Mr. Speaker, the second petition has to do with local food.
When Canadians buy local, it encourages our local farmers, our agricultural industry and our economy. Since buying local cuts down on transportation and greenhouse gas emissions, it is also good for the environment. What is more, when people buy local, they get fresh, nutritious food.
For all these reasons, and since the federal departments and agencies should be setting an example, the petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to host a conference of provincial and territorial agricultural ministers to develop a Canada-wide strategy on local food.
They are also calling on the Department of Public Works and Government Services to develop a policy for purchasing locally grown food for all 48,000 federal institutions across the country.