Canadian agricultural organizations are generally welcoming the federal government’s new National Food Security Strategy, saying it recognizes the importance of farmers, processors, and reliable supply chains in keeping food affordable.
However, industry groups are also warning that labour shortages, regulatory inconsistencies, and rising production costs could limit the strategy’s effectiveness.
Released by Ottawa last week, the national strategy is intended to strengthen Canada’s ability to produce, process and distribute food while improving affordability and reducing dependence on vulnerable supply chains. It includes measures to accelerate regulatory approvals, expand domestic processing, improve transportation and distribution infrastructure, encourage agricultural innovation and support farm succession. The plan also proposes new financing and investment programs, including $1 billion through Farm Credit Canada, $150 million for small and medium-sized businesses and $100 million to commercialize agricultural technologies.
Grain Growers of Canada said the plan appropriately links food affordability with competitive farms, modern regulations and dependable transportation. The organization welcomed moves to speed approvals for crop protection products, seed, feed and fertilizer, along with measures to help young farmers access financing and take over family operations. However, it said the commitments must produce concrete results, including faster input approvals, expanded domestic markets, and increased agricultural research funding.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture also supported investments in domestic production, processing and supply chain efficiency. It said implementation must involve farmers and address rising input costs and chronic labour shortages. The federation argued that food security requires coordinated policies across transportation, trade, immigration, environment, innovation and finance rather than a single departmental program.
The Canadian Meat Council welcomed support for processing capacity but raised concerns about proposed exemptions from federal food safety requirements for some non-federally licensed processors. The council warned that creating different regulatory standards could undermine confidence in Canada’s inspection system and jeopardize export access. It also criticized the absence of a permanent immigration pathway for agri-food workers following the expiration of the federal Agri-Food Pilot in 2025.
Fertilizer Canada endorsed commitments to reduce regulatory backlogs and improve access to new products, while calling for a competitive investment environment to strengthen domestic fertilizer production.
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan said the strategy aligns with many of its priorities, including stronger Competition Bureau enforcement, infrastructure investment, regulatory reform and support for intergenerational farm transfers. Still, APAS described the plan as a starting point that will require continued industry collaboration and effective implementation.
