The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) has unveiled a new three-year strategic plan aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of Canada's red meat processing industry amid an increasingly complex trade, regulatory, and policy environment.
Released Monday, the plan, titled Quality the World Trusts: Securing the Competitiveness of Canada’s Meat Value Chain, outlines the council's priorities for 2026 through 2029 and its approach to supporting federally licensed red meat packers and processors.
Canada's red meat industry is the largest component of the country's food processing sector, generating $35 billion in annual economic output and supporting more than 250,000 jobs nationwide.
The plan identifies three main priorities: strengthening the council through increased membership and engagement; presenting a unified industry voice through coordinated advocacy; and preparing processors for future challenges through evidence-based policy development and improved crisis coordination.
CMC president and CEO Kyle Larkin said the strategy is intended to ensure the industry's concerns are heard while helping members navigate an increasingly challenging operating environment.
“Our focus is on strengthening the CMC, ensuring the industry’s story is heard through coordinated advocacy and engagement, and better preparing our members to navigate an increasingly complex policy, regulatory and trade environment,” Larkin said.
The council also intends to improve communications with members and the public, develop a more proactive policy agenda, and establish crisis-response coordination before emergencies arise.
The strategy also reinforces the council's vision of Canada as a trusted global supplier of high-quality meat, with stronger industry collaboration and advocacy viewed as essential to maintaining long-term competitiveness.
The full strategic plan can be seen here:
https://meatcouncil.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/CMC_Strategic_Plan_2026_2029-1.pdf
