The release of Canada’s national food security strategy is an important milestone for the country.
At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, shifting trade relationships, supply chain disruptions and growing concerns about affordability, Prime Minister Mark Carney, Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and their colleagues have put forward a vision that recognizes food security is about more than what happens at the grocery checkout. It is also about resilience, domestic capacity and ensuring Canadians have reliable access to food in an increasingly unpredictable world.
Most importantly, the strategy recognizes a reality that those of us in the agriculture and food sector have long understood: Canada must process more of what it grows.
Canada is one of the world’s great agricultural nations. We produce high-quality peas, lentils, canola, wheat, soybeans, and other crops that are in demand around the globe. Yet for decades, too much of the value in those crops has left our borders. We export crops as commodities and allow other countries to capture much of the economic activity that comes next — processing, manufacturing, product development and commercialization.
The government’s strategy rightly identifies this challenge and puts a renewed focus on domestic food processing and manufacturing as part of Canada’s long-term food security agenda.
That matters because food security and economic security are increasingly interconnected.
A stronger domestic processing sector means more resilient supply chains, more markets for farmers, more manufacturing jobs, more investment in Canadian communities and greater control over the products and ingredients that Canadians rely on every day.
The strategy contains several measures that can help move Canada in that direction.
The commitment to increase the amount of Canadian-grown food and ingredients that are processed and manufactured here at home is an ambitious and important signal. New investments to strengthen food manufacturing, ingredient production, support infrastructure and access to financing recognize that building a more resilient food system requires more than good intentions. It requires capital, facilities and the ability to scale. Equally important is the government’s decision to continue investing in the Global Innovation Clusters program, including Protein Industries Canada. Over the past seven years, that model has helped de-risk innovation, bring companies together and accelerate the commercialization of Canadian technologies. Continued support ensures that promising ideas developed in Canada have a greater opportunity to scale and create economic value here at home.
Also encouraging is the creation of the new $1 billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund through Farm Credit Canada. Access to capital has consistently been one of the largest barriers facing companies looking to build new ingredient manufacturing and food processing facilities in Canada. The establishment of this fund signals that the federal government understands both the opportunity and the challenge.
Protein Industries Canada looks forward to working alongside Farm Credit Canada, government and industry partners to ensure these investments help unlock new projects, attract additional private capital and accelerate the growth of Canadian processing capacity.
The strategy also recognizes another important reality: implementation matters.
Building new facilities, commercializing new technologies and bringing innovative food products to market requires more than funding. It requires a business environment that allows companies to move efficiently from idea to investment and from innovation to commercialization.
That is why the government’s commitment to regulatory modernization and reducing unnecessary barriers is so important.
Companies need regulatory systems that are predictable, timely and aligned with trusted international partners. Delays, duplication and unnecessary complexity can discourage investment and slow the adoption of innovation.
Canada’s reputation for food safety is one of our greatest strengths and must remain so. The strategy’s recognition that regulatory systems should support competitiveness while maintaining Canada’s high standards is an important step forward. Continued work to modernize processes, review outdated requirements and reduce unnecessary red tape will help ensure that investment flows into Canada rather than elsewhere.
At Protein Industries Canada, we have been advancing a similar vision through our Make it Here campaign.
The idea is simple: Canada should make more from what it grows.
At Protein Industries Canada, we have seen first-hand what is possible when industry, researchers and governments work together to build new value chains in Canada. The strategy provides an important framework to build on that momentum.
It reflects an understanding that food security, economic growth and domestic production are deeply connected. With the right implementation, strategic investment and continued collaboration between government and industry, Canada has an opportunity to build a stronger food system, create new economic growth and become an even more reliable supplier of food and ingredients to the world. By working together, we can gain greater control over our food system — from what we grow, to what we make, to what Canadians eat. In doing so, we can build a system that is more resilient, more secure and more affordable for Canadians.
Food security is more than what we grow, it’s about what we make here.
Tyler Groeneveld – Chief Executive Officer, Protein Industries Canada