New School Food Infrastructure Fund and Renewed Local Food Infrastructure Fund Announced

On September 6, 2024, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced the launch of the new School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF) and the renewal of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF) in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. This announcement is part of a $62.9 million allocation from Budget 2024 aimed at enhancing food security across Canada.

The SFIF will provide $20.2 million to support not-for-profit organizations in investing in infrastructure and equipment for school food programs. Applications for the SFIF will be accepted from noon EST on September 6, 2024, until October 4, 2024.

The LFIF will continue to improve community food security through two components:

• Small Scale Projects: Funding between $25,000 and $100,000 will be available for projects such as irrigation systems for community gardens. The first intake for applications will be open from October 1 to October 31, 2024.
• Large Scale Projects: Funding between $150,000 and $500,000 will support larger community food security projects. Applications for this component will be open from January 13 to February 28, 2025.

These initiatives aim to increase access to local, healthy, and culturally appropriate foods, with a focus on equity-deserving groups within communities. The LFIF has previously committed $65 million to over 1,100 projects since its inception in 2019, which includes community kitchens and greenhouses in Northern communities. The renewed LFIF will mobilize an additional $42.7 million for infrastructure needs related to food security.