Whereas it is a stated goal of the provincial government to support buy local initiatives; And whereas taxpayer-supported institutions with on-site food services, such as universities and hospitals, are not required to buy local: Therefore be it resolved that the provincial government institute a policy whereby taxpayer-supported institutions with on-site food services be required to source a targeted portion of their food purchases from local producers, subject to the Province meeting its existing domestic and international trade agreement obligations, specifically recognizing procurement thresholds.
Ministry of Agriculture One of the five key priorities that the Minister of Agriculture was asked to focus on was to initiate Feed BC to increase the use of BC-grown and processed foods in hospitals, schools, and other government facilities. Ministry staff is currently developing a plan that will fulfill on this mandate commitment. The Province is developing a policy to source a targeted portion of their food purchases as one potential mechanism will be considered in developing this plan. There are already many institutions that are currently purchasing BC foods as a part of their normal purchasing practices. The Province will need to understand the current purchasing practices to ensure that goals and procurement targets for BC foods meet the Ministers mandate commitment, while respecting trade agreement obligations.