Canadian food producers call on government to focus on food security and supply challenges

Canadian food producers and suppliers delivered a letter to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, calling on the Federal Government to unleash Canada’s potential for producing sustainable, affordable food for Canadians and the world.

With the war in Ukraine, ongoing challenges from COVID, global supply chain problems and environmental shocks from climate change, Canadians and citizens around the world are facing higher food costs and food shortages. These shortages will disproportionately affect the poor. It is time for Canada to intensify food production to sustainably and affordably feed Canadians and the world.

“The current situation calls for a major renewed policy focus on optimizing Canada’s food production and Canadian food producers and suppliers are calling on the Prime Minster and Cabinet to take critical, immediate action.”

According to the open letter, the Government of Canada “must make food security a key factor in government priorities, actions and decisions, ensuring no regulatory or political obstacles to maintaining current levels of food production, and where possible increasing food production of all types.”

Two immediate actions that were requested are:

1. Make secure food production and supply a top consideration in policy and funding decisions: Political, regulatory and funding decisions in the near term such as agriculture’s Next Policy Framework should prioritize food security and productivity in the policy and decision-making process. This must include a focus on supply-chain resiliency to ensure Canada has the ability to get our products to the markets that need them most.
2. Focus on an agile, modern regulatory environment that supports production growth: Review the 2019 Agri-Food Aquaculture and Roadmap and the status of all outstanding projects and renew efforts towards their completion.