Canada launches $3B food security strategy to boost domestic output
Plan targets grocery competition, local production and red tape cuts
24 June 2026
1 minute read
By: The Canadian government has launched a National Food Security Strategy backed by more than $3 billion in investments over 10 years, aimed at boosting domestic food production, increasing grocery competition and reducing regulatory burdens on farmers, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced.
The strategy was highlighted by Tim Hodgson, minister of energy and natural resources, on behalf of agriculture minister Heath MacDonald, at an event in King City, Ontario on June 22.
The plan includes a $1 billion investment in food infrastructure, including new and expanded food terminals and hubs, to help independent grocers source and move competitively priced products without relying on supply networks owned by large retail chains. Additional funding will provide the Competition Bureau and Competition Tribunal with resources to investigate and combat unfair business practices.
A new $1 billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund through Farm Credit Canada and a $150 million Food Security Fund will support Canadian businesses in growing, producing and processing more food domestically. A further $100 million Collaborative Food Innovation Fund will help producers make better use of existing crops by expanding processing capacity.
The strategy also allocates $750 million to expand year-round domestic production of fruits and vegetables through greenhouses, vertical farms and other enclosed growing spaces, including in rural and northern communities.
On regulation, the government said it will modernise key rules, speed up approvals for seeds, feed, fertilisers and veterinary products, and work to reduce backlogs. It will also help provincially licensed food businesses meet federal requirements so that products made in one province can more easily reach shelves in another.
"Through this made-in-Canada approach we will be able to process more of what our farmers grow, creating new jobs, economic opportunity and more food self-sufficiency," said MacDonald.
