BILL NO. 14

(as introduced)

3rd Session, 61st General Assembly
Nova Scotia
60 Elizabeth II, 2011

Private Member's Bill

Agriculture and Marketing Act
(amended)

Leo Glavine
Kings West

First Reading: April 7, 2011

(Explanatory Note)

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

This Bill amends the Agriculture and Marketing Act to require

(a) the advisory committee under the Act to advise the Minister of Agriculture on the development of policy respecting food purchases by Government of Nova Scotia entities;

(b) the policy to include progressive targets of returns to farmers over 9 years;

(c) the policy to include a healthy-snack program in the classroom;

and

(d) the Minister to finalize the policy by July 15, 2011.

1 Chapter 6 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Agriculture and Marketing Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 4A the following Section:

4B (1) In this Section, "government entities" means the organizations, departments, governmental units, government business enterprises, government partnership arrangements and crown corporations within the Government Reporting Entity as the Government Reporting Entity is defined in the Finance Act.

(2) The advisory committee referred to in Section 4A shall advise the Minister on the development of policy respecting food purchases by government entities.

(3) The policy must include

(a) the establishment of progressive targets on food purchases by government entities; and

(b) consideration of the implementation in the classroom of a healthy-snack program focused on locally grown produce.

(4) The progressive targets must have the objective of achieving an initial return of thirteen cents to Nova Scotian farmers for every one dollar spent by the government entities, rising over the next nine years to twenty cents for every one dollar spent.

(5) The policy must be finalized by the Minister, in conjunction with the advisory committee, no later than July 15, 2011.