agricultural priorities and commitments of the Official Opposition. It would also undo a significant amount of the damage done by the current BC government. It would bring the voices of farmers back into the BC legislature, restore the ALR, increase agricultural production, strengthen food security, contribute to climate change goals, and develop a stable market within BC for BC-grown products.

Click here to read the Local Food Act.

Lana Popham
MLA Saanich South

More information on agriculture in BC is available at www.bcagcom.ca.