Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has picked 23 people to be on a committee to advise her on the new national food policy.
They will begin meeting March 4 to ponder how to tackle for challenges:
1. Helping Canadian communities access healthy food.
2. Supporting food security in northern and Indigenous communities.
3.Rreducing food waste.
4. Making Canadian food the top choice at home and abroad.
Last year Bibeau promised $134 million to support the policy’s development and the creation of a national food system.
The 32 members are:
Jean-Francois Archambault, a leading chef in Quebec who helped organize more than two million meals for needy people last year.
Syvie-Cloutier who has worked on issues management, negotiations and public affairs for the Quebec Food Processing Council and the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors.
Heather Deck, a dietician from rural Saskatchewan who has experience developing food safety policies for both the Canadian and United States federal governments.
Julie Dickson Olmstead, managing director of public affairs and corporate social responsibility for Save-On-Foods of British Columbia.
Evan Fraser, director of Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph.
Sonny Gray, chief executive officer of North Star Agriculture Inc. and of Flat Creek Farms in Yukon Territory. He has long been involved in agriculture and food for Northern communities.
Marcel Grolueau, a dairy farmer from Thedford Mines, Que. He served as president of Union des Producteurs Agricole du Quebec and was a member of the North American Free Trade Council.
Chris Hatch, chief executive officer of Food Banks Canada.
Lynda Kuhn, senior vide-president at Maple Leaf Foods and chair of its centre for Action on Food Security.
Elizabeth Kwan, senior researcher at the Canadian Labour Congress.
Dr. Joseph LcBlanc from Northern Ontario and a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. He is passionate about community health and wellbeing, he has extensive experience in asset-based community development and food system change throughout the region.
Catherin L. Mah, a medical doctor and Canada Research Chair in Promoting Healthy Populations. She is a professor at Dalhousie University.
Larry McIntosh, president and chief executive officer of Peak of the Market in Winnipeg. He has more than 35 years of experience in the fresh produce supply chain.
Rosie Mensah of Toronto where she works as a registered dietician. She is a director on the board of FoodShare
Lori Nikkel of Toronto, chief executive officer of Second Harvest and experienced in deal with food waste and loss.
Denise Philippe of Vancouver, senior policy advisor with Metro Vancouver and the National Zero Waste Council.
Melana Roberts of Toronto where she is a federal and municipal food strategist and food justice advocate. She helped Toronto develop the first municipal Black Food Sovereignty Plan, the first in North America.
Mary Robinson, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and a farmer and business manager on Prince Edward Island and a member of advisory councils for two federal agriculture ministers.
Brenda Schoep, winner of the 2012 Nuffield Scholarship who has researched Global Food Leadership, is an author and mentor of young entrepreneurs in agriculture and food. She is on Vancouver Island.
Wendy Smith of Stoney Creek, Ont., who has 28 years of experience In institutional nutrition services and healthcare for St. Joseph’s Health System.
Avni Soma of Canmore, Alta., is a scientist, small business owner and community leader with a background in healthcare and the food industry.
Connor Williamson of British Columbia where he is a farmer, food system researcher and a member of the LGTB+Q community. He is a fifth-generation farmer and has researched food security in four countries, including South Africa and Jordan.
Gisele Yasmeen who divides her time between Vancouver and Montreal. She has a doctorate from the University of British Columbia and has advised many organizations about food systems and urban food distribution, including the National Research Councill, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.
