The Government of Canada is focused on building a stronger economy and making life more affordable for Canadians. Today, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, on behalf of the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, met with members of the Green Lake community and highlighted the launch of the National Food Security Strategy.
Backed by more than $3 billion in investments over 10 years, this strategy will drive productivity and innovation, support independent grocers and create greater competition across Canada's food system to help lower prices for Canadians.
The Secretary of State outlined the strategy's four main objectives:
- Spur grocery store competition and create more choice for Canadians
The Government of Canada will invest $1 billion in food infrastructure-including new and expanded food terminals and hubs-to help independent grocers buy and move competitively priced products without relying on supply networks owned by large retail chains. Additional funding will also provide the Competition Bureau and Competition Tribunal with more resources to investigate, prevent and combat unfair business practices.
- Boost domestic food production across Canada
For decades, we've been paying other countries to convert what we already have into what we really need. This strategy changes that. The Government of Canada will launch a new $1 billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund through Farm Credit Canada and a $150 million Food Security Fund to help Canadian businesses grow, produce and process more food in Canada. It will also invest $100 million to create the Collaborative Food Innovation Fund to help producers make better use of what they already grow-expanding processing so more parts of each crop are used and so more value is kept in Canada.
- Grow fruits and vegetables year-round
We will invest $750 million to drastically expand year-round Canadian production of fruits and vegetables through greenhouses, vertical farms and other enclosed growing spaces, including in rural and northern communities. The strategy will reduce reliance on long, costly supply chains by helping expand local food production.
- Cut red tape across the agricultural supply chain
To reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and producers, we will modernize key regulations; speed up approvals for seeds, feed, fertilizers and veterinary products; and reduce backlogs that slow down the system. This will help farmers access the tools they need sooner, increase productivity and stabilize the food supply. The strategy will also help provincially licensed food businesses meet federal requirements so that a Canadian product made in one province or territory can more easily reach a shelf in another.
As part of this work, the government launched the intake period for the new Community Support Stream under the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, a program under which the community of Green Lake has previously received funding to strengthen food security in northern Saskatchewan. This $20 million program stream is designed to support the distribution of nutritious food to families in need and those most at risk of food insecurity across Canada.
A country's sovereignty depends on its ability to feed itself, fuel itself and defend itself. And right now, Canada is not fully in control of our own food system. Our overreliance on foreign suppliers has left us vulnerable to global shocks-to conflicts overseas, to droughts and to tariffs. Our new National Food Security Strategy is about changing that. It is about putting Canadians back in control of what we grow, of what we buy and of what we put on our tables, so that we can build a truly strong, affordable, resilient Canada for all.
