Ottawa launches new phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund

The federal Ministry of Agriculture and AgriFood earlier this month announced $10 million for a new phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF).

LFIF is a five-year, $70-million initiative, ending on Mar. 31, 2024. It was created as part of Ottawa’s Food Policy, a roadmap for healthier and more sustainable food systems in Canada. LFIF supports community-based, not-for-profit organizations to improve food security by strengthening local food systems and improving access to nutritious food, the ministry said in a release.

The new phase of LFIF will provide rapid-response funding in the range of $15,000 to $120,000 per project to help improve food security in communities through investments in equipment and infrastructure needs. Project impacts must be targeted and immediate, and must be directly related to addressing food security and increasing the accessibility of healthy, nutritious and ideally local foods within communities. For example, a project could help purchase and install a walk-in refrigerator or storage units for donated food.

“Now more than ever, we must support the work of organizations and food banks that help those who need it most. With today’s launch of this new phase of the

Local Food Infrastructure Fund, our fovernment takes concrete and direct action, which will allow them to continue to ensure access to healthy and nutritious food,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Eligible applicants from across Canada will be able to submit applications for this intake until May 31. Organizations who have received LFIF funding in the past will be eligible to apply to this new funding opportunity.

Since it first launched in August 2019, LFIF has committed $55.4 million to support 897 food security projects across Canada, such as: community gardens and kitchens; refrigerated trucks and storage units for donated food; greenhouses in remote and Northern communities.

Eligible projects under this new intake must be equipment- or infrastructure-specific, community-driven and dedicated to improving access to healthy, nutritious, and local foods for Canadians, including Indigenous, Northern and remote communities, at risk of food insecurity.

Program information is available at www.agriculture.canada.ca/local-food.