Local Food Plus

Background

Local Food Plus (LFP) developed a successful approach to localizing the food system in Southern Ontario, certifying over 200 farms and processing facilities and creating a market for them among institutional buyers like universities and municipalities as well as restaurants, food wholesalers, and supermarkets. LFP-certified foods are guaranteed to meet environmental, animal welfare, energy efficiency, and labour standards.

LFP inspects and certifies local farms and processors and links them with institutional purchasers whom LFP has induced to make a commitment to purchase an increasing percentage of their foods from local sources. Its first customer was the University of Toronto’s food services division, which serves 25% LFP-certified food across its operations. LFP now has over 80 such agreements in place, with sales totalling around $5 million.

Full Description

In response to interest from elsewhere in Canada, LFP is preparing to introduce its program to BC, Manitoba, and Quebec. The Foundation’s grant will help to sustain LFP’s coordinating secretariat as it takes on this additional workload and provide seed funding for three new project sites. In each province, a project coordinator will be hired to oversee inspector training, recruit farmers, and secure purchasing contracts with major institutions. LFP’s national office will be involved in providing leadership to each of the expansion sites and will continue to oversee the Ontario program.