Esteemed colleagues, I’m delighted to see you again after our break. I hope you had a peaceful and relaxing time with your families.

I have no doubt that you’re ready to start this new year with enthusiasm and a renewed spirit.

I rise today to draw attention to Food Freedom Day, which this year takes place on Saturday, February 8.

Food Freedom Day marks the date that the average Canadian will have earned enough money to pay their groceries for the entire year.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, or CFA, determines the date of Food Freedom Day each year by taking Canadians’ total retail expenditure on food and beverages and dividing it by the total Canadian household disposable income.

Since 2008, Food Freedom Day has been as early as February 3 and as late as February 14. In the past two years, Food Freedom Day has fallen on February 9, but CFA has found that Canadians’ disposable income slightly outpaced the increase in food expenditures this year. According to CFA, Food Freedom Day is an opportunity to appreciate all that goes into producing our food.

In 2018, the average Canadian spent 11 per cent of their disposable income on food. That may not seem like a lot but Canada has one of the safest and most affordable food systems in the world.

Canadian farmers work long hours doing physically and mentally demanding work to ensure we have good-quality Canadian food on our plates. There isn’t anything more important in our lives than food and we are absolutely fortunate to have such a wide diversity of delicious food to enjoy here in Canada.

So as you enjoy dinner on Saturday please take a moment and spare a thought to the time, effort and hard work that went into producing the food you’re enjoying.

If you’re looking for further opportunities to celebrate Canada’s amazing agriculture industry, don’t forget about Canada’s Agriculture Day, which takes place next week on Tuesday, February 11. There are celebrations happening across the country and here in Ottawa.

On Tuesday you might consider posting a selfie on social media raising a fork to Canadian agriculture. And the next time you get the chance, be sure to say thank you to a Canadian farmer.

Thank you, meegwetch.