Robin Austin, the Opposition Critic for Rural Communities, is mystified by the B.C. Liberal government’s claim that they support family farms given their outright hostility to farm gate sales and traditional meat production.

“If the government is committed to preserving family farms and local food production why did they introduce the so called ‘Food Safety Act’ which has put unreasonable burdens on small meat producers across the province?” asked Austin, the MLA for Skeena. “This is the government that made it illegal to sell your neighbors home grown meat or a fruit pie at a farmer's market; it is hypocritical that the policies they create are stunting the same food movement they say they support.”

To date Agriculture Minister Pat Bell has not proffered even one example of illness or death caused by eating meat produced in a traditional manner on small local farms. Meanwhile, just last week a Californian industrial slaughterhouse, Hallmark Meat Co., was the subject of a 65 million kilogram recall of beef.

“Forcing small farmers to transport their livestock hundreds of kilometers to a centralized slaughterhouse is neither economically or environmentally friendly, and there is absolutely no evidence that it enhances the food supply,” said Austin. “Judging from the recent recall in California, we have every reason to believe it could actually make our food less safe.”

The Food Safety Act has crippled food producers in remote areas like the Queen Charlotte Islands. One producer, Don Richardson, of Tlell, has been selling local beef to his neighbors for decades. If he wanted to produce beef under the new regulations, however, he would have to ship his cattle across the Hecate straight and hundreds of kilometers into the mainland, then ship the meat back.

“This is clearly not favorable to local food production. These regulations force people in places like the Queen Charlotte Islands to rely on the mainland for their food needs,” said Austin. “The government is clearly confused about what exactly does and doesn’t encourage local food production. Sensible regulations, based on hundreds of years of tradition and good old fashioned common sense will do a lot more for the 100 Mile Diet than a food miles sticker program.”

SOURCE:
HYPOCRITICAL FOOD PLAN A SLAP IN THE FACE TO RURAL FARMERS
NDP Constituency Office
Robin Austin, MLA for Skeena
and Gary Coons, MLA for North Coast
phone: (250) 638 7906
fax: (250) 638 7926