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A bill to fight hunger with local food

Over the last two years, we as Ontarians, found ourselves in the midst of a very difficult period as economic growth stagnated and unemployment increased rapidly across the province. While many of us weathered this storm by limiting spending on the non-essentials, the unfortunate reality is that many households across Ontario have struggled and continue to struggle to put food on their families' tables. In turn, many families have been forced to look to their local food bank for assistance.

The extent of this need was driven home to me last March while I volunteered to serve hot meals at the Inn of the Good Shepherd in Sarnia. With my own eyes, I saw the need in our community for the role that food banks and soup kitchens provide. Through our local churches and other non-profit organizations, these groups provide much needed help to many people who are in need through no fault of their own.

However, the unfortunate fact is that the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) reports that food bank usage in Ontario has increased by 20 per cent in the last year alone. This means that roughly 375,000 Ontarians, our friends and neighbours, were forced to turn to their local food bank every month in 2009, which is an all-time high for our province. Yet, unfortunately as this demand increased, food banks across our province have seen a decrease in donations from large manufacturers' and corporate food donors. Food donations decreased by more than one million pounds in 2008 alone.

However, while food banks struggle to provide to those in need, Ontario farmers, who are also struggling, dispose of or plough back into their fields, more than 25 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food. The unfortunate fact is that farmers often cannot afford the costs incurred to collect, process, and deliver their unsold produce to local food banks despite a clear desire in the industry to do so.

Thus, last week I introduced a bill titled the Taxation Amendment Act (Food Bank Donation Tax Credit for Farmers), 2010, that, if passed, will provide a significant tax credit to farmers who donate their unsold produce and other excess food. It may not solve the entire problem, but I think it's a common sense solution to a clear need in our community, and it is something I can do to help out.

My proposed legislation calls upon the Government of Ontario to grant a non-refundable tax credit worth 25 per cent of the wholesale value of donated agricultural products to farmers who choose to donate their excess produce. The bill would also permit unused tax credits to be carried forward and deducted for up to a five year period.

I believe that my proposed bill presents a concrete solution which will not only assist local food banks, but also local farmers and struggling Ontarians. It is my hope that this piece of legislation, if passed, will help to both neutralize the cost placed on local farmers to collect and donate their excess produce while at the same time provide a significant incentive.
As always, I depend on receiving your feedback on this and other issues, but I'd also like to encourage you to donate excess food and clothing or better yet to volunteer at our local food banks or soup kitchens. Acts of kindness like these can make a world of a difference for our friends and neighbours in need.

Phone: (519) 337-0051; Email bob.baileyco@pc.ola.org or through my website at www.bobbaileympp.com.

Sarnia This Week
Bob Bailey
Wed May 26 2010

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