The launch of the new National Food Security Strategy was announced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The programme was presented on June 22 in King City, Ontario, by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson on behalf of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald.
One of the strategy’s key components is a $1 billion investment in food infrastructure. The funding will support the construction and expansion of food terminals, logistics centres, and distribution hubs, enabling independent grocery retailers to access competitively priced products without relying on supply networks controlled by major retail chains.
Additional resources will be provided to the Competition Bureau and the Competition Tribunal to strengthen efforts against unfair business practices in the marketplace.
To support the agri-food sector, the government is also establishing a new $1 billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund through Farm Credit Canada. Together with the $150 million Food Security Fund, it will help Canadian businesses expand domestic food production, processing, and distribution.
A further $100 million will be allocated to the Collaborative Food Innovation Fund, which will support innovative projects aimed at expanding processing capacity and improving the use of agricultural raw materials.
Another major focus of the strategy is the expansion of fruit and vegetable production. The government has earmarked $750 million for investments in greenhouses, vertical farms, and other controlled-environment growing systems, including projects in rural and northern communities.
Regulatory reform is also a key element of the plan. The strategy includes measures to modernize regulations, accelerate approvals for seeds, feed additives, fertilizers, and veterinary products, and reduce administrative backlogs.
In addition, the federal government plans to facilitate interprovincial trade by helping food producers more easily market products beyond their home provinces.
According to Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald, the strategy will enable Canada to process more of its own agricultural production, create new jobs, and strengthen the country’s food self-sufficiency.
“Through this made-in-Canada approach, we will be able to process more of what our farmers grow, creating new jobs, economic opportunity, and greater food self-sufficiency,” he said.
Experts note that the new strategy could become one of the largest government support programmes for Canada’s agri-food sector in recent years and help strengthen the competitiveness of domestic food production amid growing global challenges facing food systems.
PigUA.info, based on information from ThePigSite.com