Madam Speaker, in a number of ways I agree with the principles the member highlighted regarding the abundance of food that is wasted. Communities can make a difference and so can governments.
Where I tend to disagree is on the importance of the motion that the member for Willowdale has introduced. I believe the member has understood a very important issue that Canadians can really relate to and has put it in the form of a motion that I would like to think will pass. I applaud him and whoever assisted him in making this motion possible today for their efforts. I would like to think that all members would vote in favour of it. I understand the Bloc has concerns with it. I tend to disagree. I am a nationalist; I believe in Quebec, Canada and all of the provinces. The need is in every region where there is waste and hunger. We need to bridge that together.
I want to emphasize the importance of non-profit organizations, along with the generosity we often see from producers, and I thank those individuals specifically. They have understood the issue for a number of years now and that is why we have food banks, groups like the Winnipeg Bear Clan Patrol and many other organizations, both small and large, that have contributed to closing this huge gap.
I look at the motion as a very strong positive because there are some powerful words in it that would commit the House of Commons to, hopefully, following through. I look to certain organizations and policies. For example, in reading the motion, one of the first things that came to my mind was the national school food program the government just put in place and how, in implementing that program and by working with other jurisdictions, we can incorporate something with regard to food waste. Because it is a nationally led program, there might be some opportunities. As has been pointed out, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of children who will directly benefit from that program, and there might be other, more indirect benefits.
I think of the changes made to the Competition Act to try to drive down prices on food. I am looking at what we can do to stabilize the cost of food. Along with those policies, we need to recognize the massive amount of waste taking place. If I were to contribute to the debate what I think would make a stronger difference, I have found that the most effective way to minimize that waste would be empowering local organizations to participate in a larger way. They have connections to local businesses and can tap into that.
On the Prairies in particular, there is the huge, lovable farming community, our agricultural sector. The other day I had the chance to talk about taking my most recent flight into Winnipeg. We looked down and saw the ground because there were no clouds, and we saw vast acreages of product, of commodities, including wheat and canola. There is something to say about the beauty of the Prairies when we see the abundance of food there.
When I think in terms of the production of food, I also think of companies like Maple Leaf Foods, processing millions of pigs in the province of Manitoba, or HyLife from Neepawa. I think of the chicken producers. There is so much more in terms of vegetables, such as Peak of the Market and the fine work the growers do.
One of the things they all have in common, whether the farmer, the processor or the distributor, is the interest to address the issue of food waste. They will often, by the crateload, contribute to some of the non-profit organizations that are circulating food. I think of Purolator and the CFL and the amount of food they donate. There are so many examples out there. Where there is a lot of room for us to make improvement is likely with restaurants and other businesses within the hospitality industry, yet there are so many connections that can be made.
That is why I am suggesting as a contribution to the debate that governments at the national, provincial and municipal levels look at ways in which we can provide, as is being suggested within the motion, incentives for food contributions of different forms. It is something that would go a long way in dealing with the amount of waste we see today in our landfills, as a direct result. If we were to be aggressive on that particular file, it would make a world of difference.
Getting the motion that the member for Willowdale has introduced today as an opportunity to highlight and to build a consensus around, sends a very strong and powerful message to the wide spectrum of stakeholders out there that the leaders of our country recognize just how important an issue this is. It is not just one level of government; it is all of us who actually can contribute in a positive way.
That means looking at the food we have in our home, and if we are not going to be consuming it, often instead of throwing it out, even stuff that has not expired, contributing it to an organization, maybe taking it to a game and giving it as a donation. We all witness, first-hand, people with exceptional generosity, something Canadians are known for around the world. That is a good approach.
I thank the member for identifying the issue and bringing it to the floor of the House of Commons.