Canada unveils $3.2 billion National Food Security Strategy

The Canadian government has launched a comprehensive national strategy aimed at lowering food costs and reducing reliance on imports by overhauling the country's food production and retail systems. Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the ten-year, $3.2 billion National Food Security Strategy on Thursday, framing it as a critical step toward national sovereignty and economic resilience.

The plan is a direct response to years of high food inflation, with grocery prices currently 31 percent higher than in 2020, a persistent concern for consumers and a focal point for political opposition. Officials said the strategy seeks to address structural vulnerabilities by boosting domestic production, enhancing processing capacity, and increasing competition in a grocery sector dominated by a handful of large chains.

A central component is a $750 million investment over seven years to expand year-round domestic production of fruits and vegetables through controlled environment agriculture, such as greenhouses and vertical farms. This targets a significant import dependency, as Canada currently relies on foreign sources for approximately 88 percent of its fresh fruit and 72 percent of its...