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When the city of Laval learned that most of the food we buy travels an average of 2600 km "from field to table," it decided to do something about it, by teaming up with Equiterre and local food co-op Saveurs de Laval to help institutional food services access fresh fruit and vegetables from a local farm.
What made Laval such a good candidate for this project? The fact that farmland makes up almost 30% of the local territory. This is one case where the meaning of "local" is very clear, i.e., "grown within city limits."
In all, ten organizations participated in the program, including:
- 4 long-term care facilities
- 2 hospitals
- 1 youth centre
- 1 old-age home
- 1 daycare
- 1 restaurant
Participating staff had good things to say about the program. They liked:
- belonging to a community
- encouraging the local economy
The project is also aiming for other benefits, including:
- a reduction in the air pollution caused by the high number of trucks on our roads – about a third of which are carrying food
Because the project was a success, it will return in 2012.
Intrigued?
Food services in Laval that are interested in participating can contact the city via Mélanie Raymond at 450 978-6888, ext. 4654.
