Have you met LFP?

The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) questioned professional chefs about what’s popular on today’s menus. The survey has shown that local, sustainable and organic food choices top the list of what’s hot in Canada’s restaurant kitchens. This is great news for the non-profit organization Local Food Plus (LFP) who is the industry leader on local sustainable food.



“We’ve definitely seen a considerable increase in interest from chefs and restaurateurs over the past year, with more and more chefs pledging business to local sustainable farmers,” said Lori Stahlbrand, President of Local Food Plus (LFP). “It is exciting to see that the growing consumer demand for local sustainable food is being heard by food businesses.”



Over the past four years (the program was launched in September 2006), Local Food Plus has emerged as Canada’s leading certifier of local sustainable food, setting and managing standards for environmental, social and economic sustainability in farming. LFP also acts as a matchmaker, helping chefs, store-owners, and other food buyers connect with farmers, producers, and distributors that meet their business needs.


By making the work of food producers transparent and defining best practices for sustainability, LFP educates consumers about complex land use issues that affect us all and threaten our future ability to feed ourselves. LFP is the only organization in Canada working on the ground to develop supply chains and other infrastructure that make it possible to scale up for food system change, by linking small and medium-sized producers with purchasers of all sizes.

LFP’s comprehensive and rigorous certification system addresses production, labour, native habitat preservation, animal welfare, and on-farm energy use, and leverages these standards to open new higher-value markets for farmers and processors.

How does the certification system work?

1. We work with producers to gather the information that inspectors will need to assess their production practices.
2. We contract with experienced independent inspectors and provide them with additional training to inspect to LFP standards. These inspectors visit the farm or processing facility and conduct the inspection. The inspection report is then sent to an external reviewer.
3. The external reviewer makes the final decision regarding certification.
4. The farm or processing operation is re-certified annually, with an on-site inspection every three years. We also perform regular spot-checks.

So take a look for their logo next time you are doing the weekly grocery shop.