GOLDEN HORSESHOE FOOD AND FARMING ALLIANCE

Name

GOLDEN HORSESHOE FOOD AND FARMING ALLIANCE

Legal name

Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance

Website

https://foodandfarming.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Policy Coordination

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAI

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYHLAJAKAH

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

Keywords

• Food and farming policy
• Agricultural cluster coordination
• Local food procurement
• Regional food systems
• Agricultural advocacy

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GHFFA coordinates food and farming initiatives across the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario through stakeholder convening, policy advocacy, research and reporting, and project-based programs that connect local agricultural producers to institutional markets such as long-term care facilities and colleges. The Alliance is a partnership among regional municipalities (Niagara, Peel, Halton, York, Durham), the cities of Hamilton and Toronto, Conservation Authorities, the Greenbelt Fund, Durham College, Niagara College, the Holland Marsh Growers, and food industry members.

Product overview

The Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA) is a regional partnership organization—not a product-based company—that coordinates food and farming initiatives across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area of Ontario. It does not offer software products or technology offerings. The alliance's work encompasses policy advocacy, research reports, stakeholder coordination, and project initiatives such as the Local Food Champions program, Serving Up Local (local food procurement in long-term care), Scarborough Fresh Food Pilot, and the Always in Season Toolkit. The organization functions as a convening body among regional municipalities, Federations of Agriculture, Conservation Authorities, colleges, and food industry members to advance the viability of the Golden Horseshoe food and farming cluster.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Local Food Champions Recognition and awareness program that profiles and promotes local food champions — farms, businesses, research centres, and organizations — across the Golden Horseshoe region to support the local food system.
• Serving Up Local (Local Food Procurement in Long-Term Care) Project initiative that trains food service staff at long-term care facilities to increase procurement of local food, connecting regional farmers with institutional buyers. Documented outcomes include a 23% increase in local food procurement in 2017 among nine participating long-term care homes and a 124% increase in local protein purchases in some homes.
• Serving Up Local II (Economic Analysis) Follow-on phase of the Serving Up Local initiative, delivering economic analysis of local food procurement impacts in long-term care facilities across the Golden Horseshoe.
• Scarborough Fresh Food Pilot Pilot project designed to improve access to fresh food for residents in the Scarborough area of Toronto within the Golden Horseshoe region.
• Always in Season Toolkit Resource toolkit developed by the Alliance to support local food promotion and seasonal eating awareness across the Golden Horseshoe.
• Canada 150 Farm Family Program Recognition program that honoured farm families across the Golden Horseshoe as part of Canada's 150th anniversary celebrations, highlighting multi-generational contributions to the regional food system.
• Long-Term Care (LTC) Case Studies Published case studies documenting the outcomes and lessons learned from the Serving Up Local program across participating long-term care homes.
• LTC Mealtime Engagement Program component focused on improving mealtime engagement for residents in long-term care facilities as part of the broader Serving Up Local initiative.
• Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Action Plan Strategic 5-year action plan released in 2020 that identifies pathways for an integrated and coordinated approach to food and farming viability, ensuring the Golden Horseshoe retains, enhances, and expands its role as a leading food and farming cluster.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased local food procurement by 23% in 2017 among nine long-term care homes in the Serving Up Local project, far surpassing the 5% goal
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Regional Municipalities (Niagara, Peel, Halton, York, Durham)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance is a partnership between these regional municipalities and their Federations of Agriculture. These municipal partners work collaboratively on food and farming initiatives across the Golden Horseshoe, sharing resources and coordinating policy to strengthen the regional food cluster.
• Cities of Hamilton and TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe cities of Hamilton and Toronto are key municipal partners in the Alliance, contributing to regional food and farming coordination and policy development.
• Conservation AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation Authorities are environmental partners in the Alliance, contributing expertise on soil health, water quality, and sustainable farming practices across the Golden Horseshoe region.
• Greenbelt Foundation (Greenbelt Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Greenbelt Foundation provides funding and strategic support to GHFFA. They have jointly released reports on agricultural economic impacts and life histories of Greenbelt Farmers, and provide ongoing project funding.
• Durham CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDurham College is an educational partner in the Alliance, contributing to workforce development and agricultural education initiatives in the eastern Golden Horseshoe.
• Niagara CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNiagara College, through its Canadian Food and Wine Institute Innovation Centre, is an educational partner providing research, innovation, and training capabilities including wine, craft brewing, and artisan distilling programs.
• Holland Marsh GrowerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Holland Marsh Growers' Association represents agricultural producers in the Holland Marsh area, contributing agricultural expertise and production knowledge to the Alliance.
• Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRCA partnered with GHFFA on local food projects, contributing to watershed management and sustainable food system initiatives in the Toronto region.
• Food Industry MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious food industry members participate in the Alliance, contributing commercial expertise and market connections to support the food and farming cluster.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Farm Credit Canada: Crown corporation providing financial and advisory services to Canadian agriculture and food businesses. Thematically related to GHFFA's mandate of supporting farm viability, but operates as a capital provider rather than a coordination body.

Regional players

• Vancouver Food Policy Council: Municipal food policy council in Metro Vancouver coordinating food system actors across municipalities. Comparable function to GHFFA but in a different Canadian region.
• Toronto Food Policy Council: Municipal-level food policy advisory body under the City of Toronto, one of GHFFA's partner municipalities. Comparable as a civic food policy coordination body focused on local food systems.

Broad incumbents

• Food Secure Canada: National Canadian food policy advocacy coalition linking food security, sustainable agriculture, and equity agendas. A broader, federally scoped version of GHFFA's mandate, with overlapping policy and food-systems advocacy.
• Canadian Federation of Agriculture: National umbrella body representing provincial farmer organizations including the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. A larger, federally scoped counterpart of the federations participating in GHFFA.

Direct peers

• Sustain Ontario: Provincial alliance promoting healthy food and farming systems across Ontario through advocacy, research, and stakeholder coordination. Operates as a similar cross-stakeholder food systems convener.
• Ontario Federation of Agriculture: Largest voluntary farmer organization in Ontario and a member of the GHFFA coalition. Directly comparable as a provincial farm advocacy and policy coordination body serving similar agricultural producer members.
• Greenbelt Foundation: A core funder and strategic partner of GHFFA focused on protecting and promoting Ontario's Greenbelt, including agricultural land viability. Operates in the same food and farming policy/advocacy space and co-publishes research with GHFFA.
• Farm & Food Care Ontario: Ontario coalition connecting farmers, food businesses, and consumers through public trust and advocacy programs. Directly comparable to GHFFA as a multi-stakeholder food and farming communications/advocacy alliance.
• Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario: Ontario-based farmer-led organization advancing ecological/sustainable agriculture through training, advocacy, and peer networks. Comparable mission and stakeholder base in regional sustainable agriculture.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GHfoodfarming
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/golden-horseshoe-food-and-farming-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GOLDEN HORSESHOE FOOD AND FARMING ALLIANCE