Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard unveiled the province’s first-ever bio-food policy Friday morning, complete with an ambitious food policy that would unfold over the next seven years.
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The plan is to inject $5 billion into Quebec’s food industry over five years, with half of that money coming from the federal government.
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As a result of this investment, the government said it expects billions of dollars to flow into the industry from the private sector.
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The announcement was made at Quinn Farm in Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, just west of Montreal.
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The government said it has been working on this policy for a long time, consulting many in the industry, including farmers, restaurateurs and store owners.
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“And again, putting consumers and producers in close contact.”
He pointed out the aim is for there to be better education in schools so children from an early age can understand where their food comes from.
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There are also plans to give more money to the farming and fishing industries, create efforts to ensure food is grown ethically and responsibly, and better promotion of Quebec-made food.