Summer 2021 — Food & Farming across the Golden Horseshoe

Food and Farming across the Golden Horseshoe

FARM CRAWL SHOWCASES LOCAL AGRICULTURE

Hamilton’s Farm Crawl brought flocks of visitors out to a variety of local farms in July, offering lots to see, learn, do and taste all in one day. This year's crawl features 9 farms, showcasing everything from an urban farm and a local cider house to flower fields, an alpaca farm and much more.

Read more about it and find some pictures on our blog! You'll also find information about the next Farm Crawl coming up in September.

Investing in the future of our food and farm sector

The Fair Finance Fund is set to raise $2 million by the end of 2021 to support Ontario's local food and farm sector.

The Fund, which first launched in 2019, offers community bonds to those interested in making an impact with their investments by supporting local food and farm social entrepreneurs.

Since 2019, the Fund has invested over $850,000 into social enterprises across the agri-food value chain. These investments have resulted in over $3 million in local food sales, 53 jobs expanded and maintained, 134 suppliers supported in Ontario, and positive environmental impacts like reduced GHG emissions and increased soil health.

We encourage you to learn more about this innovative Fund in our latest blog post.

FOODSERVICE SUPPORT

Tourism HR Canada has announced the launch of a federally-funded Student Work Placement Program offering paid work-integrated learning opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector. The new program, called Propel, is aimed at supporting the full spectrum of the industry as it emerges from the crushing impacts of the pandemic.

SUSTAINABILITY

According to the EY Future Consumer Index Survey, sustainability is quickly climbing to the top of consumers' priorities, but so is affordability. Who should pay for sustainability? 69% of Canadian consumers surveyed expect companies to solve sustainability issues. 61% say they plan to pay more attention to the environmental impact of what they consume.

ROBOTIC HARVESTING

Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) has announced almost $4.2 million in collaborative funding for a multi-partner project, led by Mycionics, that will deploy advanced robotic solutions to revolutionize the mushroom harvesting processes. The entire harvesting process will be optimized through the application of data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

CONSUMER TRENDS

Deloitte Canada’s report, The conflicted consumer: 2021 food consumer survey, explores the changing preferences, consumption habits and expectations of Canadian consumers. Among other trends, it shows that two thirds of Canadians were cooking more meals at home during the pandemic. This resurgence of home cooking is also changing what Canadians buy at the grocery store.

FOOD WASTE IN CANADA

A new report from the Arrell Food Institute describes the state of the food and food-related waste in Canada and recommends how we can all take steps to curb the problem.

“Food waste is one of the most significant sustainability challenges we face today,” the Executive Summary reads. “In 2019, Gooch et al. estimated that 35.5 million metric tonnes of food were lost or wasted annually in Canada. This accounts for 58% of all food produced in Canada — or an estimated 50 billion dollars.”

The goal of the report is to introduce readers—from consumers to policy makers—to food and food-related waste challenges in the Canadian food system.

View the report here, Laying Waste to Waste: Tackling Consumer-level Food and Food-related Waste in Canada.

Funding Opportunities

FOOD & BEVERAGE PROCESSORS

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $6 million in projects to help Ontario food and beverage processors improve their operations, increase their competitive edge and adapt to challenges due to the pandemic.

Applications for the first phase of this new intake under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership are now being accepted until September 2, 2021. This phase is accepting applications for projects that will enhance economic development and food safety in the sector. Learn more here.

WINE & CIDER

The Ontario government has launched a new Winery Agri-Tourism COVID-19 Relief Initiative to support agri-tourism businesses impacted by the pandemic. Ontario wineries and cideries with on-site stores whose business were impacted by COVID-19 safety measures will be eligible for this one-time grant. Learn more here.