Program encourages local buying - Local Flavour Plus has created a certified program which provides local food to institutions

By Glenn Powell, Special to Ontario Farmer, August 29, 2006

Local Flavour Plus (LFP) is on path to encourage institutional food buyers to purchase local products. At least that is the initial goal of this ambitious, Toronto-based, program designed to strengthen the value chain between local farmers and Ontario consumers.

LFP plans to roll-out the first of its contracts with a major institution at a news conference planned for mid-September.

"The contract with the University of Toronto will be the template for several more contracts in the very near future," says LFP Vice President Mike Schreiner. He points out that the institutional market - universities, hospitals, schools and government cafeterias - represents a substantial market and an opportunity to give local growers a stable, predictable demand.

The LFP objective is to get the food buyers and those signing the contracts with the catering companies to commit to purchasing "a percentage" of their supplies from local growers.

Avoiding such items as oranges, rather than Ontario apples, in a box lunch supplied to a farm audience at the University of Guelph is a prime target of the LFP initiative.

"We are looking at strengthening the local food system one step at a time," Schreiner says, adding that down the road LFP looks forward to connecting with local retailers "but it will have to be the smaller, independent retailers who see value in promoting locally grown and processed food products."

LFP has developed a product certification process that focuses on sustainable agricultural production. Initial enrollment includes Norfolk Fruit Growers (apples), Harmony Organic Dairy and a southwestern Ontario tomato processor.

Certification is not exclusive to organic farmers but does require environmentally sustainable production technology.

Patterned after a similar program that currently has more than 200 universities in the United States committed to purchasing local food products, LFP believes that the connection between farmers and the food service departments at universities and schools such as Upper Canada College, Toronto, and Ridley College in St. Catharines will provide a lasting link with consumers.

 

OACC gratefully acknowledges Ontario Farmer for permission to post this article on our website. November, 2006