More locally-grown food could soon be on your dinner table

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Local food isn’t just a fad, it’s a necessity. The province is prioritizing and that means you could have access to a lot more locally grown food.

BC’s agriculture minister expects the industry to grow substantially in the next five years.

“There’s definitely an agricultural renaissance going on,” boasts Don McRae, noting the province is pushing the industry as one of the 8 key areas for job growth.

McRae doesn’t think there’s any doubt there’s a market for it. “Consumers are now recognizing and realizing BC’s product is high value and high quality. By buying local, you can actually support your local community, your local farmer and those dollars get spread around.”

By the numbers, BC Agriculture is worth over $10 billion a year.

“Two-and-a-half billion dollars is primary production, so that could be someone growing fruit in the Okanagan or grains in the Peace region,” explains McRae.

By 2017, he thinks the province could hit $14 billion and that Canada will be one of the top six net food exporters by 2030. There are specific areas where we could see growth.

“When the world economy basically went into a recession in 2008-2009, you saw so many sectors around the world collapse,” he explains. “Well, organics actually grew in North America by 10 per cent.”

Right now, BC imports 75 per cent of its organic products, and growers in this province could take a big dent out of it.

Click here to find a full report from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Next week, News1130’s Erin Loxam will have a full series on sustainable local food production. She’s talking with industry leaders about the challenges, benefits and innovative ways that BC foods are getting to your dinner table.

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