What Canada’s National Food Security Strategy Could Mean for a More Resilient Food System

Canada's National Food Security Strategy is the federal government's first-ever comprehensive plan to make food more affordable, accessible and produced closer to home.

Announced earlier this month, the strategy is backed by more than $3 billion in investments over 10 years, including $1 billion through the Food-Link Fund to strengthen Canada's food infrastructure.

This investment comes at a critical time when food costs remain high and food insecurity is affecting nearly 1in 4 Canadians. It is a meaningful step forward when it comes to strengthening our food system as its key pillars look to find ways to make healthy food more accessible and reduce red tape.  

As this strategy unfolds, Second Harvest is committed to working with the government and stakeholders across the supply chain to find ways to help ensure these policy changes can translate into meaningful progress in food waste reduction and food rescue.  

Here’s what each pillar of the strategy could mean for our work.

Pillar 1: More Grocery Competition, More Choice, Lower Prices

Through the $1 billion Food-Link Fund, the strategy aims to increase competition in Canada's grocery sector by addressing retail concentration, a lack of wholesale market alternatives, limited regional distributors and gaps in logistical capacity — ultimately with the goal of improving access to more affordable food options.

We are encouraged by investments in food terminals, food hubs and regional food infrastructure. Measures that improve food distribution infrastructure, expand food processing capacity, support farmers and increase year-round production represent an important step toward building a more resilient, efficient and competitive food system. To deliver on their full potential, these investments should be paired with stronger action to address the structural barriers that limit competition and other practices that can contribute to higher food prices.

To maximize the Fund’s impact, Second Harvest recommends that eligible applicants explicitly include registered charities, non-profits and social enterprises that operate food distribution and surplus food recovery infrastructure. The Government should also require all applicants to include a food rescue and food waste reduction plan to prevent avoidable waste, recover surplus edible food and ensure more affordable food reaches communities quickly and reliably.  

The government’s commitment to study Canada’s food supply chain comes at a critical time. As Second Harvest prepares to release new national research examining Canada's manufacturing and processing sector, we see a valuable opportunity to deepen our understanding of how food moves through the supply chain and where inefficiencies contribute to food loss and waste.  

Evidence-based research will be essential to identifying infrastructure strengths and capacity gaps as well as practical solutions that keep food production in Canada and make better use of existing assets.  

Pillar 2: Process More Food Closer to Where It's Grown

“Canada must unlock more value within its own food system by investing in domestic processing capacity and innovation. Across Canada, we continue to export raw materials while importing higher-value processed foods. Meanwhile, industry leaders tell us parts of Canada's food processing and co-packing infrastructure are underused and causing edible food to go to waste.”  - Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest

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A major focus of the strategy is expanding Canada's domestic food processing capacity by launching a new $1-billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund for the agri-food industry and investing $250 million in food-related small-and-medium enterprises for capital and equipment upgrades to grow, produce and process more food in Canada.

This means more jobs in the communities that grow our food and food systems less likely to break when something goes wrong overseas.

Better infrastructure can improve the flow of food across the system, strengthen regional resilience and reduce waste. It also supports upstream solutions that make food recovery more effective, especially when surplus food needs to be sorted, stored, processed and redistributed quickly.

Recognizing this need, Second Harvest has already started construction on a micro-processing facility within our warehouse in Etobicoke. Slated to start operations in September, the facility aims to increase food recovery and improve access to fresh, nutritious food for thousands of individuals annually.  

Pillar 3: Grow Fruits and Vegetables Year-Round

The strategy includes a $750-million investment in greenhouse and indoor agriculture to support year-round production of fruits and vegetables in Canada, including in rural and remote communities.

Growing more food closer to home can strengthen local food systems and reduce our reliance on imports. Shorter supply chains mean less time in transit, less spoilage and longer shelf life for fresh produce.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), an organization that represents citizens from 26 First Nation communities in Northern Manitoba, has raised concerns that the strategy was developed without adequate Indigenous consultation and risks reinforcing southern dependence. MKO recommends meaningful Indigenous consultation and dedicated, long-term investments to address food insecurity in northern and Indigenous-led food systems.

Pillar 4: Lower Prices by Cutting Red Tape

The strategy also focuses on reducing regulatory barriers to lower costs and encourage investment, without compromising food safety or health standards.

Key measures of the strategy include speeding approvals for seed, feed, fertilizers and other veterinary biologics and reducing administrative complexity for up to 4,000 provincially licensed food establishments to help them meet federal food requirements and seize new market opportunities.  

It will be important that efforts to streamline regulations maintain safeguards that protect public health and the environment. Some proposed changes, including provisions in Bill C-30 related to pesticide use, have raised concerns about potential long-term impacts. As the strategy seeks to improve competitiveness and productivity, regulatory changes should also support long-term food system resilience by protecting soil health, biodiversity and public confidence.

Another opportunity for regulatory modernization is best before date labelling. Drawing on successful examples from around the world, Second Harvest's research found that reducing the use of date coding where it is not related to food safety and more clearly distinguishing between quality and safety labels could help reduce food waste, lower costs and keep more edible food in circulation.  

The government will also leverage federal purchasing power through the renewed National Food and Beverage Procurement Strategy and the Buy Canadian Policy Framework, and will work with provinces to promote buying Canadian food in public procurement.

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