Government of Canada launches new phase of Local Food Infrastructure Fund

OTTAWA, ON, March 23, 2022 /CNW/ - All Canadians, regardless of where they live, deserve to have access to affordable and nutritious food. Communities in every region have their own unique challenges when it comes to food security, and this is especially true for Northern and remote communities.

Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, along with the Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, the Honourable Daniel Vandal, launched a new phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF), with an investment of up to $20 million. This funding, available over the next two years, will support community-based and not-for-profit organizations in their efforts to create long-term solutions to address food security challenges.

This new phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund has been tailored to meet the needs of Indigenous, Northern and remote communities by providing funding to help them build a food system that will meet both current and future community needs. For example, a project could help expand a community harvest program to include traditional methods for transforming food and distribution.

Program details and requirements are available now, and applications for this intake phase can be submitted from June 1 until July 15, 2022. The release of program details ahead of the intake process will provide potential applicants with additional time to review the program guide, create partnerships with neighbouring communities, ask questions and get feedback from program officials.

Eligible projects must be infrastructure-specific, community-driven and dedicated to improving access to healthy, nutritious, and local foods for Canadians at risk of food insecurity. Grant funding for projects can range from $100,000 to $500,000 to support larger initiatives that will have a lasting impact in communities.

The next phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund underscores the Government of Canada's commitment to support projects that will help build capacity in our communities for generations to come.

For more information on the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, please contact the program by: E-mail: [email protected] or call: 1-877-246-4682. Program information is also available through agriculture.canada.ca/local-food.

In an effort to ensure that diverse audiences are able to receive up-to-date information on this program, the contents of this news release are available in the following languages: Denesuline, Innu-Aimun, Inuktitut, Mi'kmaq, Michif Cree ,Michif French, Oji-Cree, Plains Cree, and

Western Ojibway. Program information is available in English and French in accordance with Canada's Official Languages Policy.

"Our government is taking meaningful action to improve access to high-quality, nutritious and affordable food. With the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, we are helping to support efforts to put the pieces in place to harvest, store, package and deliver nutritious food to community members in a sustainable manner. We know that the ability to locally source food will provide long term access for many communities, including those that are Indigenous, Northern or remote."
-       The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"Northern and Arctic communities face unique challenges such as isolation and socioeconomic factors that make them particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. These factors, along with routinely higher food prices than in the rest of the country, have reinforced the need for long-term, community and traditions-based solutions. That's why our government is working with partners to strengthen local food solutions in Northern and remote communities, based on their priorities"
-       The Honourable Daniel  Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

• LFIF, originally a five-year, $50-million program under the Food Policy for Canada, is aimed at community-based, not-for-profit organizations. The mission of the program is to reduce food insecurity by establishing and/or strengthening local food systems in the medium to long term.
• Budget 2021 included an additional $10 million for LFIF, to support rapid-response grants that help prevent hunger through investments in infrastructure needs. To date, from this $10 million, 175 projects have been approved, providing a rapid response to food insecurity issues brought about due to the pandemic.
• Since it first launched in August 2019, the LFIF has committed $35.7 million to support over 801 vital food security projects across Canada, such as: community gardens and kitchens; refrigerated trucks and storage units for donated food; greenhouses in remote and Northern communities; and more.
• To date, LFIF has supported 120 projects led by Indigenous organizations for up to $5.7 million in approved funding.
• The Government of Canada is also delivering the $330 million Emergency Food Security Fund by providing funding to national and regional organizations, which in turn support food banks and local food organizations across Canada. This emergency fund helps improve access to food for people experiencing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• In addition, $25 million has been provided to Nutrition North Canada to increase subsidies so families in the North and Arctic can afford much-needed nutritious food and personal hygiene products. Budget 2021 committed $163.4 million to expand the Nutrition North Canada program and enable the Minister of Northern Affairs to work directly with Indigenous partners, including in Inuit Nunangat, to address food insecurity.

Local Food Infrastructure Fund
Food Policy for Canada
Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth and Resilience

Backgrounder - List of Local Food Infrastructure Program projects

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SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada