Earlier this summer, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada published a National Food Security Strategy (2026) outlining new initiatives to address the structural causes of food insecurity that are affecting Canadians, particularly the most vulnerable. In detailing a federal plan to build a more affordable, self-sufficient, and resilient food system, the strategy prioritizes domestic production, affordability, and market competition, with federal investments in public food terminals, regional hubs, agri-food innovation, and regulatory reforms. Its overarching goal is to ensure that more of what is eaten in Canada is grown, processed, and sold domestically.

After identifying the most significant food industry structural vulnerabilities – specifically a lack of competition among Canada’s food supply chain, small size of processing capacity relative to its agriculture, extensive dependence on imports, and regulatory approaches that increase cost and limit growth – the report provides a review of the government’s current actions to address food affordability and security.

But what we see as being of key interest and importance in the paper are the new initiatives intended to provide “more choice, more control, and more Canada,” grouped into four key categories:

1. Food Affordability & Market Competition
   Goal: Reduce the price of food for Canadian families by addressing the factors that contribute to food price inflation
   Through: a $1 billion food-link fund to expand major food terminals and establish regional food hubs to bypass dominant retail networks and help independent grocers access affordable local products; allocating $12.9 million annually to strengthen competition enforcement and investigate supply chain pricing; and advocating for provincial standard unit pricing, modernizing privacy laws to combat “surveillance pricing,” and doubling guaranteed loan limits to help young farmers buy operations.
2. Domestic Food Processing Expansion
   Goal: Process more food domestically for increased self-sufficiency and economic growth
   Through: a $1 billion project finance fund delivered by Farm Credit Canada to catalyze capital-intensive, value-added processing facilities; and targeting SME & innovation funding using a mix of funding channels to expand local processing of Canadian primary crops and livestock.
3. Year-Round Produce Production
   Goal: Increase the production and efficiency of produce grown year-round to reduce import dependency
   Through: a $750 million CEA pathway directing $650 million to help commercial growers adopt automation and robotics; and $100 million to build indoor, year-round growing systems in rural and northern communities.
4. Regulatory Reform & Local Trade
   Goal: Lower costs, while protecting health and safety, by removing regulatory barriers and improving service standards.
   Through: amending federal laws so regulators must consider food security and food costs during safety evaluations; investing $11.3 million to clear backlogs and fast-track seed, feed, fertilizer, and veterinary biologic approvals; allocating $12 million to help provincial food establishments meet federal standards; and providing temporary exemptions from SFCR to address local slaughter capacity shortages.

The strategy also outlines specific, time-bound targets and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress throughout the next decade starting with the Ontario Food Terminal expansion plans and funding formalized and CFIA and PRD regulatory application backlogs cleared by the end of 2026. Additionally, by the end of:

• 2028: Begin construction on two additional food terminals and open or expand 10 regional food hubs that demonstrate lower average prices for their foods.
• 2030: Increase the number of independent grocers sourcing their inventory through these public terminals or regional hubs by 15% and increase the proportion of local food sales made by small and mid-sized producers by 25%.
• 2032: Increase the proportion of domestically produced healthy foods from 75% to 85%; double the total production value of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) sold in Canada $1.55 billion; cut dependence on imports for crops that can be produced domestically via CEA by 20%; lower operational overhead by reducing labor and energy costs in CEA facilities by 10% to 20%.
• 2035: Drive the annual GDP growth rate of Canada’s food processing industry up to an average of 2.75% per year (from its historical baseline average of 1.6% per year).

The federal agencies will also track ongoing metrics to provide for nearly $350 million per year in direct consumer savings; shift consumer consumption to increase domestically processed food eaten in Canada from 70% to 80%; and reduce the average time for future approvals at both CFIA and PRD by at least one third.

From a food safety and regulatory standpoint, this strategy will not affect the integrity of Canada’s food safety and inspection system.

By implementing the new initiatives and attaining the stated goals, Canada aims to lower grocery prices, break up retail monopolies, maintain food safety, and boost domestic food production to provide “More Choice. More Control. More Canada.”

In summary, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada published a National Food Security Strategy outlining new initiatives to address the structural causes of food insecurity affecting Canadians. Its goal is to ensure that more of what is eaten in Canada is grown, processed, and sold domestically. With investment in food affordability & market competition, domestic processing expansion, year-round produce production and regulatory reform & local trade, the strategy aims to provide “More Choice. More Control. More Canada.”