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Equiterre was happy to be there on December 18 when François Gendron, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, unveiled a "buy local" strategy for Quebec hospitals and other institutions at the Hôpital Saint-François d'Assise in Quebec City.
"This strategy will stimulate the economy, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the quality of meals served. It's a real example of sustainable development," said Sidney Ribaux, cofounder and executive director of Equiterre.
Over the past decade, as Equiterre has helped hospitals, schools and daycares buy local, we have noticed a lot of interest in this approach. In the Montreal region, 80% of healthcare facilities would like to buy more local food.
Some quick facts on buying local food:
- Quebec's healthcare system serves 100 million meals a year.
- Increasing local purchasing by 1% across sectors would translate into $75 million of extra revenue for Quebec farmers.
- During an Equiterre pilot project, Hôpital Jean-Talon in Montreal made an impressive 20% of its food purchases directly from local organic farmers, without a budget increase.
