Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled a federal food security strategy committing $3.2 billion over a decade to produce more food in Canada and make it more affordable. Announced at the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto, the plan puts $1 billion into a new Food Link Fund to expand wholesale food terminals and hubs that let independent grocers buy at competitive prices, boosts the Competition Bureau’s funding, and sets aside $700 million for greenhouse and indoor production. Carney also said Ottawa would “crack down” on surveillance pricing, with privacy legislation “ideally” before the end of June.
The article situates the announcement against NDP positions on food affordability. It notes the federal NDP has been calling for a ban on surveillance pricing and other consumer-data protections, and that New Democrats are pressing for further public interventions such as price controls. It singles out NDP Leader Avi Lewis’s signature proposal for the federal government to operate public, Costco-like grocery stores to guarantee access to affordable food. Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman countered that Liberals should cut taxes and spending instead.
Full article, including the “Promoting food sovereignty” section on import dependence and grocery-sector concentration, at the source link above.