Greenbelt Fund News

There has been significant media coverage about the negative impacts of COVID-19 on businesses in the agri-food sector – many of whom felt these impacts overnight. The closures seen in our foodservice sector, including restaurants, cafeterias and some broader public sector institutions, created a domino effect of disruptions throughout the supply chain.

Foodservice distributors are one sector that has seen steep decline in business from their existing customers but have shown tremendous resiliency over the last two months. Bondi Produce, Flanagan’s Foodservice and 100 KM Foods are just some examples of Greenbelt Fund’s previous grantees that found ways to shift their business operations, by setting up online open-to-the-public retail shops and delivery food boxes in a matter of weeks.   

What is the Northern Food Distribution Network?

In the fall of 2016, the Greenbelt Fund and local food leaders working in food distribution from across the North started to gather to develop a strategy to address distribution challenges and collaborate on improving the efficiency, resilience and accessibility of northern Ontario food value chains.  After extensive consultation, the creation of the Northern Food Distribution Network (NFDN) was established. The initial year of meetings allowed the group to bring together more people involved in improving Northern food distribution and to start looking at what strategies would address the key challenges.

The holiday season is upon us! No matter how you celebrate, one common theme resonates with us all: food.

Whether you have taken on the brave task of hosting a large meal or you plan to contribute to an office potluck or a dinner party, finding and preparing the right food, drink and gifts can be an arduous journey. Skip the guesswork! Giving the gift of local always tastes as good as it feels, and the Greenbelt Fund is here to help.

Discover the bounty of Ontario food and drink while exploring some of the best local farmers, producers and retailers below as you plan your holiday ‘feast’ivities!

On Tuesday, November 27th, the Greenbelt Fund hosted an interactive workshop to support Municipalities, School Boards and Post-secondary Institutions in their local food procurement goals and actions.

On October 23 and 24, the Greenbelt Fund and Ontariofresh.ca exhibited at Grocery Innovations Canada—a two-day speciality B2B show in Toronto with over 5,600 attendees networking, and finding new business and new products within the grocery trade.

From November 2-11, 2018, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair celebrated 96 years of getting ‘agri-cultured’, showcasing the best in agriculture, local food and equestrian competitions from across the country.

On October 4, in celebration of Ontario Agriculture Week, the Greenbelt Fund hosted a Local Food Literacy roundtable event to facilitate the sharing of experience and insights of tracking and measuring results of local food literacy initiatives.  

It’s no secret that food waste is a growing area of focus at all levels of the food value chain. Factors such as economic and human behaviour, transport, lack of resources, and technological limitations all contribute to the many ways we waste food that could otherwise be utilized in effective, innovative and profitable ways.

The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) provides innovation and funding services customized to each business's specific needs. We invited the folks at NRC-IRAP to write a blog about their program and goal of helping Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises accelerate their growth of businesses through innovation and technology.

Greenbelt Fund grantee Halton Healthcare celebrated Local Food Week with a Local Food Expo at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. We invited Halton Healthcare to share an update from the event, part of their project to increase local food served in their health care facilities.