"Local Foods" may not be as local as we think!

Many grocery shoppers choose fruits, veggies and meats labelled “locally grown” in hopes that the food will not only be fresher, but that they will be doing their part for their local economy and the environment.

But what is meant by “locally grown” has suddenly changed.

Under new rules from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the agency responsible for food labelling in Canada, the term “local” can now mean the food came from anywhere in the province -- even if it had to be trucked in from hundreds of kilometres away.

 

Shoppers are seen at a farmers' market in Kelowna, B.C., Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

 

Wei-hang Chen from Glenmore Garden market appears on CTV News, Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

Until recently, the rules stated that only food originating from within a 50-kilometre radius of where it was sold could be called “local.” Food that came from the same or adjacent county or municipality also qualified.

But the CFIA says it wants to change those rules. Earlier this month, it quietly announced it was scrapping the rules and bringing in an interim policy while it conducts a review of its labelling approach.

The new interim policy says food can be called "local" if it was produced within the province or territory in which it's sold.

That means Ontario peaches grown in Niagara can be considered local even 1,500 km away in Thunder Bay, or Alberta beef raised in Lethbridge is now local in Grande Prairie. Food sold across provincial borders within 50 km of the originating province or territory will also be considered local.
The new interim policy was put into effect on May 10 and will remain until the agency's labelling review is complete, the CFIA says on its website.

But the move is drawing criticism from consumers, farmers and shopkeepers alike.
Wei-Hang Chen, who sells produce at the Glenmore Garden Market in Kelowna, B.C., says the changes are devaluing the definition of the term “local.”

“No, that doesn’t sound local to me,” he told CTV British Columbia when told of the new changes. “That’s the same thing as shipping from Washington or California.”
Some food producers say the labelling changes are really a victory for factory farms and large grocery chains.

"Instead of bringing in more local produce from the region, they're changing the definition so they can label it as local,” says Gord Forbes, of Forbes Family Farm.

Luc Rivard, the director of the consumer protection division of the CFIA, says the rules were changed because the agency felt the previous 50-kilometre rule didn’t meet consumer needs.
“The CFIA recognized the previous policy did not recognize the current industry marketing practices or consumer needs and expectations," Rivard told CTV.

The agency notes that “local” labels are voluntary, and companies can still add qualifiers to the labels, such as the name of the town where the food was grown, to provide shoppers with more context.

Lisa McIntosh, co-owner of organic produce delivery company Urban Harvest, says the changes mean consumers will have to ask more questions to learn where their food really comes from.
"Ask questions,” she advises.

”If you can't see it on the label at the store, ask the produce manager …‘You say it's local; where exactly is it from?’ And make your own decision."
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Kent Molgat
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/new-rules-mean-local-food-may-not-be-as-local-as-you-think-1.1303555


Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/new-rules-mean-local-food-may-not-be-as-local-as-you-think-1.1303555#ixzz2Uobq6efX