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VoteON for food and farming

The provincial election is on!


Join with organizations across Ontario asking their candidates what they will do to support healthy, thriving local food systems.

Ask candidates in your riding to fill out the Sustain survey. You can use the email template below.

See more campaign details at the Vote ON website


Food System Policy Priorities

Strengthen Ontario’s food resources so we can Buy Local!
  • Invest in local food: farmers, fishers, harvesters, processors, retailers
  • Guarantee public sector purchasing of local food and farm products

Support New Entrants in farming, fishing and harvesting, and Protect Foodland
  • Change land-use policy to protect foodland (farms, forests, waters)
  • Support new entrants through long-term affordable land access, training and capital grants
Reduce poverty, improve working conditions and ensure affordable housing to increase food security
  • Align Ontario Works rates with the cost of living and index them to inflation.
  • Advocate for Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) to provide stable financial support for all Ontarians.
  • End tied work permits for migrant farm and food workers and provide healthcare access regardless of status.
Prioritize Indigenous Food Sovereignty
  • Bring provincial policies in alignment with Indigenous Treaty Rights
  • Ensure Meaningful Indigenous Representation and Ensure a sufficient Indigenous Affairs Budget.

Invest in Community-based School Food and Education Programs
  • Commit to increased community-based investment to ensure adequate school programs and experiential education.

Ensure Communities Can Grow and Harvest Our Own Food
  • Include food production in provincial emergency preparedness plans and integrate it significantly into public infrastructure designs.

Shift Wasted Food to Become an Asset for Ontario


Email template

Dear (Name of candidate),

Toronto Urban Growers is working with a network of organizations coordinated by Sustain to advance policies that will improve Ontario’s food system. The policy recommendations below have been developed through a participatory process over the past 4 months engaging over 90+ organizations across Ontario. 

I am reaching out to share a summary of these policy recommendations and to ask you to FILL IN THIS SHORT SURVEY VoteON Food & Farming Survey 2025 so that we can promote your support for a strong Ontario food system that supports the health and wellbeing of all people, including here in (your community). These are identified priorities:
  • Strengthen Ontario’s food resources so we can buy local!
  • Support new entrants in farming, fishing and harvesting, and protect foodland
  • Reduce poverty, improve working conditions and ensure affordable housing to increase food security
  • Prioritize Indigenous food sovereignty
  • Invest in Community-based school food and education programs
  • Ensure communities can grow and harvest our own food
  • Shift wasted food to become an asset for Ontario

And in our region, we also want to see: (Add any specific, important, community-specific areas here, and in the survey).

Thank you,

(Your name(s))

Toronto Urban Growers 

Toronto Urban Growers (TUG) is a member-based network of urban farmers, local businesses, organizations and institutions that aims to increase availability of healthy, organic and sustainable food produced and sold in Toronto.


In partnership with Sustain:

Sustain is a cross-sectoral alliance of organizations working across Ontario and Indigenous Territories that collaborate towards productive, equitable and sustainable food and farming systems that support the health and wellbeing of all people through collaborative action.

Find the candidates in your riding for the top 4 parties (NDP, Green, Liberal and PC) at one of the following sites: 

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