Election 2021: Candidates and party leaders must prioritize essential supply chains

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) today (Tuesday) called on political candidates and party leaders to prioritize the nation's largest manufacturing sector, including by requiring large grocery retailers to treat suppliers fairly and by strengthening self-care as a proven complement to the publicly-funded healthcare system. 

Major constraints on Canada's essential food and grocery supplies include: a restrictive business environment, sharply rising costs of doing business, unnecessarily burdensome regulations, unfair fines and fees imposed by large grocers, and worsening labour and skills gaps. 

Commenting on the upcoming federal election, FHCP CEO Michael Graydon said:

"The pandemic has reemphasized that Canada must urgently strengthen our essential food, health, and consumer goods supplies. The 'Made in Canada' manufacturing and innovation we need to be truly resilient and self-reliant in the face of crises like COVID-19 cannot grow without a business environment that attracts investment, innovation, and job growth.

FHCP members' trusted brands are found in nearly every home in Canada. Now is the time for political leaders to prioritize actions that support these essential products and the people who make them."

FHCP's election platform available here calls on political candidates and party leaders to:

• Strengthen competitiveness and support innovation, including by better aligning policy priorities across government and requiring all regulations to consider efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and evidence of benefits. Regulatory decisions made without sufficient consideration of business impacts are unnecessarily burdensome, disjointed and inconsistent, undermine regulatory objectives, and endanger Canada's post-pandemic economic recovery.
• Implement a legislated Grocery Supply Code of Practice that prevents large grocery retailers from imposing unilateral changes, fees, and fines on suppliers. Unfair practices by the five large grocers who control more than 80% of grocery and drug store sales pose a serious threat to 'Made in Canada' manufacturing, as well as to Canadian farmers.
• Adopt a National Self-Care Strategy that supports investment and innovation in self-care as a complement to the publicly-funded healthcare system. According to the World Health Organization, strengthening self-care reduces costs and increases healthcare quality, access, and equity.

About Food, Health, and Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP): FHCP is the voice of the Canadian food, health products, beverage and consumer products industry, which directly employs more than 350,000 workers in over 10,000 manufacturing facilities from coast to coast. The sector contributes more than $40 billion annually to Canada's economy and provides safe, high-quality products found in virtually every home in Canada. 

For more information, visit www.OnEveryShelf.ca. 

SOURCE Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada