Ignatieff supports Farmers

CANADA - Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff is promoting a plan which would help farmers and help Canadians eat healthier, home-grown food. The program includes:

$80 million for a “buy-local” fund to promote farmers’ markets and home-grown foods.

$40 million to help 250,000 low-income children get better access to healthy food.

New health-labelling criteria for food and tougher standards on trans-fats.

$50 million to ensure foreign imports meet local standards and to improve food inspections.

Canadian farms generate $42 billion annually and provide one out of every eight jobs. Helping farmers therefore helps everyone who works in the food industry, which in turns helps Canadians since everyone needs to eat.

"We need more home-grown food on Canadian tables because our health and our economy depend on it," says Ignatieff. "Our farmers produce the healthiest, safest, highest-quality foods in the world and we’ll help them get more of their products on our tables with Canada’s first comprehensive National Food Policy."

This National Food Policy is the second part of the Liberal’s Rural Canada Matters plan, which also aims to attract doctors and nurses to rural communities.