Students across New Brunswick will be seeing more local food in their school cafeterias in the coming months.
The provincial government is spending $273,000 to establish a co-operative which will store, preserve and distribute food so it can be served in schools throughout the year.
Agriculture Minister Rick Doucet says producers and the economy will benefit if there is more awareness about local food.
“We have to increases the availibilty of local foods. Not only in the cafeterias, not only in the (public) institutions but also the availability in the retail chains… the restaurants,” he notes.
Doucet says New Brunswickers spend $2.6 billion per year on groceries and much of it comes from away.
If even 25 percent of that were local food and beverage products, he adds it would be lucrative for the provincial economy.
NB agriculture minister Rick Doucet & MLA Chris Collins chat with Bernice MacNaughton students ab local food in cafeterias #Moncton #nbpoli pic.twitter.com/ohVFUsYsYq
— 91.9The Bend News (@919TheBendNews) April 6, 2017
