The socially-conscious consumer, transparency in food, food waste ($31B worth in Canada), insect protein and food innovation were some of the hot topics at Country Heritage Park at the
Future of Food and Farming Forum on
October 6.
Hopeful signs? Support for local is rising through a growing engaged consumer, which has also brought an increased
demand for transparency in food
- certainly
a potential catalyst for
the local food movement.
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G3 Global Grain Group
, a Winnipeg-based agribusiness, has announced plans to build a $50-million-plus year-round shipping terminal at the
Port of Hamilton
that will export grains and oilseeds grown in southern Ontario.
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A chat with the organic grocer illustrates the impact of supporting local, and the power of the consumer to help elicit change by sending a ripple through important food value chains.
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The Fraser Institute has completed a survey of housing developers and homebuilders to provide new insight into the issue of rising house prices and land-use regulation. The report presents survey results for cities in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, illustrating how red tape can be a major problem for municipalities, with re-zoning wait times discouraging business development.
While the focus is on housing starts, the red tape created at the municipal level is also seen as a deterrent for investment and expansion in agri-food businesses and farms.
"A growing body of research indicates that onerous regulation reduces new home construction and contributes to rising home prices," said Kenneth Green, Fraser Institute Senior Director of Energy and Natural Resources.
"Housing affordability continues to be a major issue right across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Unfortunately, the results of this survey indicate that red tape at some city halls is deterring development and exacerbating the problem."
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The investment aims to help create sustainable jobs and strengthen the province's food and beverage processing sector.
Read the news release here.
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