Food connects us all. It brings us together. Canadian-made foods are recognized worldwide for the highest standards of quality and food safety. Responsible for 1 in 8 jobs across the country, our food sector is a powerhouse of the economy, particularly in our rural communities. However, more needs to be done to improve our food system. Too many Canadians aren’t able to reliably access sufficient amounts of healthy food. Too many children at school are trying to learn on empty stomachs. And we are wasting more than 11 million metric tons of food every year — worth nearly $50 billion. We can do better. The first-ever Food Policy for Canada is a roadmap for a healthier and more sustainable food system for Canada.
Food policy is developed to help guide public, private, and non-profit sectors on food-related decisions and actions that can improve people’s lives, their health, and the health of the environment and the economy. It can help these sectors work together better, and help individual Canadians understand the impacts and the opportunities for change within our food system.
Food systems include the way food is produced, processed, distributed, consumed, and disposed of, and they have direct impacts on the lives of Canadians. Food systems are interconnected and are integral to the well-being of communities.
All people in Canada are able to access a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious, and culturally diverse food. Canada’s food system is resilient and innovative, sustains our environment and supports our economy. The Government is investing $134.4 million in new funding over five years to help make this vision a reality:
$50 million To support a wide range of community-led projects that improve access to safe, healthy, and culturally diverse food. These could include greenhouses, community kitchens, projects at food banks, and farmers’ markets.
$15 million To support community-led projects like greenhouses, community freezers, and skills training to strengthen Indigenous food systems, and combat significant challenges in accessing healthy food in Canada’s North.
$25 million Help Canadians better understand how their food is produced, and increase understanding of consumer preferences and expectations. AgriCommunication Program: Up to $8 million federal initiative that will focus specifically on supporting activities which increase appreciation and pride in the contributions of farmers and the food industry and enhance public trust. The agriculture awareness activities will help strengthen public trust about the origin of the food Canadians eat and how it is produced.
Cracking down on mislabeling and misrepresentation of food products, helping to protect consumers from deception and companies from unfair competition.
We are taking the first consultative steps alongside provinces and not-for-profit organizations towards the creation of a National School Food Program, to help improve the overall health of our children as they learn, leading to better futures for them, and ultimately for our country.
The Food Policy for Canada will help Canada meet its commitments under the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, including to end hunger, promote good health, cut food waste and encourage a sustainable food system.
We are creating a Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council with expertise and diversity needed to sustain momentum and dialogue on food-related issues that matter to Canadians.
