Op-ed: OFA wants food processing at home

The following op-ed piece was written by Ontario Federation of Agriculture director Angela Field.

OPINION – Last week, Ontario farmers delivered a clear and practical message to decision-makers at Queen’s Park: we grow an incredible range of food in this province, but too much of it leaves in its raw form, only to come back to us as a finished product. That’s a missed opportunity for farmers, for rural communities, and for Ontario’s economy.

To put it simply, we want to do more of the value-adding here at home. Ontarians are asking for local food that is grown, processed and crafted in Ontario. We should be able to meet that demand, but right now, we often can’t because we don’t have enough processing capacity or the infrastructure to support it.

Local food processing businesses, from abattoirs and dairies to fruit and vegetable processors and commercial kitchens, are what allow farmers to move beyond primary production and into value-added opportunities.

When those options disappear, farmers, and consumers, are left with fewer choices. Products are shipped out of province or out of country for processing, adding cost, complexity and risk, especially in today’s uncertain political and trade environment. It also means we’re exporting jobs and economic activity that could be staying right here in Ontario.

At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s (OFA) Queen’s Park Advocacy Day last week, we asked government to work with us to change that. That means supporting not just expansions of existing facilities, but also the development of new ones because in many regions, there simply aren’t enough processors left to scale up.

The solutions are within reach. We need a mix of tools that help businesses get established and grow, including:

• Access to financing, whether through grants, one-time funding, or short- and long-term loan programs
• Reducing regulatory barriers that make it difficult to open or expand facilities
• Strategic investment in infrastructure that supports processing, particularly energy like natural gas, as well as roads and bridges

And it’s great to see some of these projects with a mix of private and public investment already happening. Here are some examples from eastern Ontario, where my family farms:

Alinova Canada recently announced it is building Canada’s first non-GMO soymilk powder processing plant near Morrisburg, ON, supported by an investment from the provincial government’s Eastern Ontario Development Fund.

North American food and beverage co-manufacturer Ya YA Foods Corp. is opening a state-of-the-art beverage production facility in Belleville, ON, this spring, and a new investment is boosting milk receiving capacity at Canada’s largest cheese plant, the Lactalis Canada facility in Winchester.

These are all excellent examples of the types of infrastructure that will support local food and beverage processing in our province and in turn, bring jobs and value-adding capacity to Ontario as well as create new opportunities for farm businesses.

I’m one of 18 directors on the OFA’s provincial board. We make a point of regularly heading to Queen’s Park to meet with elected officials from all parties to talk about food and farming and how the issues that matter to farmers also matter to urban Ontarians.

For me, one of the most encouraging aspects of the day was the response we heard from all parties. Our food system is not a partisan issue; it’s an Ontario issue. There is also a much clearer understanding of the sector’s economic impact, which contributed an estimated $51.4 billion to Ontario’s economy last year and supported more than 860,000 jobs, and a shared interest in helping it continue to grow.

When we head to Queen’s Park for our advocacy day, we talk about policy, but it’s also about making connections.

Taking the time to share our experiences, answer questions, and build relationships is just as important as the issues we raise. It helps ensure that when decisions are made, they’re grounded in a better understanding of how they affect farms and rural communities.