OTTAWA – The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) today congratulated Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party of Canada on their election victory.
FVGC welcomed the Government’s election commitments to repairing agricultural safety nets and ensuring that a food security lens is applied to the work of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).
FVGC has long advocated for the application of a food lens across government policy — a critical step toward ensuring a sustainable, competitive, and resilient fruit and vegetable sector in Canada.
“This election was forged by exceptional circumstances that stoked Canadians’ sense of national resolve,” said Massimo Bergamini, Executive Director of FVGC. “It is with that same sense of resolve that Canada’s fruit and vegetable growers today say that they look forward to working with Prime Minister Carney and his government and with all parliamentarians to make our agricultural sector more resilient and Canada’s food supply, more secure.”
“Without a strong fruit and vegetable sector, there can be no real food security in Canada,” said Bergamini. “We cannot afford to take Canadian-grown food for granted. FVGC is ready to work with the new government to make sure that all policy decisions strengthen — not weaken — our domestic food supply.”
FVGC is urging the new government to take early action on the following key priorities:
- Apply a “food lens” across all government policymaking;
- Modernize business risk management programs to reflect current realities;
- Ensure access to skilled agricultural labour;
- Secure grower access to a range of safe and effective crop protection tools;
- Enhance Canada’s international competitiveness in fresh produce markets.
- Invest in greenhouses to ensure year-round access to Canadian grown fresh fruit and vegetables
FVGC’s election platform, Cultivating Resiliency: Election Priorities of Canada’s Fruit and Vegetable Growers, outlined a practical roadmap to support Canadian growers and build a stronger, more resilient food system for all Canadians.
For more information, please contact:
Ashley Peyrard
Communications Manager
Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada
Telephone: 613-621-2195
Email:
About the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada
The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) represent growers across the country involved in the production of over 120 different types of crops on over 14,000 farms, with farm cash receipts of $5.9 billion in 2021. They are an Ottawa-based voluntary, not-for-profit, national association, and, since 1922, have advocated on important issues that impact Canada’s fresh produce sector, promoting healthy, safe, and sustainable food, ensuring the continued success and growth of their industry.
– 30 –