Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition today with respect to local food, which is signed by constituents in and around my riding of Beaches—East York.
The petitioners point out that buying local food cuts down on transportation and greenhouse gas emissions, that buying local foods gives Canadians access to fresh and nutritious food, and that federal departments and agencies should lead by example and support Canadian farmers by buying local food.
The petitioners therefore call upon the Government of Canada to require the Department of Public Works to develop a policy to purchase locally grown food for all federal institutions.