N.B. Releases Local Food And Beverages Strategy
FREDERICTON – The Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries has released a food and beverage plan that will help encourage the use of local products, something that’s been stressed throughout the pandemic.
The local food and beverage strategy will have three sectors, Grow NB, Buy NB, and Feed NB, with a goal of educating and raising awareness in the community.
“More than ever, New Brunswickers want to know where their food comes from and how it is processed,” said Margaret Johnson, Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister, in a release. “The continued strengthening of our food system and improving food self-sufficiency is central to the development, growth and sustainability of the local food and beverage sectors.”
The strategy was created in collaboration with representatives from Indigenous communities, industry stakeholders, and provincial and federal government agencies.
The plan will create more opportunities for First Nations in the agriculture and agri-food sector and attempt to solve food security challenges. The plan received input from Indigenous communities, something that left Eel Ground First Nation Chief George Ginnish optimistic.
“I am encouraged by the collaborative efforts to create a strategy with specific goals reflective of Indigenous values,” Ginnish said.
Governments have encouraged the use of local businesses and products in an attempt to compensate for the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The province’s agriculture and seafood industries deliver more than 50 commodities to local and export markets. They also employ more than 17,000 people in primary production and processing and are a significant contributor to Indigenous, rural and coastal communities and their economies.
Robert Lothian is a reporter with 91.9 The Bend in Moncton, a Huddle content partner.