FEDS WISH TO SUPERCHARGE AG INDUSTRY
BY ADELINE PANAMAROFF • PHOTO COURTESY OF LARS HAGBERG, OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
On June 11, 2026, the federal government launched its new National Food Security Strategy (pictured above, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald). Among its many details is the government’s commitment to reduce regulatory red tape in food production, to improve financial aid programming for farmers and food industry stakeholders and to address the labour shortage in the agriculture industry.
The Strategy pledges to increase Canada’s ability to feed its population with domestically grown and processed foods. “Despite its current size, Canada does not process nearly as much of the food that is grown or harvested in Canada as it could,” it states. “Instead, this food is exported to other countries to be processed. This decreases our food sovereignty, and it also means that we lose out on potential economic gains of processing the food in Canada.” The move is intended to create jobs and reduce the cost of prepared foods.
Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) approves of the Strategy, but the organization will scrutinize its potential benefits for farmers. It’s a good start, said Bruce Burrows, executive director of GGC, but he has reservations. “We’ll be further advocating some clarity and specificity, more meat on the bones [of the Strategy] through the fall.”
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will administer the Strategy in partnership with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Competition Bureau Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Farm Credit Canada. Aspects pertinent to agriculture will roll out over the coming decade, and GGC will monitor these.
Central to the Strategy’s red tape reduction commitment is the aim to simplify and update regulatory systems to better meet the time sensitive needs of farmers. “Supporting farmers through improved access to financing, encouraging innovation, reducing barriers to production, helping new entrants establish viable farm businesses and facilitating intergenerational farm transfers all contribute to Canada’s long-term food security,” said Bronwyn Goodman, an AAFC spokesperson, in an email statement.
The Strategy also cites the need to create new food distribution hubs. It calls for greater production of fruit and vegetables year-round to reduce Canadian reliance on imports. It also notes the need to create financial avenues to incentivize farmers to expand or create new greenhouse and other indoor agriculture facilities. Especially in Canada’s North, this is intended to address the huge disparity in access to fresh and affordable foods in remote areas.
To meet the Strategy’s objectives, regulatory reviews are currently being conducted by AAFC, the CFIA and Pesticides Regulatory Directorate. The government has designated $11.3 million over four years to conduct regulatory amendments and eliminate the existing backlog of approvals for inputs from seeds and fertilizers to biologicals by the New Year.
The formulation of programs and financial aid as well as the development of domestic processing facilities will take time to materialize. Likewise, export infrastructure improvements such as upgrades to the Second Narrows Bridge, which provides rail access to the Port of Vancouver, and Roberts Bank Terminals 2, which will expand the Port’s capacity, are long-term commitments that will take years to complete. The Strategy also commits to the improvement of agricultural research in partnership with other countries. Burrows believes such collaborations are essential for Canada to remain competitive on the global market and to remain self-reliant.
In line with the Strategy’s pledges, he said GGC will advocate for the aid and programming farmers need. “We’ll be working hard at GGC to work with the federal government to fill those blanks,” he said.
To read the Strategy, visit agriculture.canada.ca.
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