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🇨🇦🍁💵 Governments Investing in Food Safety and Industry Growth 🍳🧃

Wednesday, 07 August 2024 10:40.AM

- Canada and Ontario committing up to $5 million to bolster small agri-food businesses -

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), to help the important small businesses in the agriculture and food industry enhance their food safety systems and stimulate growth.

Through the Food Safety and Growth Initiative, funding will be provided to eligible food processors, producers and service providers to improve food safety systems, adopt new food safety and traceability equipment, technologies and standards and provide related training to employees. This funding will also enable operators to respond to market and consumer demands and grow their business.

This investment will help achieve goals laid out in the Grow Ontario Strategy including strengthening the stability and competitiveness of the province’s agri-food supply chain. Ontario’s robust food safety systems are key to the industry’s growth. This initiative will help smaller businesses build consumer confidence, and enable growth by supporting investments to detect, prevent and mitigate food safety risks and adopt new standards.

“It is vitally important that our farmers and food processors have access to the latest tools and resources they need to continue to produce their top-quality goods,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment in technology and equipment upgrades will help folks prevent and quickly address food safety risks and keep their operations on the cutting edge.”

“Our government is committed to working with smaller businesses in Ontario’s agriculture and food industry to help them ensure food safety so they can increase sales and expand,” said Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Investments through the Food Safety and Growth Initiative will allow smaller food businesses to improve their operations so they can grow and compete in Ontario and outside our borders.”

Projects supported through this initiative will include development or improvement of food safety or traceability programs, upgrades to food safety or traceability equipment and technology upgrades, assessments by qualified third-parties, or implementation of internationally or nationally recognized food safety programs, such as first-time certification audits.

Successful projects are eligible to receive 50 per cent of eligible costs, in cost-share funding, up to a maximum of $75,000 per project. Applications for the initiative will be accepted starting August 21, 2024. The application period will remain open until 11:59 pm EST, December 1, 2025, or until the budgeted funds have been fully allocated, whichever comes first.

The Sustainable CAP is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Quick Facts

• The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Agribusiness will deliver the Food Safety and Growth Initiative. More details and its application process will be available online.
• Food industry businesses with fewer than 100 employees at the site of proposed projects are eligible for support through the Food Safety and Growth Initiative.
• The initiative builds on other previous actions the Ontario government has taken to support the sector. These include a $25-million commitment through the Agri-Tech Innovation Initiative and the $7.5 million Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative, also offered through Sustainable CAP.
• For more information about OMAFA programs and services, contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC) by phone at 1-877-424-1300 or by e-mail at ag.info.omafa@ontario.ca.

"Food and beverage processing is the largest manufacturing sector by employment in Ontario and over 90 per cent of the over 4,000 companies in Ontario are small businesses. This announcement supports the sector by improving food safety systems, equipment, standards and training. In turn, this will help food and beverage operators adapt to market and consumer needs as well as grow their businesses."
- Chris Conway, Chief Executive Officer, Food and Beverage Ontario

"We commend the federal and provincial governments for their partnership and support. This investment will build resiliency in our food system by supporting businesses advancing their food safety systems. This is good news for everyone."
- Kevin Schinkel, President, Meat and Poultry Ontario

SOURCE: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

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