CPMA among the groups involved in the distribution. By Alex Binkley Ottawa—A $50 million Surplus Food Rescue Program has been launched by the federal government to get food in the hands of needy Canadians by buying perishable product from farmers. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the organizations partnering with thye government in the program will be able to collect millions of pounds of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish and seafood. to Canada's most vulnerable populations. “These surpluses were created because the COVID-19 pandemic largely shutdown the restaurant and hospitality industry, leaving many producers without a key market for their food commodities. The Program awarded contributions to eight organizations that leverage existing food redistribution and recovery networks and agencies, who will bring the food to every region in the country. CPMA spokesman Allan Gordon said the money is only for products that became surplus because of the pandemic. “CPMA is supporting in the administration and execution of the program-almost all of the funding we received is to pay the producers for their product.” The organization has a history of helping individuals and communities across Canada through its Half Your Plate campaign to help provide healthy food to Canadians. CPMA President Ron Lemaire said, “The immediate focus will be on the most perishable food products and those that require immediate processing.” Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest, said, “So many of our Canadian farmers are facing food surpluses right now – and this initiative will ensure perishable food is matched and distributed to local community groups that directly feed countless Canadians.” Nutri-Group and its partners, which includes Ontario Pride Egg, will deliver more than one million dozen eggs to food banks and local food organizations across the country. Bibeau said the significant disruptions to Canada's restaurant and hospitality industry caused by COVID-19 has left many producers with surplus food and no way to get it onto the plates of Canadians. The federal funding will ensure the partner organizations “are fairly compensated for their work at the cost of production, while growing relationships with community food providers and supporting efforts to reduce food waste. “Not only are we helping producers who cannot sell their goods to restaurants, but we are also aiding Canadians that have had to seek help from food banks. These eight impressive partnerships between food businesses and not-for-profit organizations, target those food commodities that had significant and urgent surpluses, making a difference both at the level of the producer and the food bank, from coast-to-coast-to-coast.” According to Statistics Canada, one in seven Canadians indicated that they live in a household where there was food insecurity over a one month period during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, there were 1.1 million visits to food banks and 5.6 million meals served on average each month. Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.