Liberals defeat Coon’s food bill

Amanda_Minister-sm — Amanda Wildeman, Executive Director of the National Farmers Union – New Brunswick (3rd from left) speaking to Rick Doucet, Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, at a rally to support David Coon’s local food security bill on April 30, 2015. Photo by Tracy Glynn.

Despite support from the National Farmers Union in New Brunswick and other food security advocates, Fredericton South MLA David Coon’s local food security bill failed to pass in the Legislature on April 30.

The bill sought to:

Establish provincial targets to increase the percentage of fresh and processed food produced and consumed in New Brunswick;
Require public institutions such as schools and hospitals to increase the percentage of food on their menus that is produced and processed in New Brunswick with local ingredients; and,
Establish a labeling system to clearly identify food and beverages produced in New Brunswick.

Dozens rallied and spoke to the media outside the Legislature just before the vote.

The vote was 24 against the bill and 18 in support. Conservative MLAs voted in support of the bill.

Rick Doucet, Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, promised that the Gallant government would bring forward another strategy that would be comprehensive and include fisheries.