Prof. Evan Fraser, director of the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph, joined federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and other food system leaders to discuss the federal government’s plan to create Canada’s first-ever national food policy.

The group met at the Food Security Symposium: Building Collaboration to Reduce Food Insecurity.

Fraser said he looked forward to partnering with the government on key elements of the policy and encouraged the minister to continue to engage with expert stakeholders, who he said can “provide well-researched advice and support for implementation of the policy.”

The federal government announced in last month’s federal budget that it will provide $134.4 million over five years to create the first national food policy.

The policy will focus on improving community access to healthy food, tackling food waste, increasing food security in Northern and remote communities, and promoting Canadian food in Canada and abroad.

Fraser is a Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and a professor in U of G’s Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics.