Learn more about the vision, action areas, and guiding principles supporting the Food Policy for Canada .

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

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

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.

Our vision

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 $134.4M in new funding over five years to help make this vision a reality: